Director Kang Yun-seong praised the actors in Disney+'s 'Casino'.
On the 30th, I met director Kang Yun-seong, who directed the Disney Plus series ‘Casino’, at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.
Choi Min-sik played the role of Cha Moo-sik, who lived a life full of ups and downs, starting from the bottom and rising to the position of 'casino legend' that no one can easily touch. Son Seok-gu played the role of Oh Seung-hoon, a police officer dispatched to the Philippines who was chasing Cha Mu-sik. Lee Dong-hwi played the role of Jeong-pal, Cha Moo-sik's younger brother and right-hand man. Heo Seong-tae took on the role of Seo Tae-seok, who had established himself in the Philippines thanks to Cha Moo-sik but was filled with a desire to defeat Cha Moo-sik and become an influential figure in the casino.
With this work, Choi Min-sik appears in a drama for the first time in 25 years. Director Kang Yun-seong was preparing a remake of Choi Min-sik and Warner Bros. Korea's film 'The Intern', but production of 'The Intern' was also halted when Warner Bros. stopped investing and producing in Korea. Director Kang said, "I was preparing a remake of the movie 'The Intern' with Choi Min-sik, and it was around Chuseok of 2020 that I received the notice of suspension. At that time, my senior said, 'We can't break up like this. Is there anything written?' 'I think he said he would do it in two days. I never told him why he decided to do it." He continued, “It’s like a senior reached out to me when I was in despair after being immersed in ‘The Intern.’”
Regarding working with Choi Min-sik, Director Kang said, "What I felt before filming was that he sees the story as a whole. His character is also a character, but he looks at the story as a whole and talks a lot about the necessary and unnecessary parts. He prepares a lot for each filming. "I thought about it. Even in the morning, he comes about an hour earlier than the meeting time. I think all the actors prepared more under the influence of senior Choi Min-sik," he said. He continued, "We filmed in the Philippines for three months. During that time, the actors stayed in a hotel. Throughout the three months, the actors dug into their characters like researchers. We had a lot of meetings and rehearsals. After completing three months of filming in the Philippines, everyone became their characters. “There was,” he praised the actors.
Regarding Choi Min-sik, Director Kang said, "Senior, you always try to be funny. You try to make a comedy somehow." He also added, "When filming an important scene or a scene that requires you to be completely immersed in emotions, you are so focused that you have to be careful." Choi Min-sik's professionalism is amazing. We talked about aspects. He also said, “The filming schedule was difficult, but the fact that our senior made the filming site enjoyable gave us the strength to overcome the difficulties.”
Regarding Son Seok-gu, Director Kang said, "He has an outstanding talent for natural acting. I like the power of seeing a story. Son Seok-gu was very helpful in capturing Oh Seung-hoon's character while I was working on the script in the beginning. Son Seok-gu's close friend also directed the movie. “They say they are preparing. Son Seok-gu himself also talks a lot about scripts and movies. He even wrote Oh Seung-hoon’s lines himself.” He continued, "Above all, he is good at English. When I entrust him with the English translation of the script I wrote, aren't there some unnatural parts? I think it can be said that Son Seok-gu corrected his portion of English appropriately."
Regarding Lee Dong-hwi, Director Kang said, "The character of Jeong-pal that I initially thought of was serious and heavy. The moment Lee Dong-hwi filmed his first scene, I thought, 'This is not right. I can't go as a heavy person.' After that, senior Choi Min-sik and Tiki Taka were even better. “It was right,” he said. He also said, "Lee Dong-hwi is also excellent at making the character attractive. His ability and strength to use the lines are good," and "In parts where the flow of lines would be awkward, he changed the order and expressed them exquisitely."
'Casino' is a powerful story about Cha Musik, a man who became a casino legend in the Philippines with no money or background, but becomes embroiled in a murder case and begins to make the final bet that puts his life on the edge. Season 1 concluded on the 25th, and Season 2 begins on February 15th.
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr