[Interview] ‘Thief’ Lee Ho-jeong “I was happy to meet Chosun MZ Eon-nyeon”

We met Lee Ho-jeong (26), the actor of ‘The Thief’, who left a strong impression by refreshingly performing action scenes with his slender model-like body.

The Netflix series ‘Thief: The Sound of the Sword’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘The Thief’), which was released last month, is set in 1920 in Gando, a lawless land where the land of China, money from Japan, and people from Joseon gathered together to protect their precious people and their home. This is an action drama that they engage in. It represents a Korean-style western action film with entangled fate and intense and spectacular action that begins in the sandy wasteland of Gando.

Director Hwang Jun-hyuk, who directed the dramas ‘Squad 38’, ‘Bad Guys: City of Evil’ and ‘Black Dog’, and director Park Hyun-seok, who directed ‘Secret Forest 2’ and ‘Hometown’, ‘Vampire Prosecutor’, ‘Squad 38’ and ‘Bad’. Writer Jeong-Hoon Han, who wrote the screenplay for ‘Guys: City of Evil’, teamed up. Actors Kim Nam-gil, Seohyun, Lee Ho-jeong, and Yoo Jae-myeong appeared.

Lee Ho-jung is drawing attention by showing off his strong presence in the role of gunman Eon-nyeon, who heads to Gando after receiving a request to kill Lee Yoon.

When asked about his thoughts on the release of ‘Thief’, he said, “I thought it was fortunate that people around me contacted me saying that they enjoyed it. I feel fortunate, but I also feel disappointed. “I looked for some reactions after it was released, and what I liked best was that Eonnyeon was fresh,” he said with a bright smile.

He said, “I found it attractive from the moment I read the script, so I wondered how I could bring it to life. Eonnyeon has a lot of strong lines, so I felt like I shouldn’t overdo it, so I tried to express it as plainly as possible. “There were a lot of difficult parts, so I asked a lot of questions to the director and writer.”

“It was nice to be able to play Eon-nyeon. I was really excited to film it. There was a lot to do, but I was happy. I hoped that viewers would enjoy watching it. It was really fun to act. Many people refer to it as ‘Joseon MZ’. I think you saw it correctly. haha.”

He joined ‘The Thief’ through an audition and became immersed in it, learning horseback riding and action scenes even before filming. At that time, he did not miss studying the historical background.

He said, “My heart aches when I think of Eonnyeon. He believes that although every role has a great story, he is a friend who represents the situation of the times. He prepared hard because he thought he was expressing people who live quietly despite the pain. The action was inspired by actress Charlize Theron. He thought about the action and hitting sensation that comes from being tall. “I prepared by coordinating the actions on set, making adjustments, and thinking about how to make it look natural and cool,” he said.

He continued, “I received help from so many people. There were a lot of things Eonnyeon had to do well, and I didn’t want to cause trouble on set. The action was more difficult and burdensome than I thought. Senior Kim Nam-gil is a person who is very good at action scenes, isn’t he? He had to do a lot of action with his seniors and had to appear somewhat equal, so he practiced a lot in advance. He didn’t want to do any harm, so he prepared plans A, B, and C. “I had to do well in the fight scene with senior Nam Gil, so we talked a lot to each other,” he explained.

“Senior Kim Nam-gil was truly shocking. He taught me a lot. At first, the name Kim Nam-gil itself seemed heavy to me, and I felt a force, so I was worried about whether we would be able to perform many scenes together well and whether we would have good chemistry. But it turned out that he was a very lively and kind person. There’s a lot of fun too. My senior accepted my jokes well, so we got along well. Since your voice is good, we talked a lot about the tone of the lines. Senior Yoo Jae-myeong, who plays Chung-soo, also helped me, and there was help from so many people.”

Lee Ho-jung, who debuted as a model in 2012, started with ‘Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart Ryeo’ in 2016, followed by ‘Night Castle’, ‘I Know’, ‘Jinx’s Lover’, and the movies ‘Youth Police’, ‘Jangsari: Forgotten Heroes’, and ‘Hostage’. He is gradually building up his filmography by appearing in various dramas and other dramas. Recently, she has continued to work hard, making a surprise appearance in Disney+’s ‘Moving’ as the high school daughter of Naju, a superpower.

He said, “I’ve been an actor longer than a model now. Right now, all I can think about is acting. I have a strong desire to do well in the future. Even during the ‘Thief’ press conference, it was a long-awaited work and it was my first time showing it, so I was in a cold sweat and my hands were shaking. Still, I said I had no idea because I had experience as a model, but it was helpful. He joked, “I think my angles come out naturally when I’m doing action scenes and when I’m working as a model, so my face looks great.”

He continued, “A long time ago, when I started acting, I had such a grand dream of entering Hollywood. Doesn’t everyone live with that dream? However, the more I act, the more there is no right answer and it feels difficult. Now I want to do my job well. “Luckily, I came across a great project called ‘The Thief,’ and I don’t know what kind of project I’ll end up doing, but I want to do a good job because you trusted me,” he said, expressing his passion.

“(Kim) Nam-gil talked a lot about Season 2 in interviews, and I too am really looking forward to Season 2 of ‘Thieves.’ All of us actors are hoping for that. I was very curious because it ended with an open ending that sparked my imagination. If it comes out, wouldn’t we be able to see a more relaxed version of Eon-nyeon? I wonder what will happen with Uncle Appung (Yoo Jae-myung) and what will happen with Lee Yoon. haha”

[Reporter Yang So-young, Star Today]