Chapter 244 |
Choi Woo-Jin –– Walking With Him
Biltman met with Actor Choi Woo-Jin, the guest whom we invited to grace our covers in the last month of the year. He has had the most eventful year on the 10th anniversary of his debut, and Biltman wanted to hear his honest anecdotes. However, such an excuse was just a filler used to fill the page.
Is there truly a need for such a reason to meet with Choi Woo-Jin to have a conversation with him face to face? Meeting the person in question was the real purpose behind this interview.
Buzzing with excitement, the place where we met Choi Woo-Jin was a cafe located in nature, away from the city center. Despite filming in a close by location up until the day before, he greeted us without showing any signs of fatigue.
He was in this splendid place where the warm light shone in, putting the barren branches that were seen through the window to shame. He wore a stylish gray glen plaid suit with a fancy solid purple tie. The moment he stood up and held out his hand, I was reminded of the first time I met him.
He was a young rising star back then, but he was mature and upright for his age. He was filled with radiance and warmth that couldn’t be found in the darkness shown in his debut film.
Even though years have passed, his looks and appearance did not change. He is still as upright and radiant as before, and with the passing of time, the scent of a mature adult made him even more beautiful.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] I suddenly recalled the day we first met.
[Choi Woo-Jin] Ah, it was the day I had my very first photo shoot and interview. Come to think of it, just like that day, both you and Photographer Kim Jun-Yeol are here again today.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] It felt like it just happened yesterday, but it’s already been ten years. However, you haven’t changed much apart from the vibe you give off. And your eyes –– there’s more depth and maturity to them.
[Choi Woo-Jin] It’s been ten years. I’m now at the age where I can’t claim to be twenty years old.
His birthday was in March, so Woo-Jin said he was already thirty, he had a gloomy look on his face. Even though he appeared to look the same on the surface, The change from his twenties to thirties seemed to begin with his mind.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] Speaking of age, you even played the role of a high school student in the recent drama. However, there was no sense of incongruity, so a lot of people initially mistook you for a child actor who resembled Choi Woo-Jin.
Choi Woo-Jin unexpectedly chose a drama, titled Memories – The Memory Trap, to mark the tenth anniversary of his debut. Returning to the small screen with a drama for the first time in five years, he is currently portraying a character named Kang Seok-Cheol, who has the ability to modify a person’s memories.
In the drama, Chae Woo-Jin portrays Kang Seok-Cheol up till his high school days. While he nailed the appearance of a high schooler, he also perfectly portrayed the emotions and vibe of a teenager. All without letting the viewers feel a sense of incongruity, thereby eliciting admiration.
Choi Woo-Jin is always one step ahead –– the moment one thinks that he has no more tricks up his sleeve, he will appear before us in a newer and more astounding form.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] Did you choose this drama as a way of providing fan service to celebrate the tenth anniversary of your debut? It’s a well-known fact that you love your fans very much. And acting in a drama is the most effective way for an actor to reach out to the public.
[Choi Woo-Jin] Many people see it that way, but frankly, I chose this drama because I like it.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] In that case, was the reason why you haven’t acted in a drama for the past five years because you didn’t come across a drama that appealed to you?
[Choi Woo-Jin] No. There were two dramas that I really wanted to act in, but I had to let them go because of an overlap in schedules with my other contracts.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] It’s my first time hearing about this. If you had revealed your interest in acting in those dramas, the production companies would have arranged the broadcast and filming schedules to fit yours.
As soon as I asked why the broadcasting company and production team didn’t do that, Choi Woo-Jin responded with an awkward look.
[Choi Woo-Jin] The broadcast schedules of both dramas had been agreed upon with the broadcasting companies before they started casting. I was late in reading the synopses and scripts. It’s absurd for them to change their schedule because of me.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] Of course, but it would’ve been a different story if you were the lead actor.
[Choi Woo-Jin] Once you’ve come to an agreement, I don’t think it’s right to make any changes. It’s a matter of principle.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] You’re still as firm as ever in that regard. May I know the titles of those dramas?
[Choi Woo-Jin] I fell in love with the production after reading the synopses and scripts, but I made the decision to let them go. The production teams weren’t aware of it either. Those dramas can be considered as my unrequited love, so I’ll cherish them in my heart.
Choi Woo-Jin refused to mention the names of the dramas which he had let go of. He added that it would be very disrespectful to the actors that had already starred in those dramas if he mentioned the titles in this interview.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] You can add this to the total score in your quest to become Korea’s poster boy for unrequited love.
[Choi Woo-Jin] Korea’s poster boy for unrequited love –– it’s been a while since I heard that.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] At some point, all the characters you played had achieved love. Either that, or there was no romance at all. Which is the case this time?
[Choi Woo-Jin] Kang Seok-Cheol is a character who’s not suited for romance, but there’s someone named Ma Yu-Mi, who’s had a crush on him since high school. So, you’ll never know. But is there really a need for romance in dramas?
Currently, 18 out of 24 episodes of the drama that showed no signs of romance thus far had been aired, and Choi Woo-Jin dropped a major bomb. It was expected that there would be two episodes left by the time this issue of the magazine is published.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] There’s no need for romance in dramas?
[Choi Woo-Jin] It’s just a personal opinion that has nothing to do with the ending of the drama.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] Indeed, there hasn’t been a drama with a male lead like Kang Seok-Cheol so far. He’s a character who is more than capable of existing on his own without a romance storyline. But I’m very curious about how his relationship with Ma Yu-Mi will unfold. Since you finished the final shooting yesterday, I’m sure you know how it ends. Give me a sneak preview.
[Choi Woo-Jin] Shh! You know I can’t.
