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“This has not ended yet, real love never gives up.” Every
Monday and Tuesday night, Soohyuk Cha who is obsessed with love brings
compassion to our heart on the TV drama, Lights and Shadows. On Tuesday
and Wednesday, the actor Pilmo Lee who plays the role of Soohyuk, walks around
the campus like any other student. Performing two roles as an actor and a
student, he is having the most hectic time in his life.
“I won't stop acting until the day I die.”
He officially made a debut on TV in
2005 with a minor role. Since then, he has gradually grown into an actor
performing main characters of TV dramas. In 2009, he received the spotlight
from the media by playing a role in the Sons of Sol Pharmacy House. Now,
he is stirring up hundreds of viewers’ emotions as Soohyuk, one of the four
main characters in Lights and Shadows.
Q. What do you like about acting?
A. I don’t know exactly; I have
done nothing except acting. It just feels good when I do acting. I began my
acting career by appearing in musicals in theaters. Before the performance
starts, it is so dark that nothing is visible. Then, a stage manager gives a
sign; the light follows. That moment is like a drug. Acting makes my heart
leap. Now, I act in front of a camera, but the essence of the experience
remains the same. It is not for money or for fame; I just love acting insanely!
Q. Where do you think good acting
comes from?
A. First, I do not keep the
emotions inside myself. Acting is bringing out of the hidden emotions and
maximizing the feelings. It seems that most of the good actors’ performances
are based on their own emotional experiences. Experiencing various emotions as
much as possible is the key, I think.
Second, I constantly challenge
myself with new types of roles even though I am not familiar with or have no
sufficient emotional experiences that the character has to reveal. This could
be a personal choice, but I do not play a similar character. I think actors who
perform similar roles over and over may not be called artists, but employees.
Although I am not sure of how successfully I can act out a new character, I
keep challenging with my imagination and constant learning.
Third, prior to acting in front of
a camera, I try to communicate with the writer as much as possible. The writer
is the creator of the character. The character’s personality, tone, dialect,
goal in life: everything about him comes from the writer. Therefore, I
understand more about the character through the conversations with the writer.
They help me to understand and create the whole world around the character.
Lastly, when acting, I act as if I
were to die. There is nothing natural in acting; every expression is calculated
and designed to look natural and real. However, anything that looks natural on
the screen is carried out naturally. Even in a scene where I am chatting with
another character, all the details such as the path of my eyes, the length of
my laughter or the time I cry are carefully calculated.
Q. What is the hardest part of
being an actor?
A. Emptiness follows after
finishing a drama or a movie. Then, I start to wonder what it means to live,
and who I am in this real world. Suddenly, it feels like I am nothing more than
a depressed actor. This is actually what most actors commonly feel. In
addition, when under the unbearable amount of stress, gaining too much
attention from the public and the media increases the emotional burden.
Getting over such a depressing
feeling and stress have been problems for all actors. As for me, I try to think
positively. In that aspect, such attention is very much to thank about, because
that shows how popular I am as an actor. Exercising also helps. I work out
until my socks get soaked in sweat and I nearly go exhausted. I do just about
everything that can help me get rid of the depression. After all, how
successfully and quickly I get rid of such feeling determines my next step.
“There is no end in studying”
He comes to school twice a week, only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, yet taking 16
credits. He looked tired but his eyes were burning with passion.
Q. You have recently come back to school after a long career in
the professional world. How do you feel to be a student again?
A. It feels great! The youth and
passion are everywhere on campus, which brings back the forgotten feeling of my
earlier days. Hanyang University (HYU) was the university I dreamed of
attending since I was in middle school. At that time, not many universities
taught theatre studies, and HYU was one of the most prominent schools. Now that
I finally return to this university, I feel like starting from the very
beginning. Despite the tight schedule, it gives me a strong motivation to do
well in school”
Q. As a returning student, what do you think is a must-do as a
university student?
A. Love; love life and people with
all your heart. There are, of course, many other important things in life than
studying. However, the feeling of love in one’s 20’s contains a certain emotion
that cannot be experienced in other periods in life.
Similarly, try to find something
that you can do only in college years, and never let go of your time with
nothing in it. Spend a day like a year by filling each moment with your own
values. Of course, I am not living my life like that, but I at least try to
fill my every moment with meanings and passion, even when I am out to have a
drink.
Q. In the future, what kind of person or an actor do you wish to
be remembered as?
A. I want to be and be remembered
as an actor that leaves a fragrance. Like a person that leaves a scent of
perfume when walking by, I want to leave a long lasting fragrance as I leave
the scene on the screen. At the end, I hope my footsteps leave a path of my
life as a sincere actor. For that, I will never stop refining myself.
In fact, I think this mind set is
essential for any person in any field. As a part of a certain field, the one
who works sincerely to leave his or her personal fragrance will feel much sense
of accomplishment. Do not just focus on finishing a task, but look forward and
put more meaning into each task you confront. Your own fragrance will naturally
be developed during the process.
Q. What is your plan from now on?
A. As a student, I want to do my
best in studying and learn as much as possible. It is hard to work and study at
the same time but the opportunity to learn will not come again; therefore, I
appreciate the given time and try not to waste a single moment of this great
time here on campus.
As an actor, I want to act until I
die. Even as my hair turns grey, I hope to be an actor who can find a role that
suits with my grey hair and wrinkles. My dream is to breathe, talk, and get old
in the screen. I have no want in fame or money; acting itself is my passion.
JaeHyun Lee
leeejh90@hayang.ac.kr
