Saturday, May 23, 2009

'Mother' Turning Point in Won Bin's Acting Career



Actor Won Bin
says the movie “Mother” marks a new chapter in his acting career. Won Bin plays a leading role in “Mother,” which was invited to the 62nd Cannes International Film Festival. In an interview on May 17 at a hotel in Cannes, Won Bin said the movie marks "round two" of his career as an actor.

Won Bin, who made a comeback to the big screen with his role in “Mother” after a five-year hiatus, said he is a very ambitious actor and that acting is appealing because it’s "infinite." He said, "That’s why I want to put everything at stake."

In “Mother,” Won Bin plays a dull-witted young man who is falsely accused of murder and whose mother (played by Kim Hye-ja) embarks on a mission to find the real culprit. His character has a rather complex personality, which is at times pure-hearted and dull and at other times quite sharp. Won Bin describes his character as someone with two personalities. He says he did his best to stick to the script because he believed that the director knew the character perfectly.

Won Bin said, "I was worried that my dull-witted character would fail to appeal to viewers and tried to come up with ways to make him look less repellent. I gave great thought to his pure-hearted side by reminiscing about my past and spending time alone, but eventually I found the answer in the script.”

Won Bin, who walked down the red carpet on May 16, says he was happy to represent a good movie at the renowned film festival along with actress Kim Hye-ja, actor Jin Gu and director Bong Jun-ho. Won Bin said, "I was curious to see how foreign viewers would react to the Korean ideal of mother shown in the movie, but I was sure that people from all over the world feel the same way toward their mothers."

In “Mother” the collaboration between Won Bin and Kim Hye-ja was of crucial importance because its plot is all about the mother-son relationship. Won Bin says the moment he saw actress Kim Hye-ja for the first time, he knew that she represented an ideal mother because her lucid eyes looked very innocent and made him feel at ease. "She treated me like her own son throughout the shoot and her character truly loved her son. I called her ‘Mom’ during the shoot and I still call her that," added Won.

source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/Entertain/EntertainmentNews/view.html?No=7016

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Daniel Henney Stars in an American Series



Korean-American actor Daniel Henney has been cast in a new drama series in America. Titled “Three Rivers,” the new medical TV series about organ transplants will be aired on CBS this fall. He will play a kidney/liver/pancreas transplant specialist opposite Julia Ormond, Alex O’Loughlin, and Katherine Moennig. Korean fans are looking forward to another star of Korean heritage (Henney’s mother is Korean) making it big in American TV in the footsteps of Kim Yun-jin of “Lost.”

Henney’s representative says that he will seal the deal very soon. He’s already wrapped up the filming of the pilot episode in early April. Coming off of the impressive performance as Agent Zero in the recent blockbuster “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” he’s expected to rev up his career in America with this new role.

source: KBS World

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Won Bin in Harper's Bazaar magazine June 2009







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Actress Han Ji-hye Debuts as Singer



Actress Han Ji-hye
of the “East of Eden” fame will make her debut as a solo singer. Her digital single will be released on online music sites on Monday, May 18. The song “Luv Luv” will be featured as part of the OST for a cable TV program about Han’s attempt at becoming a shoe designer.

On her first appearance as a singer, Han says that she is very nervous, but welcomes the challenge. She also says that recording the song was a great experience and that her song would make people happy.

She has impressed the audience and TV critics with her sensitive portrayal of Ji-hyun, a girl who loves Dong-wook (played by Yeon Jeong-hoon) but marries Myung-hoon (played by Park hae-jin), in TV drama “East of Eden.” After successfully wrapping up the show earlier this year, she has signed up for a cable TV reality show that tracks her attempts to become a shoe designer. Her first appearance as a singer will take place at the taping of “Kim Jeong-eun’s Chocolate” on May 16.

source: KBS World

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Jeon Ji-hyun Looks to Confound Critics in Vampire Film



Actress Jeon Ji-hyun
is on a tour of several countries to promote her latest film "Blood: The Last Vampire" scheduled for release on June 11.

The film is the story of a vampire who is battling to end 400 years of warfare between humans and vampires. Based on Japanese animation "Ghost in the Shell" by Mamoru Oshii, it cost US$35 million as a co-production by Japan, France and Hong Kong.

"I'm more excited and nervous because it's not a Korean project, but a multinational one," Jeon said. "I'm very nervous because I'm presenting myself as an actress in a new genre."

"I get a lot of feedback saying that I’m a commercial model rather than an actress, and that I'm trapped in the images in advertisements. I also hear comments questioning my ability to act. Because I'm a human being, I was anxious and impatient about having to show another side of me to the public," she said. "But I also thought that because I'm an actress, I don't have to get carried away. I know that I will do well and I will look good, so there was no need to hurry."

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to show various aspects of myself in dramas or films throughout my 11-year career," she said. There are many misperceptions and prejudices about the image I've portrayed so far, but I think the best answer to such criticisms would be to do well in new films. I have ambition and desire to act until the day I die."

Jeon said the film tried to be as true to the original animation as possible. "The director and all other crew said I fit the character very well."

Credit: englishnews@chosun.com

source: chosun


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Monday, May 11, 2009

Jeon Ji-hyun ( Gianna Jun ) in Elle magazine

Jeon Ji-hyun is on a cover photo for Elle magazine (Hong Kong)





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Top Star Couple to Wed in Late May



Acclaimed actor Sul Kyung-gu and actress Song Yun-ah announced that they will get married on May 28th at Bangbae Catholic Church in Seoul. Korea’s top celebrities held a press conference on Saturday to talk about their wedding plans.

The two stars first met when they appeared in the 2002 film, “Jail Breaker.” Back then they were just colleagues, but their relationship bloomed after Sul divorced from his wife in 2006. He had been separated from his wife four years prior to the divorce.

At the press conference the couple admitted that it was difficult to get permission from their parents. But after convincing their parents of their sincerity and love for each other, they finally got the parents’ blessing. The couple said that they plan to have at least two children.

Although Sul is a highly respected actor, famous for his roles in the popular “Public Enemy” series, “Silmido,” “Oasis,” and “Peppermint Candy,” his unhappy marriage and subsequent divorce made him a rather unlikely prospect for the husband of much beloved Song. She is known for TV dramas “Hotelier” with Bae Yong-joon and last year’s hit “On Air.

source: KBS World

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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Son Ye-jin in Harper's Bazaar magazine







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TVXQ to Start Japan Tour



The hottest hallyu group, TVXQ, begins its fourth tour in Japan on May 4th. The group will kick off the live tour with a two-day stay in Kobe, which will be followed by a total of 19 concerts in eight major Japanese cities. The concerts are scheduled to mark their fourth album, “The Secret Code,” released in March.

A variety of fun events are planned for the concerts. Secret codes will be hidden throughout the venue and a quiz session will ask audience members to guess the most intimate secrets of TVXQ members. Also TVXQ members will try their hand at speaking different dialects in Japanese.

With the number of official fan club members nearing 100 thousand in Japan alone, tickets to the concerts are selling like hotcakes in various auction sites. Tickets for the Kobe concert are being sold at 160 thousand yen per person and those for the Tokyo Dome concert at 90 thousand yen.

source: KBS World

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