SEOUL, After portraying a disturbing antagonist in Netflix’s Korean original series “A Killer Paradox,” actor Lee Hee-jun sought a change of pace. This led him to his next project, the black comedy horror “Handsome Guys.”
“Even though our experiences are indirect, we still go through them in a way, leaving lingering impressions and trauma,” the actor said during an interview with reporters in Seoul on Tuesday.
The shooting of “Handsome Guys” took place on a set built in a forest in the southern port city of Busan for about two months. The filming went smoothly “without ever being disturbed by anyone,” the actor said. “We had a lot of fun. There were no difficulties with the filming, and it always felt like we were going on a trip.”
The actor genuinely enjoyed himself on the set, laughing so much that the lingering scars faded away.
Adapted from the American horror comedy “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” (2010), the occult comedy “Handsome Guys” revolves around the mysterious happenings at an old, secluded hous
e where two friends, Jae-phil (Lee Sung-min) and Sang-gu, have just bought and moved in.
The two men, convinced of their attractiveness despite their rough looks, start renovating the abandoned house. Their appearance leads others to mistake them for criminals. When they help a camper named Mi-na (Gong Seung-yeon), her friends come to “rescue” her with ulterior motives. Mistaking the pair for serial killers, they trigger a series of disastrous events, leading to their own deaths.
“Having seen the original work, I found the adaptation so refreshing and entertaining that I couldn’t recall the original elements,” Lee said. “The original film had violent and somewhat explicit scenes that might be intense for some Korean audiences, but our film seems to have delicately balanced that line.”
Describing himself as a “workaholic,” the actor admitted he felt “nervous” while filming comedic scenes.
“Even after shooting, I wondered if they were actually funny. I kept thinking, ‘Did that work? Is there something funni
er we could do?’ We shot one scene in about three different ways,” he said.
Lee’s acting career began with a brief role in a short film two decades ago. Since then, he has gradually developed his craft, taking on various roles that have contributed to his growth as an actor. In Netflix’s “A Killer Paradox,” released in February, the actor, in his mid-40s, gave a compelling portrayal of an elderly murderer, effectively bridging a significant age gap in his performance.
In his early career, Lee said he felt a strong urge to prove himself against his peer actors.
“When I was young, I had a desire to outperform other actors, almost like competing with them,” he said. “Now, it feels like I’m simply following my own path faithfully. I’ve come to realize that I am simply myself. I am just different from others, from other actors.”
While all of his projects are “incredibly precious,” this one feels especially meaningful because it brings laughter, he said.
“I really hope a lot of people check out this movie. It’
s the kind of a film where you can just kick back and enjoy yourself for 100 minutes without having to think too hard,” he said.
“But don’t get me wrong. It’s not some slapped-together project. The team put a lot of care into making it, and it shows.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency
