On the 19th, a round interview with Kim Seon-ho, the actor from Disney+ series ‘The Tyrant,’ was held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
‘The Tyrant’ is an action thriller that tells the story of people who, after a delivery mishap causes the last sample of the ‘Tyrant Program’ to go missing, gather with different motives to chase and be chased by each other.
On this day, Kim Seon-ho expressed his feelings about the release of ‘The Tyrant,’ saying, “I’m really happy. I worked with senior actors I admire. To be honest, it was exciting and refreshing to look back at the scenes I worked on with them. Before the release, I was anxious, wondering how I did, how I appeared, but watching the scenes, I felt my heart race and I enjoyed it. I’m currently filming a drama, and in the beginning, I couldn’t see the reactions. Frankly, it’s scary, right? No matter how much fun we had filming, the audience’s reaction is different. I held back from checking the reactions to avoid being influenced during my current project, but the PR team sent me a compilation of responses, and I was surprisingly pleased. I was so happy I sat for two hours just feeling joyful.”
‘The Tyrant’ is the latest work from director Park Hoon-jung, who also created ‘Night in Paradise’ and ‘The Childe,’ introducing his ‘Park Hoon-jung Universe.’ Kim Seon-ho, who previously worked with the director on ‘The Childe,’ reunited with him for this project. Kim said, “Working with the director on ‘The Childe,’ there were difficult moments when a scene didn’t go well, but aside from that, spending everyday time with him was enjoyable. To me, the director is not only a great filmmaker but also a good friend during breaks. He enjoys finding good restaurants and taking walks just like I do. Above all, I was happy and grateful to be called for the next project. I’m not sure, but I feel like the director gained more trust in me after ‘The Childe.’ He even encouraged me during a scene where I was having brunch, saying, ‘Can’t you make it more fun?’ When I said I hadn’t thought of that, he replied, ‘You can do it.’ That built trust, and as an actor, having the director believe in me gave me more confidence, making the filming process more enjoyable.”
In the film, Kim Seon-ho plays ‘Chief Choi,’ the architect behind the ‘Tyrant Program,’ delivering a gripping performance. Particularly through ‘Chief Choi,’ he transformed into a chilling character, a significant shift from his previous roles. He discussed his approach to this character transformation: “Of course, I can’t completely change my habits or tone. In the past, my characters had quick dialogue tempos to keep scenes flowing, but this time, I felt I needed to anchor the scenes. If I also kept a fast pace, the scenes might come off as light. So, in that sense, it’s different from before, but there were moments when I lacked confidence. Even in my theater performances, I hadn’t tried changing things up so much. But while filming, other actors playing agents would watch and sometimes laugh or cheer, which made me feel that maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. I usually regret things on the way home, but this time, I didn’t feel that way.”
He also mentioned a film he referenced for his performance, ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,’ saying, “I watched it on the director’s recommendation. There’s a coffee-drinking scene in it that I replayed multiple times. I studied the relaxed demeanor when shooting a gun and the characterization of those working in intelligence agencies.” He added, “Chief Choi is set up as the youngest director, which might make him seem young for a director, but we can’t change the character’s age. I always think actors are born with certain attributes, like appearance, voice, and vocal range, so what I could do was find ways to best portray Chief Choi within those parameters. I tried not to let my performance become too casual or unsteady and focused on how to subtly react to surrounding situations. I might not have fully achieved what I intended, but I tried to keep my expressions minimal, thinking that would help ground the character.”
Regarding the action scenes, Kim Seon-ho recalled a particularly scary moment during filming: “I remember it very clearly. I’m a pretty fearful person. There’s a scene where I fire a gun, and I was using blank rounds. The sound might seem manageable outside, but indoors it’s twice as loud. I didn’t want to close my eyes, but I did on the first take. I asked for another chance, but the director jokingly said we didn’t have many rounds left. If I used earplugs, I wouldn’t hear the sound, but then I couldn’t hear my co-star’s lines or my own, so I couldn’t act. So I took them off, and even though my ears were ringing, I endured it.”
He also spoke about the chemistry with his co-stars. Kim Seon-ho acted alongside Cha Seung-won, who plays ‘Im Sang,’ an enforcer who removes obstacles related to the ‘Tyrant Program,’ and Kim Kang-woo, who plays ‘Paul,’ a pursuer who will stop at nothing to steal the ‘Tyrant Program.’ On working with his senior co-stars, Kim Seon-ho said, “Kang-woo sunbae is meticulous and detailed in his acting. Of course, Seung-won sunbae is also detailed, but Kang-woo sunbae gave me a lot of direct acting advice, like ‘That was good just now,’ or ‘How about trying this?’ Seung-won sunbae, seeing me standing there, would say, ‘That’s good. It’s fun. Keep going,’ and we even made up some lines on the spot. I think their encouragement brought my character to life. Watching them work was a learning experience for me.”
Reflecting on his role, Kim Seon-ho also shared some regrets about his acting. He said, “While filming, I sometimes thought I could do better if I had three more chances. Now, instead of feeling like I’m good, I see more areas where I’m lacking. I wouldn’t say I’ve grown as an actor, but I’ve come to understand what’s important. Noir films have taught me that silence can be more powerful than the moments when actors speak. This has made me realize that I need to study and improve more in delivering these silent performances.”
Finally, Kim Seon-ho shared his thoughts on his future projects and goals. Regarding the connection between the ‘Witch’ universe and ‘The Tyrant,’ he mentioned, “There are different species in the universe, and ‘The Tyrant’ focuses on one of them. ‘The Witch’ tells a different story. When I asked if the universes would connect like Marvel, the director said they might. So I asked, ‘What about ‘The Childe?’ and was told it doesn’t exist in that universe, which was a bit disappointing but also felt like a beautiful conclusion. If the director creates a prequel or another universe, I might need to have more distinct makeup or a disguise, maybe even add a scar. But he hasn’t mentioned a sequel to ‘The Childe’ yet. I’ll ask him again later.”
Kim Seon-ho concluded by discussing his aspirations as an actor, stating, “It’s difficult to set a specific goal as an actor, but my goal of becoming someone others want to work with remains important. Even during filming, when things aren’t going well, it’s easy to become sensitive, but that goal helps me stay grounded. So I strive to maintain that attitude and hope to continue being someone others want to work with. It’s not just about acting but also about how I conduct myself. If my attitude can make everyone on set feel better, I think that’s also part of an actor’s virtue. Although I may waver sometimes, I intend to keep this goal.”
All episodes of ‘The Tyrant,’ released on the 14th, are now available on Disney+.
