[Dispatch=Reporter Lee Ah-jin] "I think I'm beginning to understand expressions I couldn't have imagined before."

This is what Choi Min-sik has come to know in his 38th year of acting. Emotions that once passed him by now appear in a different light, and watching the same film, he begins to recognize feelings he had previously missed. He said he is now beginning to understand the complexity of the human inner world.

He described this as 'the maturation of an actor's eyes and heart.' The time spent observing the world, experiencing people, and building relationships as he aged has added depth to his acting. His range of expression has expanded accordingly, and he has grown interested in portraying many more types of characters.

The film 'The Intern' is a work that properly channels that ambition. Choi Min-sik removed the intensity from the strong-faced characters he has shown thus far. Instead, he infused the way he has lived his life and the experiences he has witnessed. He completed Kim Ki-ho, a warm-hearted middle-aged man and a life mentor.

'Dispatch' met Choi Min-sik at a café in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 6th. We heard about why he chose 'The Intern,' the process of creating Kim Ki-ho, and his goals as an actor.

◆ Meeting 'The Intern' Again

'The Intern' is a remake of the Hollywood film of the same name. It depicts the story that unfolds when Kim Ki-ho (played by Choi Min-sik), who has finished 37 years of work life, joins the fashion company 'Utotu' as a silver intern.

Choi Min-sik's connection with 'The Intern' was once severed and then reconnected. When Warner Bros. Korea wound down its business, production was halted. After resuming Korean operations, the project was planned again, and director Kim Doyoung took the helm.

Choi Min-sik reflected, "At first, I thought it was a work that wasn't meant to be with me," and added, "It seems like every work and role has a match. It's not the case that things happen because you want to do them, or don't happen because you don't want to." He looked back on his feelings at the time.

When the opportunity came again, there was pressure. The original work was so beloved that comparison was unavoidable. However, he soon came to think that rather than the fact that there was an original, how to reinterpret it anew was more important.

"A masterpiece like 'A Streetcar Named Desire' has been remade and reborn as a world-class work. There's certainly pressure, but on the other hand, I thought there was nothing to fear, so I took on the challenge. Instead of following the original as-is, I wanted to create our own film by adapting it to match Korean sensibilities."

He actively exchanged opinions with director Kim during the casting phase. Choi Min-sik said, "Among several candidates, Han So-hee was the most enthusiastic about the project," and added, "On set, I could feel that 'this person risked everything for this work.'"

◆ 'Korean Mister' Kim Ki-ho

The idea of incorporating Korean sensibilities also carried through to creating Kim Ki-ho. Rather than following Ben Whittaker, played by Robert De Niro in the original, he tried to capture the image of a middle-aged man as he has observed and experienced it throughout his life.

"One aspect unique to Korean men's way of thinking is what I call 'jeong.' No matter how much someone is the CEO, if they're around the age of their own child, they can feel like their daughter. I tried to infuse that kind of sentiment into Ki-ho's gaze toward Sunoo (played by Han So-hee)."

That emotion is most clearly displayed in a bar scene. When Sunoo opens up about her worries, Ki-ho scolds her with affection, saying it's because she feels like his own daughter.

"Originally the dialogue started politely with 'If you were my daughter.' But if someone really felt like your daughter, you wouldn't say it that way. So I didn't tell So-hee in advance and changed the order of the lines, leading with blunt words first. Fortunately, So-hee immediately teared up and received it. I felt the scene I wanted came out."

He also changed small details from the original. He composed it with scenes visible in Korean offices. For example, instead of the handkerchief that symbolized Ben's kindness, he handed over a tissue. He also added a scene of keeping snacks on hand in case blood sugar drops.

◆ Flowing Like Water

Kim Ki-ho draws close to his intern peers without leading with age. He learns new slang, follows their greetings, and naturally blends in. Choi Min-sik also tried to mix with his junior colleagues on set in that way. He compared his approach to 'water.'

"I tried to become square when entering a square container and triangular when entering a triangular container. Like water. Now I work with junior colleagues far more often than senior ones. The work doesn't come together unless we harmonize with these people."

The flashy high-five greeting with Park Joo-sung (playing Kim Yo-han) was also learned on set. At first it felt awkward, but after exchanging it several times, their hands naturally matched. Choi Min-sik recalled, "At some point we got into a perfect rhythm," and added, "Those small processes were fun. I approached it with the mindset of playing together on the set."

He also learned new slang. He said, "I definitely learned words like 'gamda-dwe' and 'eojjeol-tibi' this time," and laughed, "In our time too, when we used words like 'bbeo-guk-i,' adults would ask what that meant. Even across generations, new slang emerges the same way."

At first he thought he needed to adapt to his junior colleagues. Once filming began, he actually learned a lot. He was impressed by the natural chemistry of young actors and the comfortable atmosphere on set.

"I actually learned flexibility from the Utotu family. In our time, if you messed up more than twice, you got cursed at and scolded. The atmosphere on set has changed a lot now. Even when I go in tensely with old habits, thinking 'I shouldn't mess up this time,' after doing a high-five with Yo-han, I quickly loosen up. Thanks to my junior colleagues, I was able to act much more comfortably."

◆ Until Death, Actor Choi Min-sik

There was a reason Choi Min-sik continues to challenge himself with new acting roles. Although he has been acting for 38 years, he still has a great thirst for new roles and genres.

He said, "There's a strange exhilaration when entering a new world I've never acted in before," and added, "There's more excitement and anticipation than fear. That's when combat power surges."

His interest didn't stop at his own next role. As an actor who has witnessed Korean cinema's golden age together with others, he hoped for diverse attempts to continue in the film industry going forward.

Choi Min-sik said, "When you look at 'Odyssey,' they make such wonderful works with mythology," and shared, "We have many great stories in our history too. But I regret that we don't try to make those kinds of works. I hope it becomes an environment where diverse directors can try in their own colors."

Finally, he was asked about his ultimate goal as an actor. Choi Min-sik's eyes, which had been leading the atmosphere with hearty laughter throughout the interview, deepened. In his brief answer, his affection for acting and works came through clearly.

"To do good works until I die. Good works don't necessarily mean only art films. 'Indiana Jones' is a good film too, isn't it? There are works you can enjoy without thinking, and works that pose philosophical questions. Without being limited to genre, I want to continue doing cinematically well-completed works. There are still many faces I can show you in the future."

<Photos provided by Warner Bros. Korea>