Kang Dong Won sat for an interview with local reporters at a café in Seoul, during which he shared his thoughts on playing a slave for the first time in the Netflix film Uprising, his visual transformation, how his personality has changed over the years, and more.
Released worldwide on Netflix on October 11, Uprising is set in the chaotic era of the Japanese invasions of Korea. It tells the story of Jong Ryeo (Park Jeong Min), the son of Joseon’s most powerful military family, and his servant Cheon Young (Kang Dong Won), who, after growing up together during the chaotic times of the Japanese invasions of Korea, meet again as enemies.
Following its release, the K-movie reached the third spot in Netflix’s global non-English films category and continues to maintain a place in the Top 10 rankings.
Kang Dong Won on playing a slave for the first time
Kang Dong Won, one of the most prominent Korean actors in the entertainment industry, took everyone by surprise by playing a “slave” for the first time with Uprising.
At the interview, Kang Dong Won expressed confidence in playing a slave role. He stated, “I’m not a rich kid, nor am I a slave, but I grew up in an ordinary middle-class household. I think I fall somewhere between a yangin (common class) and a nobi (slave class). Maybe that’s why I thought the slave role suited me much better. I think the yangban (noble class) role wouldn’t fit my personality as well.”
He also shared, “There are rumors that my family is wealthy, but that’s all nonsense,” adding, “When I was young, I lived in an 18 pyeong (about 59 square meters) apartment and used coal briquettes for heating.”
To perfectly transform into his character Cheon Yeong, Kang Dong Won unhesitatingly changed his appearance. He smiled when discussing the film’s premise, where he plays a slave and Park Jeong Min plays a nobleman, as it has become a topic of conversation online, even turning into a meme. He remarked, “I actually thought Jeong Min would be a good fit for the role of the noble (in terms of appearance). I also believe that the slave role fits me well,” making everyone laugh.
However, sharing his satisfaction with his look in the film, he said, “Actually, I thought I should have gone with an even more disheveled and rough look in the beginning,” and “I thought it would have been better if the makeup had been dirtier. I personally don’t like having my skin appear patchy, so I talked with the makeup team about that. But putting dirt [makeup] on face and making the skin look patchy are different things, and I think there was some miscommunication during the discussions. I also felt a bit disappointed because I ended up looking too clean.”
Kang Dong Won also mentioned that he suggested the disheveled hairstyle to director Kim Sang Man. He recalled, “I thought it would be better to make a strong impression at my first appearance, so I told the director, ‘Let’s go with a messy look,’ and he seemed to like the idea.” He continued, “I remember the director had similar thoughts but didn’t bring it up because he thought I might not like it. When I proposed it first, he was really pleased and said, ‘That’ll be great. Can you really do that?'”
Kang Dong won also revealed What captivated him about the script for Uprising: “I thought the script wasn’t very cinematic. This is because there are so many characters, and even though Cheon Yeong had more weight in terms of character focus, the script also emphasizes the narratives of the other characters,” he said. “I thought that could be both an advantage and a disadvantage, but I viewed it positively. It meant that all the characters were alive in the script.”
Kang Dong Won reveals in what ways he has changed compared to the past
Talking about about attending the opening ceremony of the 29th Busan International Film Festival for Uprising, Kang said, “I went there once in 2009 as my film was selected as the opening film. Back then, I was in my 20s, and I didn’t want to go to official events or the red carpet; I only remember that.“
He continued, “Now that Uprising has been selected as the opening film, and I’m in my 40s, I feel really honored.” He added, “I don’t know why I was like that when I was young. I think I hated going to places where there were a lot of people.”
He continued, “I would say that in the past, I wasn’t very stable. I was very careful with my words and worried a lot about whether what I said might be distorted [or misrepresented]. But now, I feel like, ‘Ah, whatever.'” He added, “I think I’ve come to appreciate things more than before.”
“As I’ve come to understand myself better, I’ve realized that this is who I am; I’m not someone who goes around talking nonsense, and that has made me feel more comfortable.”
When asked if acting has become easier, Kang Dong Won replied, “It’s not so much that it’s easy, but I have become more comfortable.” “In the past, I felt stressed on set, but now I don’t feel that way.”
