Kim Dongwan "I Don't Believe My Fans Will Leave Me Just Because I'm Doing Hedwig"

[miuratenshi.livejournal.com]

A choice most unfitting for Kim Dongwan, but then again most fitting for Kim Dongwan. This is how his encounter with the musical <Hedwig> which opens its doors on May 14th could be summarized. It is not easy to imagine a meeting point between <Hedwig>, the legendary musical based on John Camerall Mitchell's movie about the life and music of an East Germany transgender rock star Hedwig, and the Kim Dongwan we know. You cannot even begin to guess what this member of still strong '1st generation idol' Shinhwa and also actor who fits healthy youth roles so well will show in the monodrama of this unfamiliar and captivating character. But also, the new challenge of he who says that he "has never been afraid of being judged" and that he has "never thought <Hedwig> to be a dangerous choice" is more interesting because it is not obvious. We met the non-stopping thirty-three year old, Kim Dongwan.


I thought your comeback piece after your release would 'of course' be a drama or movie.
Kim Dongwan: I tried to do a drama or movie, but when the script was good the role didn't fit me, and when the role fit me, the script didn't. In the past I didn't think much about it and thought that I should 'accept anything when it comes,' but I found that when you're making a choice, you don't need to be humble. You have to make your choices coldly and selfishly, and after you've made your choice you have to work hard with a humble manner, but if you make your choice humbly I thought I would become strange while working.

Did you not think of such things before?
Kim Dongwan: I didn't. Because I was a fatalist I just did what came my way and most of the time it came out right. To tell the truth, singers are like hand-made products from the company, but actors aren't like that. I learned that managers who check your scenarios are important, the producer is important, and you also need advice from the people around you.


"I liked to hear that <Hedwig> was becoming more commercialized"

Then why was it <Hedwig>?
Kim Dongwan: First of all, there aren't many chances to be cast in blockbusters like this. By 'blockbuster,' I don't mean that it has a great scale, but that <Hedwig> is one of the best pieces in the musical world. I also liked that Hedwig is a very difficult character. Mr. Ahn Chulsu said that if you want to learn about an area that you don't know about, you should deliberately choose interviews related to the topic and study the topic for a month or so. I thought that similarly, <Hedwig> was a chance to study many things. Of course, I won't try to act as though I'm studying. (Laugh)

After the cast was announced, the reactions to the fact that 'Shinhwa's Kim Dongwan will be starred in <Hedwig>' was 'it is surprising, it is unexpected.' How did you feel?
Kim Dongwan: 'It doesn't fit him,' 'I'm worried he will do it properly,' '<Hedwig> is becoming commercialized,' etc. First of all, talk that it was becoming commercialized felt good. It felt as good as the time I found a comment about me back when I was active as a solo singer saying that "These days singers become singers with their looks. How can someone like that be a singer?" (Laugh) I liked hearing that it didn't go with me, too. To tell the truth, I don't work hard unless someone tells me "you won't be able to do it." The director of <Hedwig>, director Lee Gina, told me that "your singing isn't excellent, but it's not that bad, either." I agreed. I've lived long as a celebrity that isn't excellent, but isn't that bad, so I thought that if I work hard to complete a stage that doesn't seem to fit me, in the end I will end up on the better side.

But the things people expected all this time from the actor Kim Dongwan, or the faith they had, could disappear because of this difficult task.
Kim Dongwan: If you're worried about things like that you shouldn't act at all. I've never been afraid to be judged. People told me that <Hedwig> is like the triathalon of musicals. You have to dress like a woman, act a character surrounded by prejudice, and play a monodrama. So I have a lot to gain but nothing to lose. It feels like I'm improving my lung capacity. I don't think there are any reasons <Hedwig> would wreck my image. And I too don't want to work with rigid people who are prejudiced against characters like this.

How's working with director Lee Gina?
Kim Dongwan: If you do badly, she doesn't scold you, she just thinks you're pathetic. (Laugh) She doesn't try to get out of me something I don't have, and if she thinks I'm not ready yet, she doesn't even start. She's like "Tell me when you're ready. Just do your best, and I'll just retouch those parts you're doing wrong." I think that's the right way to do it.

Hedwig as a character goes beyond her set-up as a sexual minority, and contains many themes such as freedom, deficiency, loneliness, life as an outsider, etc. What side would you like to concentrate on the most?
Kim Dongwan: Forgiveness. Since in the end she forgives everything. And from my point of view, Hedwig is a beautiful, humane, and artistic person. I like the fact that even in dire situations, she concentrates on the area she likes and keeps her own world alive.

