EG: Being one of the actor in the current weekend drama, A Gentleman’s Dignity, how do you feel from this acting debut?
A: I do feel very stress at the start, I am trying my best to become an actor. It is an honor to be working with such good senior actors, director and writer.
EG: Do you watch many different kind of dramas and movies during your free time?
A: Not only watching Korean dramas, I often watch Japanese and American dramas. I have been busying making music hence I do not have time to experience myself. I get some experience from these dramas. My first Japanese drama was Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi by Takuya Kimura and I really liked it. I learn most of my Japanese from dramas as well.
EG: Did you gain interest for acting from dramas?
A: I am rather stubborn, such as I only like to do things that I am good at. Take for example, I am good at music, I always have the mindset that I should just do music for my whole life. Nowadays, people have been trying to brainwash me saying that, ‘why should you be scared since they(music and acting) are considered as arts’. As time goes by, when I come into contact with more dramas, naturally it arouses my interest to try acting. The fact is acting is really difficult.
EG: What do you feel about the beauty of acting?
A: Seniors have been telling me that, ‘Waiting is a form of art in acting, first you read the script then prepare to act. After that you look through your acting from the camera screen, it seems to be a long wait for your acting to be completed. I tend to imagine how I will look like in front of others, the image will keep changing as I keep trying different style of acting. I feel a sense of satisfaction after seeing my part.’
EG: How do you feel when you look at your own acting?
A: Not confident, others commented that my part passes very fast, but I feel that I am watching a very long extended part of myself.
EG: Is the feeling like looking at yourself in group photos with your friends?
A: Yes, exactly. Till now I can only see myself, not at the extend of picturing everyone.
EG: It seems like your part till episode 4 is still not a lot, do you want to introduce the ’Colin’ that has not appeared?
A: He looks like someone that is very cold and cool, is someone that have influential power but he is actually very pure and innocent. I think I would use the phrase ‘ like a bomb in a child’, does not have predictable moves. When the script is just out for a few episode, the director asked,’ What do you think this child does such actions?’ At first I still do not really understand about his character, so I replied,’ I don’t know.’ And the director was like,’ That’s right!’, he is just that kind of child that people will question ‘why did he appear and what happen?’
EG: Which part of the show do you think will attract the audience?
A: Colin’s words seem to have hints, is like his words can determine the path he is walking towards. Like example he likes to end off with, ‘ ohh, it is like this.’ (using the expression while watching cinema preview) He is indeed a powerful writer!
EG: Kim Ha Neul sang CNBLUE Intuition when she was drunk in the show has become a headline.
A: I have not watched episode 4 but I tried to find that scene online. It looks like a piece of art, a version that CNBLUE can never sing.
EG: Do you think acting has the same impact as music?
A: I think that both music and acting are different in the way and usage of expressing. But I like the feeling of doing both together, as normally I write 4 songs a month. For this month, I have written 8 songs. No matter what, using such experience I gained from acting has been largely beneficial to me.
EG: Do you still remember your first stage, first camera shoot? Which one makes you feel more nervous?
A: Actually I am not the nervous type. Even I feel troubled, let me sleep for five minutes and I can perform. So I have been trying my best to make myself nervous, it should be cause of adrenaline? Ahh, I think it is better to feel nervous so that I can concentrate better later.
EG: Why do you not feel nervous?
A: As I was a Judo player since young. Going up a stage is like going for a competition, so I have adapted slowly. As they are both similar, doing things under others views.
EG: You are born in Busan and still have dialect but seem like you don’t have that look?
A: Staffs said that I am born with a Seoul look yet uses dialect. At first it does not matter to me, as I am going to make music for my life. However, once I started acting I need to change, as the seniors also told me that it is hard to keep jumping from dialect as it may look unnatural.
EG: Have you felt yourself as a Busan man?
A: As compared to feel, it is stuck in my bone. I can’t forget my childhood habits and I end up giving excuses as I am a Busan man. This is very important, another point is that I heard that I am very easy going.