Choi Woo-Jin put his finger to his lips and shook his head. Two-thirds of Memories – The Memory Trap has already been filmed and aired. Currently, they have just wrapped up filming.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] Your reactions to both works are very different.
[Choi Woo-Jin] That’s the difference between a sense of burden and anticipation. Naturally, I’m worried I might end up getting ahead of myself at this rate.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] Regardless of the choice you make, I’ll support you.
[Choi Woo-Jin] Thank you.
Regardless of the production he chooses, or even if he decides not to do either of them, it does not change the fact that Choi Woo-Jin is already the best actor in our eyes.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] Among the many surveys that was conducted at the end of the year, you were selected as the number one celebrity. Of course, that has been the case every year.
The person you want to spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve with; the person you’re most grateful to be born in the same era as; a friend you’re not ashamed to introduce to your parents; a son-in-law you want your daughter to bring home; the person who can get you to join a pyramid scheme, etc.. Choi Woo-Jin proudly took first place in several surveys.
As soon as we told him about the surveys he took first place in, Choi Woo-Jin said it was very fun doing all the various surveys.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] There are a lot of photos of you with kids these days –– Song Jae-Hee’s daughter, Dustin’s twin sons, as well as your friend’s children.
[Choi Woo-Jin] At some point, my friends and acquaintances have become parents.
He remarked that time has gone by just like that and laughed in dismay. But one can tell how much he loves those children by looking at his face in those photos. The photos of him and his friends’ children have been trending because of his clear affection for them.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] You’re now at the age where there’s a social pressure to get married.
[Chae Woo-Jin] The average age for marriage has increased these days, so I’m still safe.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] Have you met anyone who makes you feel at ease around them?
[Choi Woo-Jin] Even if there is, I won’t tell you.
He has insisted on keeping his relationships secret ever since a long time ago. He shook his head without hesitation.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] If there isn’t anyone, wouldn’t it be okay for you to simply say there isn’t anyone?
[Chae Woo-Jin] It’s easy to say there isn’t anyone when it’s the truth, but it’ll become a trap when you find that special someone in the future. If I were to keep saying no, and then I evade the question one day, it’s akin to acknowledging it. And if I were to say no when I do have that special someone, I’ll feel sorry towards my girlfriend, so it’s better not to make any comments now.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] In that case, are you really going to tell us a month before your wedding?
When asked if he would ever announce it publicly, he gave a firm answer.
[Choi Woo-Jin] I’ve been saying this for a very long time, so I want to keep my promise.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] You don’t have to keep such a promise. Normally, we can make a rough guess by looking at someone’s face, but it’s impossible to tell just by looking at yours.
In truth, even though the public might not know much when it comes to other people, there are rumors circulating among the reporters in the entertainment industry. But when it comes to Choi Woo-Jin, it is just silence. There is not a single rumor about him.
[Choi Woo-Jin] I don’t think anyone else has experienced as many scandals as I did. In the past few years, I’ve experienced all kinds of scandals that others would only experience over the span of a few decades.
Choi Woo-Jin was secretly proud of his scandals. What he said wasn’t far-fetched –– his private life is so well-managed that reporters complained about not having anything to write about Choi Woo-Jin, aside from his work in the entertainment industry. It was uncommon for celebrities to suffer from all kinds of scandals like he did.
Ultimately, the incidents that turned out to be nothing but rumors were those that happened at the beginning of his career, and Choi Woo-Jin had never been the main target of rumors ever since.
After a couple of incidents, journalists and reporters have also learned from their mistakes. They reviewed articles about Choi Woo-Jin over and over again. If the circumstances or evidence were unclear, they would not publish the article. After cross checking and examining the allegations several times, most of them turned out to be false, so several reporters simply sighed afterwards.
Could that be the reason why? From some point on, even if Choi Woo-Jin went out with other women in broad daylight, there wasn’t any scandal. Looking back, they were truly people he met via work, so his personal life gradually became dull and uneventful.
Frankly, meeting and dating someone wasn’t a big issue for him. We’re not curious about his personal life, but we are interested in his acting that showed us an unfamiliar yet beautiful world.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] During your first interview with me, you said you wanted to be an actor with many names. How did that go? Did you achieve it?
[Choi Woo-Jin] I think ten years is too short and insufficient to confidently say I have achieved my dream.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] It’s short indeed. In that case, shall we talk about this again in thirty years? You’ll have another interview with me when the time comes, right?
[Choi Woo-Jin] Of course. Until then, I’ll do my best to maintain my spot as the number one actor whom people want to interview.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] If so, the competition will still be as stiff as ever by then.
Choi Woo-Jin is friendly, but it wasn’t easy to score an interview with him because there are many interviewers who are queuing up to hear his story. But he doesn’t grant everyone an interview. For some reason, imagining how he would age like fine wine even after thirty years alone made my heart pound.
[Lee Yoo-Jung] Do you have any last words for the readers who are reading this interview?
[Choi Woo-Jin] Among the surveys you mentioned earlier, there was one about being grateful for living in the same era. My interpretation of it is this: being able to share a sympathetic bond on our culture with people living in the same era brings us joy. And the unique aura and appreciation for the arts of an era were created by us as a whole. Hence, I hope we can advance together at the same pace. I may be the main character in dramas and movies, but in this era, all of us are the protagonists.
Choi Woo-Jin was smiling brightly; he was still dreaming, just like before. And we are in his dreams as well. Hence, I was sure that our descendants in the distant future will be very envious of the era we are currently creating; of the existence of this beautiful and brilliant star that is walking with us, and next to us.
1. Traditional name given to servants ☜
