Kim Nam-gil, Grand Prize at ‘SBS Drama Awards’ “Acting, you have to be humble”

Actor Kim Nam-gil won the grand prize at the '2022 SBS Drama Awards' for 'Those Who Read the Heart of Evil'. Nam Goong Min of 'The Thousand Won Lawyer' received the Director's Award, while Lee Joon-gi and Seo Hyun-jin received the Grand Prize.

The '2022 SBS Drama Awards' was held at the SBS Prism Tower in Sangam-dong, Seoul on the 31st. Shin Dong-yeop, Ahn Hyo-seop, and Kim Se-jeong hosted the event.

Kim Nam-gil, who received the grand prize trophy, said, "I had no expectations because our drama aired at the beginning of the year. I was hesitant because the subject matter was difficult and it lacked popular aspects. I am grateful to the viewers who have not forgotten 'Readers of the Heart of Evil' until now." "There were a lot of people to thank for the drama. I hesitated a lot, but like the director said, I decided to only think about the victims and their families. The actors were also, without a doubt, the best," he said, thanking viewers and colleagues.

Kim Nam-gil gave credit for saying, “The reason ‘Readers of the Heart of Evil’ was able to be completed was thanks to the actors who played violent criminals.” He continued, "It's not easy to play a villain. You can show off well in terms of acting, but I'm thankful to the actors who chose me without hesitation without thinking about image when it comes to playing a violent criminal. Acting is not something you do for fame, as I saw on set. Acting is not about fame. “I thought I had to be humble,” he confessed.

Kim Nam-gil said, "I am grateful to the professor who told me to be wary of excuses and rationalizations for murder, and to the police officer who told me that our country needs a scientific investigation team when there is no scientific investigation team. I sincerely respect him for coming to the scene and giving me advice when things must have been difficult in the past." “I dedicate this award to the police officers who work hard day and night to protect our lives and safety, and to the profilers who read the minds of evil in unseen places,” he said.

‘The Thousand Won Lawyer’ Namgoong Min won the Director’s Award. Namgoong Min said, "I know very well that I am a poor person both in terms of acting and personality. I know this means that I should work harder, and I will do it with all my heart." He continued, "'The Thousand-Won Lawyer' is a humorous and fun genre, but we always filmed it intensely. I was worried every time about how to make it more interesting and couldn't sleep. In particular, I said to the director sitting in the middle, 'You will be asleep by this time. 'If I send a message, I get a reply. Whenever I was tired and wanted to give up, there was someone who worked harder than me, so I think we were able to stick together until the end,' he said, expressing his gratitude to his colleagues.

Namgoong Min said, "It was heartbreaking to see the media these days talking about the results rather than the process. You all know how much we put in the same effort. There were many times when I attended and went home without receiving any awards. Thank you to everyone here for their hard work. “I want to tell you that you worked hard. I want to stay up all night with the ‘Thousand Won Lawyer’ team today,” he said. He continued, "Lastly, I am so grateful to my mother and father, and I am grateful to my beloved wife, Areum. I will always be restless and figure out how I can act better here and bring joy to everyone, and create better works. I will never let down my guard and do my best. “I will do my best to move forward,” he promised.

Seo Hyun-jin and Heo Jun-ho of 'Why Oh Soo-jae', Kim Rae-won of 'Police Station Next to the Fire Station', and Lee Jun-ki of 'Again My Life' received the best acting award in the miniseries genre/fantasy category. Heo Jun-ho of 'Why Oh Soo-jae' said, "I am partial to manga. "I have learned to live a losing life. I too am a weak human being who cannot help but show favoritism. To prevent my life from being ruined due to favoritism, I will love my viewers, staff, and co-workers more and become an actor who will not be a bad person to everyone," he pledged. Kim Rae-won, the protagonist of 'Police Station Next to the Fire Station', was unable to attend the awards ceremony due to personal reasons, so Kang Ki-dung accepted the award on his behalf.

