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"The Killer Who Queries" - Siwan's interview with Harpers Bazaar HK, May 2023

When Siwan visited Hong Kong in March, he gave an interview to Harpers Bazaar which was released in the May issue


The interview was taken by Winnie Wong on 26 May 2023.

Here's the original article: bit.ly/3CNzZN7



Here is the English translation of the interview thanks to @jeaniepakjp


Formation of the Villain - Yim Siwan gives you the creeps in Emergency Declaration and Unlocked


Yim Siwan debuted with the idol boy band ZE:A, and has been active on the big and small screens since then. He has recently changed his repertoire by challenging himself to villain roles. A couple of months ago, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 16th Asia Film Awards for his film Emergency Declaration.


To survive in the fiercely competitive and ever-changing era, whether you are a newcomer or veteran at work, you must have the mindset of Misaeng.



Without formal training but relying on talent and hard work, Siwan is definitely blessed as he encountered some great works and great roles a few years after debuting. His acting skills in Misaeng were highly recognised and his popularity soared across Asia, even conquering Korean culture lover Do Do Cheng’s heart. For this drama that was released almost 10 years ago, Siwan said gratefully, ‘It talks much about the ups and downs and lessons in life. Compared to now, my acting was really clumsy at that time, and there is much room for improvement. To feel that passion of Jang Geurae at that time again, I want to watch it once more!’


The Baduk term ‘misaeng’ means that as long as the game is not yet over, the fate of the pieces is not determined. Every step can lead to a different life. During the interview, Siwan talked with us fluently in English and was full of professionalism. He is no longer that rookie Jang Geurae.



Misaeng in the Making

With a naturally obedient face, the roles Siwan has played have given me the impression of either diligence or righteousness. So it was a bit surprising to see him play villains in two movies in a row. At first I thought he was ambitious to change his repertoire, but it turns out he was just ‘going with the flow.’



‘Honestly I don’t really know the reason! (laughs) It’s definitely not because I’m fond of playing villains. Instead of villain roles, I like to play the good guy more. But it seems many directors or producers think that I can challenge myself by playing the villain.’

Not really fond of it, yet he seems to be enjoying.


‘Rather than enjoying, I’d say playing villains gives you more freedom. There are many boundaries in playing the good guy, and you need to conform to the image of the guardian and moral standards of the society. Playing the villain allows you to have more different analyses and research, and express in a more open way.’


In fact, Siwan has already portrayed the dark sides of characters like Jo Hyun-soo in The Merciless and Yoon Jong-woo in Strangers from Hell.


Acting is just so natural and instinctive for Siwan,

‘When interpreting a villain role, I will not focus on superficial things like “how to appear very bad”, “how to make a very sinister expression”. Instead, I focus on understanding the profile of the character, looking inside the character.’

Siwan played the villain in both Emergency Declaration and Unlocked. Which of them does Siwan think is more terrifying?


‘The character in Emergency Declaration is a terrorist suspect who is driven by the “victim” mentality, carrying out terror attack against specific targets in a specific environment. The whole scenario is very dramatic. By contrast, Unlocked happens in our everyday life. Once the psychopath picks the target, he intends to ruin her entire life, and intentionally intrudes her personal life. So this character is probably scarier.’


Siwan learns as he acts. Among all the villain actors, whom he admires most is Heath Ledger, who plays the Joker. ‘Whenever Joker appears, he radiates a stunning charm and presence. Even as a villain, he can get the audience’s sympathy.’


He has worked with many senior actors in the past. ‘There is something I learned from them. Even for senior actors who are perfect in the eyes of the public or others, whenever they take up a new project or try a new approach, they still have to keep questioning themselves – “Is this the right way to do it?” I found that to act is to continuously learn through perplexities and worries.’


To Siwan, the most impressive scene in Emergency Declaration is the one where the suspect explained why he launched the terror attack. ‘When the character shamelessly said, “I am also the victim,” the perpetrator became the victim. I got goose bumps myself.’


In reality, Siwan’s fear comes from the stage. ‘Since the time of ZE:A, I feel very scared every time when I get on stage. It’s the same with my recent concert in Korea. The moment before I got on stage, I felt like my heart was going to explode!’

There is no other way except to face it and overcome it.


‘Every time when I practise, I would imagine the moment when “I am on stage, facing my fans”. I would also ask the staff to sit at the audience so that I can practice as if it were the formal performance.’


The Man Who Runs

Korean stars are all characterized by their pursuit of improvement. Lee Byung-hun once said in an interview that Siwan loves to ask questions. ‘I am a person full of curiosity. Whenever I receive a script, or when I’m filming with others, I often ask the director, “Why do I say this line?” “Why do I do this?”’ Siwan himself agrees with this description and adds, ‘Recently I have an alias “The Killer Who Queries”. To some extent, I agree (laughs).’


In real life, Siwan also sets goals for himself. ‘Next week there is a marathon race. My goal is to complete 10 km in 48 minutes. Recently my schedule has been tight and I’ve been unable to practice, while other running crew members have been practicing every day. So I am worried. There is less than a week left.’


That morning before our interview, Siwan also went to the hotel gym to run. However, ‘It’s easy to become lazy when training alone as it is too comfortable, too relaxed. Can’t achieve good results. So I have to run with the running crew.’


Running is a personal matter, but also a team effort. You might think actors would think about their roles or scripts while running? But actually Siwan is just like ordinary people.


‘Every time I just want to get it done as soon as possible (laughs).’ And his reason for starting to run is also very simple, ‘You’ve got the justification to eat well after running!'

We usually run in the morning, then we’ll have gimbap and coffee together, and then we go on with our own work.’


One must eat well in order to keep on running. That’s the same for both marathons and life. It’s cliché but true.

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