Then what kind of Hedwig do you think you will portray?
Kim Dongwan: A Hedwig like the person I am now. A person who has gone through so much despite his/her young age. I've gone through a lot of different things during my twenties, and a lot of times I felt I was 'alone.' Hedwig would probably have gone through more severe situations but I think we have that in common. We are never really mad, never really sad, and we are composed, but in the center of it are our times of pain.


"To escape reality I became a show off?"

You'll be standing on the first opening stage. Are you nervous?
Kim Dongwan: I think if you're too tense you won't be able to enjoy it and those who watch will feel the same. Especially since <Hedwig> is an hour and 40 minute long marathon course, I'm waiting for it to come naturally without being stressed. The one thing I regretted after filming the movie <Spin Kick> was that I tried to work so hard I never drank alcohol while I was filming. If I had drank with my fellow actors at least once a week, I would have been able to coordinate with them better. I'm practicing ways to empty my thoughts. That way, I can fill it up again with better ones.

You have acted in many pieces as an actor such as <Spin Kick> or KBS's <Goodbye Sadness>, but it's the first time you're acting such an unconventional character as <Hedwig>.
Kim Dongwan: I become embarrassed while practicing sexual scenes or scenes in which I talk about hitting on someone, but I think it'll feel refreshing onstage. As time went by the fact that my image has stayed the same since I made my debut despite my age could have become a setback, but I don't think just because I've broken a bit of it down my fans from my idol years will leave me. (Laugh)

The main image of Kim Dongwan was that he is an 'upright person despite his being a celebrity.' Is there some catharsis which comes from freeing yourself from that image?
Kim Dongwan: The scary thing about director Lee Gina is that she saw that my 'good will' wasn't really a simple 'good will.' She told me "So since you've played all you've wanted, done all you wanted to do, and lived in splendor, you can now pretend to have a good face like you're doing now, right?" (Laugh) That's right. Since I've tried everything before I feel like it's nothing, so even when you're supposed to be mad I don't become really mad, and I try not to care if it's not something too serious.

You once said that "beautiful and happy works aren't your type." And you said that was why you liked <Hedwig> more. What kind of stories are you attracted to as an actor or as a member of the audience?
Kim Dongwan: I'm attracted to everything well made regardless of topic. I once said that I like stories of the normal middle class, but even if a work is about the normal middle class I don't like it if it's not well made. From that perspective I would like to do beautiful and happy stories if they're well made. Of course there exist weird and poor dramas and movies, and I could be one of those weird and ugly actors, but I'm working hard to become a good actor.

Hedwig sought music to escape from reality, and music is the reason Hedwig lives; do you have anything which is the same to you?
Kim Dongwan: I don't think it's singing or music...showing off? (Laugh) I think I used singing and acting as a tool to show off.

Before, you used to write often on your blog, but now you've closed everything down, and you've written down that you're never going to start Twitter or own a mini-hompy. I thought you liked speaking with people; why don't you 'show off' in text? (Laugh)
Kim Dongwan: I made my blog to communicate with my fans but now I don't write because of my work. At first I wanted to make it a closed blog but the contents would have spread anyway, so I opened it so that if I do something wrong anyone could come quickly and tell me 'that's not right.' (Laugh) And for blogs you have to deliberately find it out and come to see it, but Twitter spreads too fast, and I don't like the fact that people who I don't like will be able to monitor me. I don't like people leaving comments, either. I want to talk by myself. (Laugh)


"Even my family treats me kindly, but the Shinhwa members don't"

Once you said that Sully from f(x) was your life's energy source, and your fans replied by saying "She could be your daughter!" You're a lot older than the idols these days. Sometimes you go on shows and you are treated with respect as a '1st generation idol.' How does it feel?
Kim Dongwan: It's fun. Sometimes it's embarrassing, but I saw IU up front. (Laugh) I think those who are active these days are fabulous. When I was their age I didn't work as hard. Our first album didn't turn out so well so I worked hard during our second, but I started playing around from our third. I've played around for 10 years. (Laugh)

But H.O.T.'s Moon Heejun said while remembering his group days that he was "envious of Shinhwa's liberal mood;" was it enjoyable because you weren't nervous?
Kim Dongwan: When working as Shinhwa it felt like we were always playing around. When I was alone sometimes it was so difficult because I was too tense, but when I'm with Shinhwa even these days I never get tense. After living as a celebrity for a long time sometimes even your family starts to treat you kindly like a guest, but the Shinhwa members don't do so. Other than them, who else would tease me so and treat me so wickedly? (Laugh)

You've grown up in an economically challenging environment, and you've endured difficult times during your teenage years and 20s. You're in your early 30s, an age in which normal people have just started to realize their place in society. Do you have anything you want to say to those who are in their 20s now?
Kim Dongwan: It's not due to you something turns out right, and it's not because of you something turns out wrong. I had difficult times when I was young so I thought that those difficult times were my studies, but those who have spent their lives in school will be having difficult times now because tuitions are high and all. But I want to tell them that 'you can still live a good life.' You don't have to live so frantically, nor so wastefully.

