Choi Woo-shik Opens Up About Working with Director Kim Tae-yong Again in 'Number One'

Actor Choi Woo-shik candidly shared his feelings about collaborating with director Kim Tae-yong for the second time.

Recently, Choi Woo-shik, who stars in the film 'Number One' directed by Kim Tae-yong, sat down for an interview at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.

The movie 'Number One' tells the story of 'Hamin' (played by Choi Woo-shik), who starts seeing numbers decrease every time he eats his mother's food. He discovers that when the number reaches zero, his mother 'Eunsil' (played by Jang Hye-jin) will die, prompting him to do everything he can to protect her.

Choi Woo-shik plays the role of 'Hamin,' who tries to distance himself from his mother to protect her time. He admitted, "I feel more nervous than ever," adding, "Since this is my second project with director Kim Tae-yong, I feel the pressure to show a better and improved version of myself compared to the first film." He continued, "Although I've worked on many films, I could always hide behind my seniors. This time, I'm stepping out into the world as the lead, with my face and name on the line, holding the director's hand, which makes it feel even more significant."

He also reflected on their first collaboration in the film 'Set Me Free' (2014). Choi Woo-shik recalled, "I initially rejected the role three to four times because I felt there were many emotional scenes I couldn't handle." He admitted that he was hesitant at first with this project as well.

He confessed, "I think I expressed a lot of doubts initially this time too. I'm usually quite cautious on set, and since 'Set Me Free' received unexpected love and awards, I wanted to maintain that relationship."

Choi Woo-shik revealed that he felt significant pressure about working with Kim Tae-yong again, saying, "I was afraid of hearing that we failed after meeting for the second time." Regarding his recent criteria for choosing projects, he said, "Lately, I've been avoiding emotionally taxing roles." He added that he was worried about the emotional toll of this project as well.

However, his concerns were unfounded. Choi Woo-shik shared, "Once filming began, those worries disappeared. Since I'm very close with the director, we communicated well and understood each other. I realized my worries were unnecessary." He continued, "We joked around as soon as we met on set, and even during dark scenes, we managed to keep our emotions balanced. Both the director and I felt that a lot of time had passed, and both the texture of the work and our personal growth had changed significantly."

The film 'Number One' is set to be released on the 11th.

By Kim Se-ah, TenAsia Reporter haesmik@tenasia.co.kr