Park Hae-il Reveals Why He Took a Four-Year Break Ahead of 'The Assassin(s)'

Actor Park Hae-il has revealed the reason behind his four-year hiatus from acting.

Ahead of the release of "The Assassin(s)", Park met with reporters and was asked why he took a four-year break following "Decision to Leave" and "Hansan: Rising Dragon". He explained, "There was a project called 'Heaven: To the Land of Happiness' (unreleased) that I filmed before COVID-19, and then I filmed 'Hansan: Rising Dragon', and then 'Decision to Leave'. The release timings for these projects varied slightly, but looking at them, the directors for all three works are quite strong. Because of that, whether the films were released or not, I had to expend a lot of energy. After finishing the filming and all the promotions, I was completely drained. So I didn't have much left in reserve. I needed some time to recover my energy."

The expression "being in top form" was a perfect fit for Park Hae-il in 2022. His first collaboration with Director Park Chan-wook in the film "Decision to Leave" drew 1.91 million moviegoers nationwide and swept major Best Actor awards that year. The subsequently released "Hansan: Rising Dragon" successfully mobilized 7.27 million viewers, achieving massive box office success. Facing a second peak in his career, Park received numerous casting offers, but he chose to take a "break" himself.

The opportunity for a comeback naturally found its way to him. He had a "makgeolli meeting" with Director Hur Jin-ho, with whom he had previously worked on "The Last Princess" (2016), and it was during this gathering that he received a casting offer for the film "The Assassin(s)".

Park shared, "I started acting in films in 2000, and this year marks my 26th year. Come to think of it, every time I released a film, I met with reporters, so I must have met them at least 26 times. Given that, a 'reporter' is not just an imaginary character to me, but something I have internalized through my own memories and experiences. When the director suggested playing a reporter role, I thought it was something I could pull off. So I told the director, 'I suppose I took a break all this time just to encounter this project.' In response, the director said, 'It won't be an easy project, but let's create it together.'"

In this new work, Park Hae-il transforms into Jae-hwan, a reporter covering the assassination of the First Lady, delivering a passionate performance that embodies the true principles of journalism.

"The Assassin(s)" follows the pursuit of the suspicions and masterminds behind the August 15, 1974 assassination of the First Lady, an event that shocked South Korea. Directed by Hur Jin-ho—known for works such as "Christmas in August" and "The Last Princess"—the film stars Yoo Hai-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Minho.

The film is scheduled to be released on September 23.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)