Name Mix-Up Dampens Rain's Hollywood Debut

Actor and musician Rain arrives at the premiere of 'Speed Racer'
at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California on Saturday.
The movie follows the adventures of
a young race car driver Speed (Emile Hirsch)
in his quest for glory in his thunderous Mach 5. /AFP

Singer and actor Rain had an embarrassing moment at the premier of his Hollywood debut film "Speed Racer" at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday. The 26-year-old Korean superstar was introduced as Taejo Togokhan, the name of his character in the movie, instead of his real name Jung Ji-hoon, or his better-known stage name.

The premier drew reporters from around the world, come to see the latest work by directors Andy and Larry Wachowski, the creators of the worldwide blockbuster "The Matrix." Several Hollywood luminaries also turned out, including Jodie Foster, Tim Robbins and Jon Voight.

The first Wachowski movie in five years, "Speed Racer" is based on a Japanese animation called "Mach GoGoGo" about aspiring young car racers. Anticipation is building among movie lovers eager to see how the innovative directors, known for the revolutionary visual style they pioneered with the "Matrix" series, will use the latest computer technology to tell the tale.

Rain's name mix-up wasn't limited to just the announcements -- he was also listed as "actor Taejo Togokhan" in the caption of a photograph of him with costar Susan Sarandon. The mistake would be like writing Sarandon's name as "Mom Racer."

The publicists managed to get the name of Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, who also appears in the movie, printed correctly. Having spotted the error, the foreign press corrected the Korean actor's name.

Meanwhile, Rain is set to tour to Asia, the U.S. and Europe to promote the film, kicking off with a stop here at home where the movie is slated to open on May 8.

Credit:englishnews@chosun.com

source: Chosun
http://english.chosun.com/w21data...200804280012.html

Tags: rain/Speed Racer/The Matrix/korean actor