[Herald Interview] ‘Imagination’ key to acting, says Gang Dong-won

In his 21-year acting career, actor Gang Dong-won has played many different types of characters, hardly any of them overlapping.

While his previous roles have been somewhat witty, easygoing characters with boyish charm, “The Plot,” his latest film, portrays the actor at his coldest.

With no smile on his face, Gang plays Yeong-il, the mastermind of contract killings that appear to be accidents. Many of his scenes involve tight shots showing his dry and sharp eyes. He also has few lines.

As the film reaches its climax, Yeong-il is devastated, left with only fury.

Gang believes imagination helps him a lot in acting, even when portraying a pessimistic and angst-ridden character.

“I try to act with a lot of imagination. Some people approach acting in a realistic way, but I’m not one of them,” Gang said during an interview in Seoul on Friday.

“But in recent years, as I entered my 40s, this emotional depth has allowed me to express various feelings like anger and happiness in a richer way onscreen. Before, seeing myself acting angry didn’t look so angry,” the 42-year-old actor added.

Getting ready to debut as a producer who also writes and acts, Gang said his interest in imagination and fantasy keeps him moving in the film industry.

"I liked this movie because the scenario made me imagine conspiracies. Unlike typical crime flicks, this movie resolves the conflict like a psychological drama," said Gang. "Also, my writing (scenarios) is always in the fantasy genre as well."

For Gang, showing a new face to the audience was his priority for this project. Renewing his mindset and attitude, like that of a rookie actor, also topped his list.

“Because this character doesn’t have many lines and speaks with his eyes, I had to revisit the basics of acting, such as breathing and blinking eyes at the right time. It’s actually very hard to act a character without many lines because that means you’ll get a lot of tight shots when you can’t really move,” said Gang.

“The Plot” hits local theaters on May 29.