'Why Oh Soo-jae' lead actor Seo Hyun-jin said, "Regardless of the size of the award, seeing people who have been acting for a long time receiving precious awards made me wish I could act patiently next to you for a long time." He continued, "There is no drama without an incident or accident, but our drama also had quite a few. I am grateful to the core members who worked hard to complete the drama. I thought it was the best at the time, but I sincerely hope it was not arrogance. The people I want to thank the most are the viewers. “I am sincerely grateful to you for loving and supporting actors I have never met, choosing among many platforms and devoting two hours a week to them. I will continue to become an actor who acts with sincerity,” he promised.

Lee Joon-gi of ‘Again My Life’ jokingly said, “I prepared a lot to win the grand prize.” He continued, "I was embarrassed because I was the only one who came out and got to ride alone," and "I'm happy. I got to meet you all and I've always envisioned an awards ceremony filled with this, and it's fun to laugh and talk together after going through the long tunnel of Corona. It's like family to think that these are colleagues I'll meet someday. We're passionate together. "I'm looking forward to the scene that will set the stage on fire. I tend to be a bit picky and approachable on set. Those of you who have worked with me will know that it's hectic and distracting. Please don't panic and show interest. I'm looking forward to the day when we can create together on set."

Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong of 'In-House Confrontation' won the best acting award in the miniseries comedy/romance category. Ahn Hyo-seop greeted the seniors in the audience, saying, “I was grateful just to be nominated with my respected seniors, but I am also a little embarrassed and honored.” He continued, "It feels heavy to be the best actor. Actually, I'm not thinking about anything right now. I feel like I have to work really hard and learn. I'll always try my best to act, but I'll do my best to become an actor who improves day by day."

Kim Se-jeong said with tears in her eyes, "I sent it to my beloved grandmother, saying, 'I'm meeting a man'. I guess I didn't send it properly because I was filming. The country house was beautifully decorated, so I hope you come holding my grandfather's hand." He continued, “I will make a promise to myself. What I felt while acting was that acting is the place where good energy overcomes bad energy. People with good energy have much better acting, better scenes, and better acting than people with bad energy.” "I think I will be able to meet many acquaintances. I will continue to work hard to grow into an actor who radiates good energy."

Jin Seon-gyu and Gong Seung-yeon received the Excellence in Acting Award in the Miniseries Genre/Fantasy category. Jin Seon-gyu, who appeared in 'Readers of the Heart of Evil,' said, "I came here without knowing anything. I didn't even know which candidate I was on." He added, "I was happy watching the video of the candidates, thinking, 'I was like that back then.' I really didn't know, so I didn't prepare anything. “It’s not even possible,” he said in bewilderment. He then said to himself, “Come to your senses, Jin Seon-gyu,” and made people laugh. He said, "I felt happy and joyful at that time. I thought that everyone here felt that way. Although 'Readers of the Heart of Evil' is a heavy work, we tried to think about how to be truthful and how to heal the people involved in it. “I was happy because I remembered that time, and I’m grateful for the award.” Also, "There were a lot of people I was thankful for this year, but starting in November, maybe because I was older, I caught a cold and type A flu, which made me sick. It spread to my children, so I was a little depressed at home, but I think this award will be medicine. All Korean people “I will create many dramas that can be healing and blessings,” he said with joy.

Gong Seung-yeon, who played a paramedic in 'Police Station Next to the Fire Station', said, "I just finished broadcasting Season 1 yesterday and am currently filming Season 2. I will go into Season 2 knowing that it means acting better in Season 2." He then expressed his gratitude to his colleagues, saying, “I will quickly go back to the site and say thank you to each and every one of them.” He also said, "There are many occupations in our drama. Not only the police and firefighters, but also the National Forensic Service and hospital staff also appear. Thank you for taking responsibility for the safety of Korea. I am grateful to producer Himchan, who was with me from the beginning of the drama even though I was not here. “He added.

