Veteran actor makes directorial debut with ‘Me and Me’
Dreams guided actor-turned-director Jung Jin-young to where he is today. In a career spanning 33 years, Jung appeared in more than 50 films including box office-hits “The King and The Clown” (2005), “Happy Life” (2007) and “Ode to My Father” (2014).
Taking a break from acting, Jung is set to make his directorial debut with the mystery drama “Me and Me” to embark on a successful second career as a filmmaker.
The actor-turned-director confessed that he has fantasized about directing since childhood.
“I’ve wanted to be a movie director since I was 17 years old,” he said during an online press conference, Thursday.
“Whenever I saw directors make their own films or quizzed them on set about the filmmaking process, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to do it because it requires too much responsibility.”
However, the veteran actor decided to take the next step after over three decades in the film business.
“The only thing that had been holding me back was the fear of what other people might think of me if my directorial work failed,” he said. “Despite my initial hesitation, I started thinking about producing a film four years ago.”
Jung recalled that no part of “Me and Me” was easy, adding that he slept for three hours on average per night during the production period. Despite the process being physically challenging, he was full of energy.
The film centers around a detective named Hyung-gu (Cho Jinwoong) who investigates a mysterious fire that took the lives of a married couple in a rural village. While trying to figure out whether the case is arson or accidental, Hyung-gu wakes one day having lost his memory.
In his feature directorial debut, the actor-turned-director raises important questions about existence and life’s meaning.
“It may sound bombastic, but I wanted to talk about matters such as the meaning of life or the significance of existence,” Jung said. “There are many humorous parts in the film because I wanted to tell the story in an entertaining way.”
The rookie director said he had Cho in mind for the lead character even before completing the script. Cho has appeared in many blockbuster films including as “The
Admiral: Roaring Currents” (2014), “Kundo: Age of the Rampant” (2014) and “Assassination” (2015).
“I tried to visualize my characters as I wrote the script, and Cho naturally came into my mind. Cho was the perfect match for detective Hyung-gu as I imagined,” Jung said.
Meanwhile, Cho praised Jung’s ingenious narrative and talent as filmmaker.
“At first I couldn’t believe that Jung had written the script — it is a remarkable story that hasn’t been done in local commercial films,” Cho said.
On working with Jung the director for the first time, Cho said, “Although Jung’s position has changed from actor to director, how he approaches his film as an artist has not changed at all.”
“I believe how an actor and director view the film is the same, but the latter might be the decision-maker in the end,” he said. “Like many other actors-turned-directors, Jung fully understands the actor’s side in the production.”
“Me and Me” will open in local theaters on June 18.