# Actor Um Moon-seok Becomes Scene Stealer in "Hope" with Unrevealed Casting [Dispatch=Reporter Lee Myung-ju] "(The monster) is at our house, you see." Director Na Hong-jin hid a trump card in the film "Hope." It is actor Um Moon-seok, whose casting was not revealed before release. Um Moon-seok played carpenter Yang Bae, who becomes the catalyst for tragedy. It is not easy to recognize at first glance that Yang Bae's true identity is Um Moon-seok. His first impression is that striking. The shabby clothing, the protruding front teeth that stand out awkwardly, the eerie smile—everything contributes to the effect. Um Moon-seok flipped the atmosphere of the work the moment he appeared on screen. He embodied Yang Bae as someone who seems somehow lacking but whose inner nature remains unknowable. He instantly elevated the suspense. Dispatch recently met Um Moon-seok in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. He recounted the tumultuous journey to becoming the scene stealer of "Hope." ## ◆ First Meeting with Na Hong-jin Um Moon-seok took on the role of carpenter Yang Bae, who lives in an abandoned house near a reservoir on the outskirts of a village. He is the person who comes to the Hopogang outpost and makes an unbelievable report. He won the role after just one audition. He recalled, "(After the audition with Director Na Hong-jin ended,) I heard him say, 'Let's go together this time.'" "I had just one audition and he said 'let's go together.' I was like, 'Am I really getting into a Na Hong-jin film?' I screamed and went crazy." This is his first collaboration with Director Na Hong-jin. Um Moon-seok said, "(I heard he was someone with no compromise,) but he made so many compromises. (Within the set framework,) I was able to act freely." "During rehearsals, when you act within the (predetermined) blocking, there are moments when spontaneous emotions emerge. (Director Na Hong-jin) caught those moments well and (we) filled in the gaps (in the script) together." ## ◆ The Source of All Tragedy Yang Bae does not have much screen time. However, his presence (in the work) is no less than the protagonist's. He is the real starting point that sets the story in motion. It began with something trivial. An action stemming from his small self-interest or momentary curiosity snowballed. It consumed the entire village and ultimately escalated into a cosmic catastrophe. Um Moon-seok said, "I had great difficulty wondering what kind of character Yang Bae is. The director told me he is 'not good nor bad, but absolute evil.'" "He said, 'The low-quality people on television are amateurs compared to Yang Bae.' 'They were caught, but Yang Bae was not,' he said. (It was hard to understand.)" Then, his nephew's behavior caught his eye. "(My nephew) was about to put scissors in his mouth. To the observer it was scary, but (to him) it seemed like nothing at all. I thought, '(Yang Bae) must be like such a child'—I got the idea," he explained. ## ◆ Evil Without Malice The point was that Yang Bae harbors no malice. Yet ignorance as innocent as a child's can give birth to tragedy that shakes the world. This is the essence of Yang Bae as Um Moon-seok interpreted him. Um Moon-seok added, "(Yang Bae) is not intending something but does things like water flowing. But problems keep arising—that's how I thought of it." The scene he worked on most carefully is the vehicle steering scene near the end of the film. At the moment when Seong-gi (played by Jo In-sung) was celebrating after defeating the alien, Yang Bae turned the steering wheel. What remained after the sound of a thud was only Seong-gi's boots. "A cat suddenly jumped out, and…." He intentionally made the dialogue tone ambiguous. He said, "(When talking about the cat,) I don't place a period. There's no certainty. (I wanted to) give the audience room to think." ## ◆ Down to Physical Details Um Moon-seok completed Yang Bae's physical appearance in consultation with Director Na Hong-jin. To create the protruding front teeth, he applied artificial dentures and added makeup for dark circles, age spots, and age marks. "(People) asked if I had special makeup on my face, but it wasn't that extensive. (Laughs) I only did the teeth and added a bit of dark circles, and it took less than 20 minutes." The setting of licking his upper teeth with his tongue or making a clicking sound when speaking was also created during the filming process. He recalled, "When you wear artificial dentures like a denture, your mouth dries out. After just a few lines, my upper lip would rise." "When I licked my saliva in the middle of dialogue, the director told me to wipe across my gums too. As a result, it seemed like a more Yang Bae-like detail was created." ## ◆ The Rediscovery of Um Moon-seok After 21 years in the entertainment industry, he has achieved a rediscovery. Um Moon-seok has progressed from singer, dancer, reporter, minor actor, and short film director to establishing himself as a lead actor. He reflected, "When I look back at my past, I've really done so many things. The continuous goal I had in mind was 'don't step away from this (entertainment industry).'" "I feel grateful to myself for persevering without getting tired. I don't know what work I might do next, but I want to do what I love faithfully and earnestly." He is calmly preparing for the next stage. He confessed, "(Especially when receiving industry attention,) I try not to get carried away and maintain the middle ground." "I still consider myself a newcomer. I experienced rapid growth after meeting Director Na Hong-jin, but in the next step I plan to climb the stairs more carefully and steadily. Please watch over me."