How Korean superstar Gong Yoo chooses his roles

Gong Yoo, without doubt, is one of the most recognizable South Korean superstars to Filipino audiences. Or make that, in the whole world, especially after top-billing the game-changing and groundbreaking zombie thriller film Train To Busan in 2016, credited to have triggered the rise of the K-zombie genre.

Now, Gong Yoo is expected to further raise his international profile as he leads Netflix’s much-touted new series, The Silent Sea, which is blazing a fresh trail as the first space exploration themed K-drama.

Gong Yoo on his brand-new show The Silent Sea: ‘I always wanted to challenge myself to play a role in a genre series, and as a member of the audience, I like to consume content and I’m very interested in the dystopian backdrop. I wouldn’t say always, but I am a person who looks into the idea of diversity often. There were a lot of times where I felt like we could do better, right? But we did not have a diverse range of content from Korea, I think. We hear a lot of stories within the same genre. So as an actor, I always thought a lot about expanding the horizon in terms of genres.

His choice for a comeback series after the 2016 hit romantic-fantasy Guardian: The Lonely and Great God shouldn’t come as a surprise. The 42-year-old actor told The STAR in an exclusive virtual interview on Wednesday, Dec. 22, that his main requirement when choosing his next onscreen project would be if the script afforded him the chance to do something he had never done before.

“It’s hard to put into words. But when you read a particular script, there are those that are so well-written that certain scenes or situations just come to you naturally (that) you can imagine those scenes. And when you look at the subject matter and structure of the narrative, I try to ask myself, is this something that we have seen many times before? I’m drawn to more of those that take on new challenges,” he explained.

Of course, it’s not lost on anyone that The Silent Sea comes on the heels of the unprecedented success of Squid Game, Netflix’s most-watched non-English series of all time, where Gong also made a scene-stealing cameo appearance.

“First of all, it’s definitely a different genre. And I’m sure you will know once you watch it,” Gong told The STAR when asked what would make The Silent Sea the next K-drama that needed to be watched by the global audience.

“But it’s not just the genre that’s different, the whole tone and manner is completely different as well. I think each Korean content and production has its own uniqueness to it. I wouldn’t say there is a need to really compare all of them in line.

“As for why the audience should watch this series, first of all, it is a sci-fi space series which has not been easily or often been attempted in Asia. And also, while the subject matter can be or seems familiar, this is a unique subject matter and set up that is uniquely ours. So, I mean, I’m just dying to say more and tell you more, but I’m afraid I’m going to spoil it for you,” the actor smilingly teased. “So, I’ll stop here.”

Handpicked

Set in a future Earth that has undergone desertification, The Silent Sea tells the story of a special team sent on a life-defying mission to secure a mysterious sample from an abandoned research facility on the moon.

Gong plays Han Yunjae, the youngest ever expedition captain and team leader. Under his team are astrobiologist Song Jian (Bae Doona), head engineer Ryu Taesuk (Lee Joon), team doctor Hong Gayoung (Kim Sun-young), security head Gong Soohyuk (Lee Mu-saeng) and spacecraft pilot Kim Sun (Lee Sung-wook). Gong described his character: “He is a very duty-led kind of person, who always puts his other teammates first. And he is a very stoic kind of character who does not reveal his emotions.”

The Silent Sea is based on director Choi Hang-yong’s short film of the same title that earned acclaim at the 13th Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival in 2014. Award-winning Korean actor Jung Woo-sung of A Moment To Remember and Scarlet Innocence fame serves as the producer.

Director Choi revealed during a separate virtual presscon that Gong was handpicked for the role for his “leadership” qualities on and off set. “In a lot of his previous works, we have seen so many different aspects of him, and I have long been a big fan of his. With his various experiences, I felt like he would be the person just right for the role of Han Yunjae. And not just in the script, I also wanted an actor who could also play a leader of the cast as well. That’s exactly what Gong Yoo did, so I’m very grateful for that.”

As for Gong, The Silent Sea came at the right time that saying no was out of the question. “It was perfect timing because when I was offered the series and when I read the script, I shouted out, ‘Eureka!’ It felt like there were 10 exclamation marks popping in my head. In short, I would say that there was brilliant imagination, perfect setup and themes, plus (it was) the genre drama that I wanted.”

“Plus, Jung Woo-sung, who is executive producer. I’m just joking,” he also teased actor-producer Jung Woo-sung during the junket with the main cast.

As his acting senior, Gong, who debuted in the Korean entertainment scene in 2001, said he had long considered Jung as his idol. But since working together on the new series, he has come to appreciate him more. “I wanted to be like him. He was like a ‘celebrity of the celebrities.’ So he was just like a big star, someone I didn’t know well. But through this project, The Silent Sea, I now know him not just as an executive producer and a seasoned actor, but he seems like a really good old friend to me. He feels like a brother to me. Maybe we’re too close. So, I have a lot of mixed feelings for him.”

Rugged image

To better essay his character, Gong dropped his sleek, romantic lead image for a “rugged appearance.”

The actor, who was first introduced to many a Pinoy fan via the 2007 rom-com Coffee Prince, explained: “You have to think about the history of the character. He is a former veteran, so I wanted him to have a more rugged and tough look (that audiences are) able to see how tough of a life he led through his appearance.”

“I got a little bit tanned. And if you look at the tattoo he has on his neck, he has an insignia of his former military unit. So, it’s not so much that I tried to create a ‘tough’ appearance, but I just wanted it to hint at the history that we don’t really see in the series, the history this character had,” he said, detailing the “physical” changes he did for the role.

“In the past, I have done a lot of more romantic roles where I had very polished looks, with a little bit of curl in my hair and things like that. I wanted to get rid of all those aspects in this character this time because he is a former veteran. I had a much clean-cut hairstyle.”

Gong then appeased fans that the look was temporary. “I know that fans had different opinions about that particular haircut. But I want to let the fans know, that hair was not for Gong Yoo, it was for Han Yunjae. When you see the character in The Silent Sea, you’ll understand.”

Recalling the physical challenges on set, on the other hand, he pointed out their “very heavy spacesuits” helped make their portrayal realistic.

“Looking back on it, in low-gravity, we would use wires and also had choreographers who guided the way, who coached our motions. But I think it really helped us that the suits were so heavy because it comes naturally. You can’t move as easily as you would without the suit, so it came naturally to us to portray that zero-gravity and absence of gravity,” he said.

The filming challenges only brought everyone closer, he noted. And now, “I can proudly say that I will survive wherever you put me. I adapt to any environment.”

Gong mused though that if ever he was going to the moon, he’d know for sure what he’d need when he returned home. “If I can come back to the Earth, I just want to watch the NBA games, the basketball games, so maybe (I’ll need) a device that I can watch NBA games with. NBA games and Netflix.”

(The Silent Sea is now streaming on Netflix.)