INTERVIEW: We give you, Ahn Bo Hyun
From “descendants of the sun” to “My name”, find out the man behind the characters Ahn Bo Hyun plays in this exclusive interview.
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What kind of actor is Ahn Bo-hyun to a reader who has not yet watched "Itaewon Class", "My Name" or is not yet familiar with your work?
I want to be an actor with various faces. I want to be an actor who can act in various genres and play different characters. From action, romantic comedy to a villain.
In “Itaewon class” you played Jang Geun Won, who was a villain. In “Her private life” the viewer felt your heart break and loss as your character was in an unrequited love situation, in “Yumi’s Cells” you are melting the viewers heart as Woong. All these characters are different, complex and show acting range. What creative/stylistic approach do you take on set and on scripts? Do you attribute this particular approach to your success, and if not, what do you attribute your success to?
If it's work based on original work, I tend to refer to the original work first. I immerse myself in the script and prepare for filming by creating a narrative about the life I have lived and what kind of life these characters have lived in a way that doesn’t deviate from the bigger picture. In addition to that, I practice the dialogue and create the character by talking with the director and with other actors.
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Among the dramas you have acted in, who is the character that you are most similar or can relate to the most?
Jeon Pil-do of "My Name". There are many similarities between him and I, so I think my heart was drawn to him from the beginning. Although the warrior didn't come out in detail, I've lived alone so the parts of him that need to solve everything alone are similar to me. I've been working out ever since I was young, so I have lived alone longer than I have lived with my parents. Also, having a younger sister was something similar between us. As I took out the warrior within me and made Jeon Pil-do a character, I think we became alike.
Are there any actors/ directors you aspire to work with in the future?
Director Bong Joon Ho [Parasite] and Director Ryu Seung Wan [The Battleship Island]. I grew up watching their movies from a young age. The works of these two directors always left me shocked, so if given an opportunity I would like to work with them someday, even if it’s a small role.
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In the beginning of your career, were you ever rejected during the audition process? If so, what kept you going?
As I wasn't young, it required more effort and time for me than for others. I thought it was natural for me to fail the audition, and the many failures and wounds became a good motivator and the driving force for me to continue. I think I was able to do my best in every audition because I had nowhere to go and nothing to lose. At that moment, I only wanted to grow step by step rather than succeed.
In "My Name", Jeon Pil-do seemed to need a lot of physical strength to act as a detective, how do you prepare yourself to be ready for such roles?
There was a real drug investigation detective I met before filming to seek advice, and he was a live-action version of Jeon Pil-do. I also thought that an ace in the drug investigation team should have a strong look physically, so I built my body by weighing about 5kg more and exercised while attending an action school for more than two months before filming. Since the most important thing was to film without injury, I also worked together with the other actors a lot.
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What is the most surprising thing you have learnt about yourself when playing a more challenging role?
Since every work is a challenge for me, I have regrets about not being able to show 100% of the character.
We are still in a pandemic, what has been the biggest challenge and the biggest adjustment you have had to make since the start of the pandemic being an actor?
Rather than challenges, all of us have to follow quarantine rules and take care of each other, so I refrain from enjoying my favorite hobbies such as camping and fishing. I usually stay at home on my days off. I'm being as careful as possible because if I'm not careful, it can harm other actors and staff.
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I am not sure how much you know about South Africa, but I am interested to hear, what comes to mind when you think South Africa?
Actually, I don't know much about South Africa. But it reminds me of the Kruger National Park in South Africa, which I saw in a documentary one day. The safari tour was impressive. I want to go to South Africa in person after the COVID-19 era.
With such a great work ethic we cannot wait to see him back on our screens along side Bo Jo Ah in the new TVN drama “Military prosecutor Doberman” scheduled to be released in February.