Kim Min-gyu and Kim Ji-eun received the Outstanding Acting Award in the Miniseries Comedy/Romance category. Kim Min-gyu of 'In-house Match' said, "I just received the Best Couple Award and wondered if I gave my acceptance speech too briefly," and expressed his gratitude to the 'In-house Match' team members. He continued, "This is an award I didn't expect. Of course, I also didn't expect the Best Couple award," and expressed his determination, saying, "I will work hard to become an actor who can be more empathetic in the future."

Kim Ji-eun of 'The Thousand-Won Lawyer' and 'Again My Life' said, "I am grateful that I can receive an award for excellence in acting. I believe that it is given to me not because I am good, but because I work hard to do better, and I am an actor who rewards me with good acting. “I will go,” he said. Kim Ji-eun, who took out a piece of paper prepared to write down her thoughts, expressed her gratitude to her colleagues, saying, "Long-legged senior Namgoong Min, who reliably helped us all move in a better direction," and then added, "I also want to say thank you to myself."

Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong, Kim Min-gyu, and Seol In-ah of 'In-House Confrontation' received the Best Couple Award. Kim Min-gyu said, “Thank you. We, Yeongcha Couple, are grateful to the viewers who loved ‘In-House Confrontation’.” Seol In-ah said, "We both didn't expect it and thought it would be the Ha-tae couple (Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong), but we are grateful that they gave us both. In fact, we were looking forward to it. Thank you for meeting our expectations. I and Se-jeong were also nominated as a female-female couple. “I knew it would be there. Thank you for giving us all the team.”

Kim Se-jeong thanked the staff, saying, “We gave an award here last year, and it feels strange to win the award.” Ahn Hyo-seop said, "I think it is an award given by the viewers. I am also grateful to the overseas fans." Kim Se-jeong said, “I was grateful that Hyo-seop oppa showed me how lovely I could look as a character.” Ahn Hyo-seop also expressed his gratitude to Kim Se-jeong, saying, "She was the perfect partner for me. If it weren't for Sejeong's positive energy, I don't think I would have been able to get this far."

Lee Cheong-ah, who made a special appearance in 'The Thousand Won Lawyer', received the Best Performance Award. Lee Cheong-ah said, "I'm not good at lying. I came here knowing that I was going to win an award for the first time. He kept asking me to come to the Drama Awards and asked if I was going to make a special appearance, so I listened. This time, I wondered if I could say anything good even if I prepared a week in advance. “He said. He continued, "After seeing the scene I briefly acted in, Jooyoung Lee was like a dream role to me. Senior Namgoong Min first contacted me and said, 'There is a role I want you to play, Cheongya.' I put only the prettiest and best aspects of me into that character. . I wanted to be a person like light and sunshine to the character named Cheon Ji-hoon, even though it was only for a short time. It was a special appearance in 'The Thousand Won Lawyer', but it was the most special role for me. Like Joo-young's line, I like it when everyone smiles. I finished this year without any trouble. “I like being able to do it,” he said happily.

Kang Ki-dung and Kim Jae-kyung won the Best Supporting Actors in the Miniseries Genre/Fantasy category, while Park Jin-woo and Gong Min-jeong won the Supporting Actor Awards in the Miniseries Comedy/Romance category. Ki-dung Kang, who appeared in 'Police Station Next to the Fire Station', said, "If I ever received an award, I was going to say thank you to the firefighters and police officers, but Min-seo (winner of the Youth Acting Award) beat me. I have to go at 10 o'clock, so I want to thank those who work after 10 o'clock. “I will thank you again,” he said, making everyone laugh. He continued, "I will dedicate this award to producer Lee Himchan, who is now a star. I will dedicate this award to all those who work hard for the life and safety of our country." Kim Jae-kyung of 'Again My Life' was happy, saying, "I just came to have fun today, but I'm grateful to receive the award." He then cheered, saying, "I was so happy throughout the filming that I felt like my life was empty after the filming. I had a lethargic day, but thank you for giving me this award."