What kind of person do you think you were in your 20s?
Kim Dongwan: When someone told me that "you don't play around much," I would tell him "but I do," and one time I heard that "because you don't play around when you're working, people think you don't play around at all." Well, of course! Why would you play around when you're working? For example, I don't drink the day before filming. If you're having a hard time because you drank the day before, the reason you're having a hard time is because of the alcohol, not your work. (Laugh) If I had a body which didn't show so much even if I drink a lot I would've just drank away, but I have big hangovers and my complexion goes to waste soon. I think having a lot of these complexes helped me a lot.

Do you have any complexes now?
Kim Dongwan: I do but I've trained myself not to care. I live a more positive life than before.

You seem to have a personality which leaves you with many thoughts and concerns, so at one time I was curious whether you were willing to live the rest of your life as a celebrity.
Kim Dongwan: I would like to take rests from time to time or try something else, but I don't think I'll ever give it up entirely. Since I like showing off. If you own a restaurant and you show off there the scale is so small but if you work in showbiz you can show off in front of the Korean people. (Laugh) I want to continue as long as there is demand. There are a lot of people who want to give up on showbiz around my age, and I think I thought the same way before I started my public service. Rather than give up on it entirely, I wanted to rest a bit. Life is like a marathon, but I put on a spurt too early in my early-20s, so I was overpaced.

Then, how do you want to live in the future?
Kim Dongwan: Loosely. (Laugh) I think I've lived 'backbreakingly' until now without doing anything special, but I don't think you have to live that way. You just have to make sure you don't let people down. You can drink two days before you have a filming, so just don't drink the day before. (Laugh) So my life plan for the future is live loosely. Try everything, if not, leave it.

What have you earned from your 'if not, leave it' mentality?
Kim Dongwan: A good nights' sleep. (Laugh)


Sources: 10Asia and orisic@shinhwa.biz

Love him. ♥

Comments

[devilstay.livejournal.com]

This guy is wonderful...I mean really.

I am really believe that the idols I've been stanning, will grow up to be like this. Yunho, Heechul, Changmin, Super Junior, you screw up a lot sometimes but I really think, that you can all become as amazing as this man, if you keep trying.

This dude is amazing.

[the-erotomanic.livejournal.com]

UNF!

he's so thoughtful in his interviews. i think he thinks highly of his fans and doesn't talk down on them.

and UNF!

[icedevil0289.livejournal.com]

such an amazing man. dongwan ilu.

[decodexx.livejournal.com]

Lmao, the last one. I love this man. I love the outfit he's wearing too in the last picture, standing on the right. ♥

[pineapple-soda.livejournal.com]

i love how it looks like he's flirting with himself in the last one.

[yeongwonnie.livejournal.com]

I was too young to know about Shinhwa back when they were active but reading this tells me a lot about how great people they were & still are
I hope my idols, the ones I currently (& believe to always) ship, will one day grow into such mature & thoughtful persons

on another note, there are many good korean musicals (though the original Hedwig isn't korean), it's such a shame to not be able to attend or watch them

[miirae.livejournal.com]

what a darling ;;

[oonalala.livejournal.com]

He never fails to impress me.

[anconeous.livejournal.com]

I love this interview. :)

[rewindnext.livejournal.com]

[pinkinmoon.livejournal.com]

I found that when you're making a choice, you don't need to be humble. You have to make your choices coldly and selfishly, and after you've made your choice you have to work hard with a humble manner, but if you make your choice humbly I thought I would become strange while working.

To tell the truth, singers are like hand-made products from the company, but actors aren't like that.

I don't like people leaving comments, either. I want to talk by myself. (Laugh)

It's not due to you something turns out right, and it's not because of you something turns out wrong.

You don't have to live so frantically, nor so wastefully.

Try everything, if not, leave it.

There is so much I like about this man's attitude.

[jesymphony.livejournal.com]

So amazing this man :) I wish him the best of luck with Hedwig!

[hoyah.livejournal.com]

He's really amazing. This was such an honest interview, and I like that he's so accepting of people from all walks of life. :) I'm really glad to see him doing a role like Hedwig - I can't wait to see how it'll turn out!

Also this Lee Gina sounds really cool.

[x3sarang.livejournal.com]

Damn he is amazing. I'm really interested in this Hedwig musical, sounds like it has an interesting story to it.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

I feel like he gets Hedwig based on everything he's said. The love he has for the musical & the character is clear, I hope that shows in the final product as well. :)

Fantastic interview.

[phililen3.livejournal.com]

wow.
he is young, thirties is not old, but he has a very mature spirit.