Actor Lee Sung-min Reflects on His Role in 'No Choice' and His Career Journey

"I've imagined what would happen if I couldn't work one day due to an accident or injury. I still have a long life ahead, and for my family's sake, maybe I should consider another career..."

This is what actor Lee Sung-min shared about his role as job seeker Goo Beom-mo in the film 'No Choice.' The movie tells the story of Man-soo, played by Lee Byung-hun, who struggles to find a new job after being suddenly laid off from a paper company where he worked for 25 years. Lee Sung-min plays the role of Goo Beom-mo, a veteran in the paper industry desperate for reemployment.

Lee Sung-min said, "I try to find similarities with the characters I play, but Beom-mo's personality and preferences are not like mine. The characters I've played so far haven't been that ordinary. Whether it's a detective or a criminal, characters with special jobs or situations are easier to portray. But I found it challenging to express an ordinary office worker. That's why playing ordinary characters can be more burdensome."

Lee Sung-min emphasized, "What made it easier to understand Beom-mo was his self-esteem regarding his job. The characters in the movie aren't just wandering because they've lost their jobs." He added, "Beom-mo's wife, Ara, asks why he doesn't consider other jobs like working at a café. Beom-mo can't do that because he's only ever done one thing his whole life. For Beom-mo, making paper is about his existence. In that sense, 'actor Lee Sung-min' is similar to Beom-mo. If I were in Beom-mo's position, I wouldn't know what to do either."

Lee Sung-min took on this role because it was directed by the renowned Park Chan-wook. When asked about memorable questions from foreign media at the Venice International Film Festival, he said, "They asked why I chose this project. Just before, the director talked about the budget, so I said, 'I didn't do this for the money. I did it because of Director Park Chan-wook.'" He continued, "People overseas don't just call him 'director'; they truly refer to him as a 'maestro,'" expressing his respect for Park.

"Director Park has a different imagination and perspective. I wondered if I could understand the script and match his imagination. The script was meticulously written, so my goal was to follow its directions well. I had to decide the intensity and scale, and I remember being very nervous during the first take. It was a scene where Man-soo comes down after an interview, and I was beside him. It was a simple scene, but because it was our 'first meeting,' I was very nervous."

In the film, Beom-mo's wife, Ara, played by Yum Hye-ran, is having an affair with a younger man. When asked if there were any hidden details in his character, Lee Sung-min replied, "There's a scene where Ara asks Beom-mo to enjoy the air during a picnic, and he looks at her blankly. Internally, he knows she's having an affair, and that's why he looks at her that way. The audience might not know, but I thought about that while looking at her." The film briefly shows Beom-mo and Ara's past love story, contrasting their pure love with their current situation, adding to the film's poignancy.

"This film seems to be about the things we've lost and are losing. We lose family, morality, and humanity. One of those lost things is purity. I think that's why that scene was included. Beom-mo loved Ara that much and felt alive through his work, but now he's lost his job and pure love, drowning in alcohol. They might have been childish, but they once had a pure and innocent love."

Lee Sung-min previously appeared in the comedy film 'Handsome Guys,' where he had a scene exposing his 'white belly.' In this film, he boldly exposes his back.

"I wasn't too burdened. It's a scene where Beom-mo, stuck in a rut, is reborn with a new resolution. It's like a bridge cut in the film. I thought it was a necessary scene. Originally, the storyboard had him getting up, undressing, and going to the bathhouse in profile, but the director decided to end it with him getting up. It wasn't too difficult. Beom-mo doesn't show a muscular or slim back, so viewers might find it unsightly. Haha."

From dreaming of becoming an actor in high school to his days as a theater actor in Daehangno, and through a long period of obscurity, Lee Sung-min has faced many challenges in his acting career but has never given up on his passion for acting. He said, "I actually wanted to quit after 10 years because it was tough, but I realized I couldn't do anything else. I even quit theater in my mid-20s and did manual labor, but it was too hard. I thought it was better to do theater."

"After doing this for over 10 years, I couldn't give up. I had nowhere else to go. Acting is about existence for me. If I quit one day, I wouldn't be able to do anything. That's why I understand Beom-mo. I told my daughter, 'Dad can only do this. I think this makes me happy.' I don't even have hobbies or know how to travel. 'I hope you're not like me. I hope you do what you want to do.' I continued acting because I couldn't do anything else. I have to stay healthy and keep going. Haha."

Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr