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[INTERVIEW] Lee Soo-hyuk on playing comical villain in 'Pipeline'
- May 26, 2021
[INTERVIEW] Lee Soo-hyuk
on playing comical villain in 'Pipeline'
Updated : 2021-05-25 17:15
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Model-turned-actor Lee Soo-hyuk said his latest role in heist movie "Pipeline" challenged him in a new way and made him portray a more realistic and relatable character on screen.
"Early in my acting career, I was known as this guy who has a unique ethereal face and deep, resonant voice. So, roles were limited and I mostly played fantastical characters. In Pipeline, I was lucky enough to portray a villain who is unintentionally funny," he said during an interview with The Korea Times via Google Meet, Monday.
Directed by Yoo Ha, "Pipeline" revolves around skillful oil thief Pindol (Seo In-gook), who siphons off crude oil for sale on the black market. One day, Gun-woo (played by Lee Soo-hyuk), the heir of an oil refinery, offers him 1 billion won ($886,000) to carry out a large oil heist.
Pindol forms a team comprised of welding expert Jeobsae (Eum Moon-suk), civil engineer Na (Yoo Seung-mok) and excavation expert Keunsab (Tae Hang-ho) for the theft, but working together as a team is not easy as they are all out for their own benefit.
Lee said he had a very good relationship with director Yoo and the actors, saying he was grateful for their trust in him.
"I have always been a huge fan of director Yoo. I really enjoyed watching his previous films, such as Spirit of Jeet Keun Do (2004), A Dirty Carnival (2006) and Gangnam Blues (2014). So it was just a great honor for me to be able to star in his film," he said.
On collaborating with Seo for the second time since starring together in tvN's drama series "High School King" in 2014, Lee said it was "a wonderfully collaborative process."
"We had great team work. Seo is talented, playful and free-thinking. It must have been hard for him to appear in the majority of the scenes and lead the film crew at the same time. But he did an amazing job. I learned a lot from him, in terms of his acting and attitude," he said.
The 33-year-old actor said he concentrated on conveying facial expressions correctly rather than losing weight to look good on screen.
"When I star in a TV drama, I usually go on a weight-loss diet. But for this film, I barely stared into a mirror. Instead, I focused on the script and expressing my character to the fullest," he said.
Lee also shared his thoughts about a slew of changes in his life after hitting his 30s. "I've become fearless in trying new things, such as appearing on a variety show. In the past, I was busy thinking about my role and my responsibility, but now I tend to put myself in other people's shoes and act more resilient in all situations," he said.
Saying he tries to be self-disciplined, Lee expressed his wish to undergo a dramatic transformation for new roles in the future. "I'm committed as an actor to taking on whatever role is given to me. I don't care if he is heinous or inept and foolish," he said.
Lee mentioned that he stays in close touch with other model-turned-actors such as Kim Young-kwang and Kim Woo-bin, sharing advice with them.
"I still keep in touch with them. It's always comforting to have somebody who went through the same thing close to you," he said.
"Pipeline" will hit local theaters, May 26.
Model-turned-actor Lee Soo-hyuk said his latest role in heist movie "Pipeline" challenged him in a new way and made him portray a more realistic and relatable character on screen.
"Early in my acting career, I was known as this guy who has a unique ethereal face and deep, resonant voice. So, roles were limited and I mostly played fantastical characters. In Pipeline, I was lucky enough to portray a villain who is unintentionally funny," he said during an interview with The Korea Times via Google Meet, Monday.
Directed by Yoo Ha, "Pipeline" revolves around skillful oil thief Pindol (Seo In-gook), who siphons off crude oil for sale on the black market. One day, Gun-woo (played by Lee Soo-hyuk), the heir of an oil refinery, offers him 1 billion won ($886,000) to carry out a large oil heist.
Pindol forms a team comprised of welding expert Jeobsae (Eum Moon-suk), civil engineer Na (Yoo Seung-mok) and excavation expert Keunsab (Tae Hang-ho) for the theft, but working together as a team is not easy as they are all out for their own benefit.
Lee said he had a very good relationship with director Yoo and the actors, saying he was grateful for their trust in him.
"I have always been a huge fan of director Yoo. I really enjoyed watching his previous films, such as Spirit of Jeet Keun Do (2004), A Dirty Carnival (2006) and Gangnam Blues (2014). So it was just a great honor for me to be able to star in his film," he said.
On collaborating with Seo for the second time since starring together in tvN's drama series "High School King" in 2014, Lee said it was "a wonderfully collaborative process."
"We had great team work. Seo is talented, playful and free-thinking. It must have been hard for him to appear in the majority of the scenes and lead the film crew at the same time. But he did an amazing job. I learned a lot from him, in terms of his acting and attitude," he said.
The 33-year-old actor said he concentrated on conveying facial expressions correctly rather than losing weight to look good on screen.
"When I star in a TV drama, I usually go on a weight-loss diet. But for this film, I barely stared into a mirror. Instead, I focused on the script and expressing my character to the fullest," he said.
Lee also shared his thoughts about a slew of changes in his life after hitting his 30s. "I've become fearless in trying new things, such as appearing on a variety show. In the past, I was busy thinking about my role and my responsibility, but now I tend to put myself in other people's shoes and act more resilient in all situations," he said.
Saying he tries to be self-disciplined, Lee expressed his wish to undergo a dramatic transformation for new roles in the future. "I'm committed as an actor to taking on whatever role is given to me. I don't care if he is heinous or inept and foolish," he said.
Lee mentioned that he stays in close touch with other model-turned-actors such as Kim Young-kwang and Kim Woo-bin, sharing advice with them.
"I still keep in touch with them. It's always comforting to have somebody who went through the same thing close to you," he said.
"Pipeline" will hit local theaters, May 26.
Reporter : yeons.kwak@koreatimes.co.kr
