Translator:hitoritabi
Translation note: Whew, I really should have put it all in one post, but I really like how the inteview ended like a therapy session :D
Ceci: When you get physically tired, it’s like catching the flu. After taking the Ursa bears for so many times, were there particular incidents that are unforgettable? (T/N: The reporter and him were joking together, still talking about the Ursa energy supplements that Jongsuk probably takes to fight off weariness. :D)
LJS: My body has gotten used to it,sleeping for only four hours and is okay for me. Though once filming ends for everything, I wonder if I would curl up and become sick?But it was today that I had the heaviest heart. For most people, the acting on television screens is something they only occasionally glance at, but when it comes to acting on the big screen is something they will sit down and focus on. Everyone’s eyes are trained onto this one movie. In my last two movies, ‘Korea: As One’ and ‘R2B: Return to Base’, I didn’t have this realization since I only had a small role. My role still isn’t big in ‘The Face Reader’, but on a fundamental level, I’m not satisfied with my own acting.What if this happens again for the upcoming two movies, which has my name hanging above the title? I wouldn’t know what to do. What if I fail to lead these two movies? All this uncertainty are woven deeply together, filling me with fear.
Ceci: Ah,so it is a fear that comes from meeting the audience straight on, and worrying that your every flaw would be displayed. Doesn’t this spring from your intense desire to always improve?
LJS: Up until this point, I believed that as long as I keep acting, I could slowly discover and correct my shortcomings. It was this baseless confidence allowed me to become an actor, but the blind confidence has just been shaken. Acting is expressing emotions, all the emotions that you experience naturally as you grow up. But I guess I want it to come even faster. “I must mature quickly, and show them good, multi-faceted acting.” These thoughts consume my mind, in a slightly chilling manner…
Ceci: Don’t be too hard on yourself.
LJS: As I appear in more and more projects, the number of fans has also increased. I would hear people say, “You did well!”, and in the depths of my heart, I would childishly become greedy for that —- “Please praise me more, I hunger for praise”.
Ceci: That is because your youth is simmering with passion right now. Are there things that make the the blood-boiling Lee Jong Suk feel his limitations?
LJS: I am afraid that my mental strength might drain away. And I am very cerebral when it comes to acting. It’s like I should be screaming from the rooftops, but sometimes I end up adjusting and reining in my acting to make it acceptable to myself. Actors are charismatic when they throw away their images with no regard. I want to be like Jongsuk-hyung in ‘The Face Reader’, acting without naturally and brilliantly, without a care in the world.But I was so busy looking at scripts and hammering out my schedules. And I was still afraid of losing myself. If only my instincts could win over my cerebral side, then my acting would reach another level.
Ceci: To help you find that lost confidence,let’s have some self-healing time. Praise yourself in three aspects.
LJS: Hmm,since acting is about releasing personal emotions, my growth can’t be measured by some scientific unit. But my experience level of ‘tidying up emotions and projecting it into acting’ is continuously rising.
Ceci: Secondly?
LJS: Up until now, I have been following my plans and taking it one step at a time. And I seem to have the luck of choosing projects that will match well to my own pace at the time.
Ceci: Last one?
LJS: Up until now, there is not one moment when I think I am better or more special than anyone else. When I watch dramas, I would still think, “How can these people act so well?” and feel envious of other actors. When I see fans who love me so much, I feel grateful but also apologetic towards them, and I worry if it is right for me to receive this love from them.It is in my personality to lack confidence, even from a young age. I love acting so much, and when watching the final product, I am always overwhelmed with joy. I like the fact that people like me, but when they pay me too much attention, I start to get a little weary. So the conclusion is, I am a really weird person.
Ceci: The two sides of a personality has always been like twins cojoined at the back, one cannot leave the other.
LJS: That is true. It tires me out sometimes. If I were the kind of person who can control his emotions freely and have overwhelming confidence, then perhaps I would be able to act well in everything.
Ceci: Try to constantly find two strengths in yourself. Meanwhile, keep your self-effacing, self-checking personality; then you will perhaps reach the acting level that you desire. By the way, you’re currently filming for ‘Blood Boiling Youth’ down in Soonchang, how is life there?
LJS: Soonchang is very quiet and the air is so fresh.
Ceci: Sounds good! When you breathe in the fresh air, it would be great to breathe in that self-confidence also.
LJS: I’ll try my best.(laughs)
