20 years of theater, 20 years of film, and even dance... Talking about life through art "Contemporary dance is my long-time desire... It blossomed into the movie 'Light Purple Bird'" Actor and dancer Oh Gwang-rok (Seoul = Yonhap News) interviewed by Yonhap News Lee Se-young (Seoul = Yonhap News) Park Hyun-soo Actor Oh Gwang-rok (64), who has been loved by the public for his unique slow yet rhyming speaking style, recently met with Yonhap News and told about his artistic world and the trajectory of his life, which had been little known. Oh Gwang-rok revealed without hesitation the sensibility of a 'literary boy' hidden behind the powerful images in the film and his passionate passion as a modern dancer, and conveyed his deep philosophy about art. His artistic roots date back to his youth. In my third year of middle school, I began dreaming of becoming a poet under the influence of my Korean language teacher, and developed a critical perspective on society by reading newspaper editorials and columns. Oh Gwang-rok, who attended Lee Jeong-hyun's wedding (Seoul = Yonhap News) Kang Min-ji, recalled, "The experience of writing down not only the events of the day but also the waves of my heart became the foundation that made me who I am today." In his late 20s, he carried 20kg of study notes and a Korean dictionary on his backpack and went into the mountains of Gangwon-do and Anmyeondo Island to concentrate on writing poetry. Because of this, he is also called ‘poet actor’. What led me to become an actor was the recommendation of my high school friend and poet Nam Ho-seop. During my college entrance exam, I jumped into the world of theater after seeing an article recruiting theater actors that a friend brought me. At the Samil-ro Warehouse Theater, he learned acting from theater greats such as Lee Won-kyung, Lee Hae-rang, and Kim Dong-won, and received full-scale training as a member of the first class of the 'Actors' Academy of Arts.' Oh Gwang-rok said, "I wasn't the type of person to talk a lot, but I liked dancing. I grew up watching my older brother and older sister's movements, so I think I learned how to naturally express myself with my body." Oh Gwang-rok at the production press conference for the KBS drama 'Strong Enemies' (Seoul = Yonhap News) Kim Yeon-jung debuted in the play 'Death of a Salesman' in 1982 and has been on the stage for nearly 20 years. He also worked as a founding member of the theater company Wanjahyun, and also participated in poster text and illustrations for ‘Chunhyang 1991’ directed by Park Geun-hyung. The greatest value I gained through theater is “Being nice to others means being nice to yourself.” He said, “If I treat others with good words and actions, their eyes and gestures will improve, and that will come back to me.” His entry into the film industry began with ‘Waikiki Brothers’ in 2001. Actor Song Kang-ho praised his acting and formed a relationship with director Park Chan-wook, and left a strong impression by appearing in all of the 'Revenge Trilogy' starting with 'Vengeance is Mine'. Since then, he has continued to appear in director Park Chan-wook's works such as 'Oldboy', 'Venja's Kindness', and 'A Man of Troubles', and is considered 'Park Chan-wook's persona'. In Park Chan-wook's 'I Can't Help It', which was released in September last year, he played the role of the female protagonist Mi-ri (played by Son Ye-jin)'s biological father and Yoo Man-soo's (Lee Byung-hun) father-in-law. He appeared as a father who helped and supported his daughter, who was trying to reduce household expenses due to her husband's unemployment, increasing the level of immersion in the play. His artistic horizons have expanded beyond acting to modern dance and directing. In 2012, he debuted as a director and dancer through the short film 'Purple Bird' based on a poem he wrote himself. The door to a new challenge opened when my wife, who majored in modern dance, introduced me to a choreographer. He explained, "I expressed my longing for peace only through dance, without any lines. I took off my top in Teheran-ro and the Han River in Seoul and ran and danced like a bird, filling the futility of language with silent gestures." This work was recognized for its directing skills, including being invited to the Busan International Short Film Festival. Oh Gwang-rok (left) and Choi Min-sik, who appeared in director Park Chan-wook's 'Old Boy' [provided by CJ ENM] Their passion for dance led to the stage performance 'Gaze' in conjunction with director Lee Jang-ho's film 'Season' in 2014. In this performance, which was selected as the opening work of PADAF, a festival that combines theater and dance, he co-directed and played the lead role and performed a 33-minute performance. On the stage of the Arko Small Theater, he performed a performance combining poetic lines and modern dance, chatting with the apparition of a 'lilac bird' asking "Are you happy?" and dancing to the sound of wind instruments. He said, “I’ve been doing theater for a long time, but I was so happy to stand on the stage of my favorite small theater as a dancer for the first time.” The most memorable moment was the dizzying accident that occurred while filming the movie 'Gaze'. While filming underwater at Hajodae in Yangyang, Cambodia and Gangwon-do, he was swept away by a rip current and was in danger of drowning. He recalled that time, saying, “Even in a desperate situation where I had to drink water three times, when I saw the diver who came to rescue me, I thought, ‘If I relax, we can both survive.’” After that experience, he said that he has taken the realization that 'you have to lose strength to live' as a lesson in life and art. Oh Gwang-rok emphasized honesty and sincerity to his juniors. “In order not to be consumed by vanity and pessimism, you must be sincere to yourself. There is no other way than to make life your life.” phyeonsoo@yna.co.kr #Oh Gwang-rok #actor #play #movie tip