Park Jin-woo expressed his feelings, "I would like to thank everyone who loved 'The Thousand-Won Lawyer'. When a good scene came out while filming, it was a scene where I could confirm that it was not just me, but that it was possible because of my fellow actors and staff." He continued, "I will continue to work hard to become a reliable actor. I want to share the honor with everyone who is still doing their best in their own path behind the scenes." Gong Min-jeong, who received the trophy, was shocked and said, "I really didn't think about it. I thought I wouldn't be nervous, but I am." He then said with tears in his eyes, "I really didn't know. My head is blank." He also said, "I received help from many people while working as a '1,000-won lawyer.' It's not really an award I received. I think it was given to my team. I'll think of it as support for my silent hard work. I'll think about the meaning of this award when I get home. “Thank you to everyone who has been in touch with me and those who have helped me,” he said. He added, "I love acting. I want to continue acting in the future. I want to become an actor who can act with all my seniors and colleagues here for a long time."

Bae In-hyuk, Kim Hyun-jin, Ryeo-woon, Jang Gyu-ri, Kong Seong-ha, and Lee Eun-sam received the Rookie Actor Award. Bae In-hyuk, who appeared in 'Why Oh Soo-jae' and 'Cheer Up', was happy, saying, "I thought I lived a busy and hard-working year in 2022, but it ended with such honor." He continued, “I didn’t know it when I was doing ‘Oh Soo-jae,’ but I thought I had grown and learned a lot.” He also said to the 'Cheer Up' team, "It must have been physically difficult for you to practice before filming, so thank you." He said, "My mother and father got married at a young age and gave birth to me and my younger brother. You can say that they only thought about their son to the extent that they lived for us. I hope that they will live their own lives next year. Grandmother, please don't get sick. “I wish I was by your side,” he said. Bae In-hyuk said, "While filming 'Cheer Up,' my pet dog, Jjokko, whom I raised for 13 years, crossed the rainbow bridge. I heard the news while filming and I couldn't do anything. I was angry and resentful of myself. I hope our Jjokko is watching happily there too. “I think so,” he added.

Kim Hyun-jin of 'Cheer Up' said, "It's my first time coming to an awards ceremony, and I'm happy to receive such a great award. I've been with the 'Cheer Up' team for almost a year. We had a hard time working together." He continued, "It was a very full year. I hope there will be many good things next year as well." Ryeowoon, who appeared in 'Readers of the Heart of Evil', was nervous and said, "I didn't know I would receive it, but now that I have, my mind goes blank." He then promoted his new work, saying, "We are working hard to film 'Flower Scholar's Love Story', which will be released in the first half of next year, in the middle of winter, so please show your love and interest."

Jang Gyu-ri of 'Cheer Up' said, "It's an honor just to be able to participate in such a meaningful event, but I'm grateful for the Rookie Actor Award. The 'Cheer Up' team worked hard. I feel like crying." He continued, "The weight of the award is heavy. I will try to show a good image in the future." Siege of the ‘Evil Mind Readers’ was dumbfounded, saying, “This must be true now, right?” He continued, "For me, 'Readers of the Heart of Evil' was like my first love. Some days I was excited and happy when I went to the field, but on other days, I felt like I wasn't good enough and couldn't do it, and it was a work that made me think intensely about how there is no easy job in this world. This work. “Thank you for giving me the award,” he said. He also said, “I am the daughter of five children, and now I will help my mother and father, who worked hard to raise them, become stronger.” Lee Eun-sam, who appeared in 'Cheer Up', said, "It's been 16 years since I debuted. I didn't expect to receive the Rookie of the Year award, so I wasn't expecting it, but I'm grateful for it. My grandmother, mother, and sister came. I was so excited because I thought I wouldn't receive the award. “I thought I would feel sorry if I was cheering hard, so I thought what should I do,” she said, shedding tears. He continued, "Whenever I wanted to give up, I didn't think 'Why?' but held on with the mindset of 'I like it, so let's just do it.' If there are people who are chasing their dreams now, this moment of me giving my acceptance speech will also become the past. Don't be scared. “I wish you would just do it,” he said, cheering.