He continued, “I’m not saying I’m doing well, rather, I have become more natural and comfortable. It’s different from actually being good at it. While I act, I think, ‘I’m doing this much,’ but when I look back, I always feel it’s lacking. I felt that it’s necessary to reduce the gap between what I think and what comes out on screen.”
He also added, “I don’t like exaggerated acting; I prefer a minimalistic style. This time, I thought I should try being exaggerated, but I felt like I was lacking in some places.”
Kang Dong Won reveals how he prepares for action productions
Kang Dong Won performed more than 90% of the action scenes himself without using a stunt double.
“You can’t compare the amount of training I did with other actors. That’s one thing I can confidently say. I must have swung the sword tens of thousands of times.”
Kang Dong Won said he developed the foundational skills for action acting while working on Duelist. He explained, “For Duelist, I trained intensely — meeting after breakfast and practicing until dinner. We did that for five months, and even after filming started, we trained for another three months. In total, we trained for eight months. We would practice from 9 a.m. to noon, then after lunch from 1 p.m. to 5 or 6 p.m., five days a week. We met in the morning or the afternoon and did that every day. The training intensity was such that I thought, ‘Did I really train this hard?’ The basic workout started with 1,000 sit-ups, and I would do twists as well. Doing full sit-ups isn’t good for the back, so I started by doing 1000. I learned modern dance, and that was part of their basic training. That became my foundation.”
He continued, “Since then, having that level of training as a foundation has always helped me when preparing for characters. Even during KUNDO: Age of the Rampant, I did basic training [exercises] 1,000 times each. I started training by doing ‘begi‘ (a sword technique) 1,000 times. I did that for 5 months during KUNDO: Age of the Rampant.” He added, “This time, it was different. If I hadn’t been able to stop when swinging the sword, I would have to do it. However, I was doing other workouts, and when I went for my first training session and swung the sword for the first time in a long time, it stopped right away. I thought to myself, ‘I don’t have to do this 1,000 times.'”
“While filming this time, I did feel that my jumps weren’t as high as before. I used to jump really high (laughs). Unless it’s something extremely dangerous, I try to handle the action scenes myself without a stunt double. I don’t like it when my [character’s] movements and emotional expressions are different. It’s easier for me to do it myself than to ask the stunt actor to put more emotion into it.”
After undergoing such intense action training, “Now, when I meet people, they often ask, ‘You’ve been practicing kendo since you were a child, right?’ even though I’ve never done it.” He continued, “I really did use swords a lot. I trained hard Before Uprising, I had actually been preparing for sword-fighting action. I had ideas: one was swinging a sword while wearing a suit, and the other was a fantasy historical drama. But then Uprising came along, and I did that. I don’t think the other two ideas will be shelved away; they’re in progress.”
Thanks to these efforts, Kang’s co-star Kim Shin Rok praised him as “the gem of the Korean film industry.” Kang humbly said, “I’m somewhat confident with sword work, but calling me a gem is quite a stretch.”
Kang Dong Won talks about the challenges he faces when wearing costume makeup for historical productions
He also expressed the challenges of starring in historical productions, stating, “It’s actually really tough. First of all, putting on the makeup isn’t easy. Applying the fake beard is difficult, and putting on the wig is hard too. I really don’t like the beard. Just think about how bad it is for my skin to be applying glue all day long. It’s really uncomfortable, and I have to endure that sticky feeling all day. Especially in the summer, it drives me crazy. The clothing is at least three layers. I go crazy in the summer.”
He continued, “The makeup is uncomfortable, but it’s good. There’s a certain charm to it. It’s unpleasant when you put it on, but looks good when you see it after you put it on. Even in action, it’s not just about fighting; there’s a lot of charm to it. I think sword-fighting action also has a lot of charm. The charm of the costumes seems significant as well. It looks kind of cool to wear traditional Korean attire like hanbok. Plus, in winter, playing a nobleman is quite nice. In summer, I prefer the role of a slave,” he joked.
When asked what kind of productions he prefers working on, Kang said, “The most important factor I focus on when choosing a project is its structural completeness and originality,” adding, “As long as the story is good, I will do it regardless of whether it is an art film or a commercial film.”
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