Actor Park Jung-min says portraying a blind character in the film ‘The Ugly’ prompted him to reflect on his own father’s life.
A press screening for ‘The Ugly’ was held on the afternoon of the 10th at Megabox COEX in Seoul. With the team attending the Toronto International Film Festival, director Yeon Sang-ho and cast members Park Jung-min, Kwon Hae-hyo, Shin Hyun Been, Im Sung-jae, and Han Ji-hyun joined Korean reporters via video call.
Park, who plays Im Young-gyu, a man who is blind, shared, “While preparing, I watched videos created by people with visual impairments, as well as footage of them. I’ve never lived as a visually impaired person, but I have lived as a family member for a long time, so I caught myself returning to certain patterns of behavior.”
He added, “Both during prep and throughout the shoot, it became a chance for me to think about my father’s life. In that sense, this project ended up being an unexpected gift.”
Park previously revealed on tvN’s "You Quiz on the Block" that his father lost his sight due to an accident.
‘The Ugly’ follows Im Young-gyu (Kwon Hae-hyo), a blind master craftsman in seal engraving, and his son Im Dong-hwan (Park Jung-min) as they unravel the 40-year-old mystery surrounding the death of their wife and mother. The film adapts Yeon Sang-ho’s 2018 graphic novel of the same name.
In the movie, Park tackles dual roles, portraying a young Im Young-gyu―who diligently makes seals despite his visual impairment―as well as Young-gyu’s son, Im Dong-hwan.
‘The Ugly’ opens Sept. 11 in Korea.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)