Lim Cheol-soo, Nam Nam-jeong, and Kim Ja-young won the Scene Stealer Award. Lim Cheol-soo, who appeared on 'Today's Webtoon', said, "This is my first time attending an awards ceremony, and I want to honor my fellow actors and staff." Kim Ja-young of 'The Thousand-Won Lawyer' held the trophy and said, "It's heavy," and said, "I think 2022 will be a meaningful year for me." He continued, “I hope that next year will be a lot of happy times for you and me. I am happy and grateful to receive the award.” Nam Nam-jeong of 'We Start Today' said, "I came to visit because I was told I was a candidate and they gave me the award. I was out of my mind. For an actor to have such a wonderful moment, there is a lot of people's concern, affection and support. Those people are with me. “I hope we can rejoice and be happy together,” he said, expressing his gratitude to his family.

Lee Yu-jin and Kim Min-seo received the Youth Acting Award. Lee Yu-jin said, “I think it was thanks to the help of a good senior. I am also sincerely grateful to the fans.” Kim Min-seo said, "There are many people to thank, and I will repay them by flying high. And I am grateful to the firefighters and police officers. I will become a Kim Min-seo who can fly properly."

◆ Below are the winners of the ‘2022 SBS Drama Awards’ (works)

▲Grand Prize=Kim Nam-gil ('Those Who Read the Heart of Evil')
▲Director’s Award = Namgoong Min (‘Thousand Won Lawyer’)
▲Best Acting Award (Miniseries Genre/Fantasy) = Kim Rae-won ('Police Station Next to the Fire Station'), Heo Jun-ho ('Why Oh Soo-jae'), Seo Hyun-jin ('Why Oh Soo-jae'), Lee Jun-ki ('Again My Life')
▲Best Acting Award (Mini-series Comedy/Romance) = Ahn Hyo-seop ('In-house Confrontation'), Kim Se-jeong ('In-house Confrontation')
▲Excellent Acting Award (Miniseries Genre/Fantasy) = Jin Seon-gyu ('Those Who Read the Heart of Evil'), Gong Seung-yeon ('Police Station Next to the Fire Station')
▲Excellent Acting Award (Mini-series Comedy/Romance) = Kim Min-gyu (In-House Confrontation), Kim Ji-eun ('The Thousand-Won Lawyer', 'Again My Life')
▲ Supporting Actor Award (miniseries genre/fantasy) = Kang Gi-dung ('Police Station Next to the Fire Station'), Kim Jae-kyung ('Again My Life')
▲ Supporting Actor Award (Miniseries Comedy/Romance) = Park Jin-woo ('The Thousand-Won Lawyer'), Gong Min-jeong ('The Thousand-Won Lawyer')
▲Best Couple Award=Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong ('In-house Confrontation'), Kim Min-gyu and Seol In-ah ('In-house Confrontation')
▲Best Performance Award=Lee Cheong-ah ('The Thousand Won Lawyer')
▲Best Teamwork Award = ‘Cheer Up’ Theia Team
▲ Scene Stealer Award = Kim Ja-young ('The Thousand Won Lawyer'), Nam Nam-jeong ('We Start Today'), Lim Cheol-soo ('Today's Webtoon')
▲Youth Acting Award=Lee Yu-jin ('Why Oh Soo-jae'), Kim Min-seo ('Police Station Next to the Fire Station')
▲Best New Actor Award = Bae In-hyuk ('Why Oh Soo-jae', 'Cheer Up'), Kim Hyun-jin ('Cheer Up'), Ryeo-woon ('Those Who Read the Heart of Evil'), Seong-ha Kong ('Those Who Read the Heart of Evil') , Lee Eun-sam ('Cheer Up'), Jang Gyu-ri ('Cheer Up')

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr