[Herald Interview] Kim Seon-ho says working on ‘The Childe’ changed how he saw life

Kim Seon-ho is making a silver screen debut through director Park Hoon-jung’s latest noir film “The Childe,” which will open in local theaters June 21.

In an interview with The Korea Herald prior to the film's opening, Kim seemed slightly on edge.

“It is my first movie. I watched the film for the first time with other staff and reporters on the press screening day. I don’t remember anything except for scenes that I should have done differently and better,” the 37-year-old actor said in an interview held in Seoul, Monday.

Mostly known for his innocuous image and dimpled smile, Kim took up a challenge to show a different side in “The Childe,” his first-ever appearance as a “neatly crazy” killer who chases after Marco (played by Kang Tae-joo) for a mysterious purpose.

Kim stars as Gwi Gong-ja, a name which directly translates into a nobleman. The juxaposition of a killer and nobleman seems incongruous, and also a role that evoked a lot of questions for Kim.

“I took a lot of walks with director Park. We chatted a lot. I asked him why Gwi keeps chasing Marco and what kind of past he had. He would answer me without hesitation. He had this clear vision of the film’s characters and background details, which really helped us get on the same page on our understanding of the film,” Kim said.

The actor’s talks with Park also helped him forge ahead with what was in front of him.

“I worked for a long time with teams for the action sequences, but Park wanted something very real. Even if you fall during an action scene, he wanted you to keep acting and then revise later if needed,” he said, adding that now he feels Park as a good friend of his after shooting the film together for five to six months.

“I learned a lot from Park, not just for this project, but his attitude toward life and on how things work out. If something unfortunate happens, he says that everything has a reason for it.”

Having debuted through stage drama “New Boing Boing” (2009), Kim shot into sudden stardom with TV series like “100 Days My Prince” (2018), “Startup” (2020) and “Hometown Cha Cha Cha” (2021).

But he was embroiled in a controversy in October 2021 after his girlfriend accused him of having coerced her into having an abortion. After he admitted that the accusation had been true, Kim was removed from film, TV and commercial projects. However, local news outlets later reported that Kim and the ex-girlfriend had mutually agreed upon the abortion.

“Director Park did not appear to be reconsidering my casting. All he asked me was if I could do it. I did not want to make any more trouble, so I thought that I should act responsibly. Just recently, I heard that director Park did debate (casting me) for long period of time. I really appreciate him,” Kim said.

“The Childe” opens in local theaters on June 21.