EG: On the other hand, what image do you have about ‘Seoul man’?
A: They feel like they are very detailed and they care what they do not need as well. This can be good and bad, I am slowly adapting as well, so that it is beneficial to others as well.
EG: How do you feel about yourself?
A: Someone that is very passionate, just want to be happy. Think positively and and always try my best to smile and work.Same as exercising, even though it may be hard, still try my best to be passionate and stay happy.
EG: Is there any time that you may feel down?
A: When I only get to sleep 1-2 hour in between schedules. I found it harder to smile and gradually talk lesser. (adjust position) But in fact there is not such time, as since you questioned, I thought that I should come out with one, but still I can’t. hahaha.
EG: Do you always speak in this manly way?
Manager: He always does. Once he is excited, his voice tone get higher and gradually speaks more. The staff have been saying that it is time to let Jonghyun to do the talking.
A: I look like I am happy but actually I am very lonely. I like my dorm life, if there is no one by my side, I will feel very uncomfortable. Is like I thought I will adapt after such a long time, but no. Ahh, I do feel down when no one talk to me. It is not really a problem when I am making music but I will still feel bored sometime, especially no one by my side, no one answers my call . I am nocturnal human, I can stay up till 4-5 am in the morning and still not sleeping, and I will feel lonely at those times.
EG: Seems that you are very close to singer SHINEE’s Jonghyun? I saw the recent Diablo 3 incident on twitter. Haha
A: Ahhh, (Seems like the memory of this incident caused him to burst out into laughter and used his hand to pat his forehead) My manger told me on the eve of my birthday that Jonghyun tweeted something funny, so I called him. He said he has bought ‘Diablo 3′ for my birthday and will pass it to me tomorrow. I thought it is real and thank him and told him that I have stopped gaming recently as I am too busy with my work. And now, what should I do with his gift.
Yet when I opened the package, it turned out to be glutinous rice pie. (EG: Is the wrapper Jonghyun’s poster?)
Yes, I questioned if he was joking with me and wanted to crush that wrapper and it turned out to be his poster. However, he really bought it online and gave it to me.
EG: Are you two close because you have the same name?
A: I guess this should be the main reason. I found out later that he is a friend of my friend. We have bumped to each other during schedules but still not really close. After that my friend called and asked whether we are close. I was afraid that if I have said that we are close, it may be awkward and I replied,’ not very close’ After that Jonghyun called immediately and shouted, ‘Yah, we are not close? I replied,’ Ah, okay, we are close.’ Then he replied,’ Not okay, we are not close at all!’ He is really funny and like to joke around, but when he comes to singing, he will sing earnestly. We become closer when we chatted about music as he was previously in band as well.
EG: Are CNBLUE members in good relationship with each other?
A: No matter what, we are a BAND, if we are not in good terms with each other, we are clear that we could not make music together, so we understand each other and try our best not to quarrel. If there is anything that we don’t feel good we will solve it immediately.
EG: Do the personality of CNBLUE members match well from the start?
A: No, Yonghwa hyung and I are in good words, ‘liberal’ kind. Minhyuk and Jungshin are very neat. So we had quite some problems in cleaning up. As brothers could not complain to us, but it was tiring for them to clean by themselves. So we started to accommodate to each other and now I do clean my room. My mother even thanked Minhyuk. My mother came and made Kimbab and helped to tidy our dorm. She said in dialect,’ Jonghyun ah, your room is too clean. How could it happened? Did the sun rise from the west?’
EG: What kind of impression do you wish to give your FANS and audience?
A: It is important to ‘live happily’ and I do want to turn old in a handsome way just like foreign singers, Eric Clapton or Bon Jovi. Even though they are in the older generation, but it still feel very cool. In order to achieve that, we as musicians need to be happy so that others can be happy too. It feels weird to describe me as someone who is passionate but hope people can see it as such a happy person!
Translated by Huangyu@cnbluestorm