Actor Park Jung-min has taken on his first-ever dual role in director Yeon Sang-ho's new film 'The Ugly'.
'The Ugly' tells the story of 'Im Young-kyu', a master engraver who is blind, and his son 'Im Dong-hwan', who unravels the mystery behind their mother's death that has been buried for 40 years. Park Jung-min, who debuted with 'Bleak Night' and has since become an indispensable guardian of Korean cinema, is stirring excitement with his new acting challenge.
Park Jung-min has become the face of contemporary Korean cinema through his diverse roles in films such as 'Keys to the Heart', 'Harbin', and more. In Yeon Sang-ho's new film 'The Ugly', he takes on the roles of both the young engraver 'Im Young-kyu', who is visually impaired, and his son 'Im Dong-hwan', marking his first foray into playing dual roles.
The stills released on the 31st show 'young Im Young-kyu' overcoming his disability to live a diligent life as an engraver, and his son 'Im Dong-hwan' uncovering the truth behind his mother's death, returned as a skeleton after 40 years. These moments perfectly capture the distinct characters portrayed by Park Jung-min.
The contrasting yet similar journeys of a husband who has never seen his wife's face and a son chasing the fact of a mother he has never met are set to dramatically captivate audiences through Park Jung-min's detailed performance.
Park Jung-min's venture into playing dual roles was initiated by his own proposal to director Yeon Sang-ho. Park said, "If it's a film made with good intentions and meaning, I wanted to contribute in my own way. When I asked who would play 'young Im Young-kyu' and heard it wasn't decided, I said I wanted to give it a try."
Furthermore, Park Jung-min increased his physical resemblance for the role of 'young Im Young-kyu' by wearing a wig and special white-out lenses, and even mastered the art of engraving despite the tight production schedule, surprising the production team and fellow actors with his dedication.
Kwon Hae-hyo, who worked with Park Jung-min for the first time since 'Tazza: One Eyed Jack', praised him, saying, "It's hard for actors to consistently show dedication, but Park Jung-min always maintains his diligence."
Director Yeon Sang-ho, who cast Park Jung-min as the lead in the much-anticipated film 'The Ugly', expressed his satisfaction, saying, "Park Jung-min showed great enthusiasm from studying the script to learning engraving techniques for his role. Especially for 'Im Dong-hwan', the character's reactions during five interviews were crucial, and the actor's unique portrayal made the film even more immersive."
With Park Jung-min's dual role and his transformative character portrayals, 'The Ugly' is eagerly awaited and set to premiere in September.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)