"Action Has Nothing to Do with Age": Sul Kyung-gu Shows Confidence as a 60-Year-Old Action Actor in 'The Field Mouse'

Actor Sul Kyung-gu opened up about the grueling action scenes and his extraordinary self-management routine for the series 'The Field Mouse'.

Sul shared behind-the-scenes stories of performing rough action sequences during a press interview for 'The Field Mouse' (written by Lee Jae-gon, directed by Kim Hong-sun) held at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 2nd.

Based on the webtoon of the same name, 'The Field Mouse' is a chase thriller that follows novelist 'Mun-jae' (played by Ryu Jun-yeol), who has his name, face, and life completely stolen by a mysterious entity known as the 'Field Mouse,' loan shark 'No-ja' (played by Sul Kyung-gu), who tries to recover lost money, and detective 'Sun-yong' (played by Lee Kyu-hyung) as they track down the identity of the Field Mouse. In the series, Sul plays No-ja, a loan shark who stops at nothing to achieve his goals, charmingly portraying a three-dimensional character who is rough yet harbors a subtle human touch.

During the interview, Sul playfully complained about the high-intensity action scenes being concentrated on him. "Mun-jae gets choked and passes out early on and just sleeps. I always had to clean up and resolve everything. I sometimes grumbled, 'Why aren't the young guys doing this, and why am I doing it?'" he said with a laugh.

He continued, "However, cleaning up the mess was also fun. The martial arts director was someone I worked with on 'Gil Bok-soon,' so he knew my limitations and was considerate. Rather than intricate techniques, I completed the action scenes by leveraging my strength."

Regarding the fight scene where No-ja is ambushed in a cramped car and dispatches assailants, he expressed his apologies, saying, "That action scene was really tough. Because the space was so tight, the actors matching blows with me actually got hit. I want to apologize and say I'm truly sorry."

Born in 1967 and turning 60 this year, Sul also candidly confessed his reasons and pressures for still performing demanding action scenes at a mature age.

"To be honest, I do worry. There were a lot of running scenes, especially at night, and even with all the safety gear, I worried about getting hurt. I had to be careful because stepping wrongly on something like bamboo could twist my ankle," he shared honestly. At the same time, he expressed his firm conviction: "Once given a role, you have to pull it off. The story is interesting, and adding action enriches the drama, which is why I do it. I think action and age have very little to do with each other."

Behind this action performance lies his thorough self-management. Regarding his signature routine of jump rope, Sul said, "Except for about a dozen days a year, I do it without fail every single day. It has become such a habit and routine that I would go crazy if I didn't do it."

He proved his meticulous physical stamina management by stating, "Before heading out to the shooting set, I somehow manage to do my jump rope routine. Even if I go on a provincial shoot for just a single day, my luggage remains the same: a sauna suit, tights, sneakers, and a jump rope. The accommodation must also have a washing machine."

Meanwhile, all 10 episodes of 'The Field Mouse' were released worldwide via Netflix on the 28th of last month. According to FlixPatrol on the 2nd, 'The Field Mouse' entered the global TOP TV shows at No. 6 just four days after its release, and ranked No. 5 in the Netflix global TV shows non-English category, continuing its unstoppable global box office streak.

(Photo: Netflix)

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