Interview - Real man Lim Ju Hwan

Hidden behind ‘pretty’ smiles exists the ‘real man’ Lim JuHwan

WILD FALL DAYS

Lim Juhwan is not a kkotminam(flower guy-expression for feminine, pretty boys).

He lost his weight to avoid such image, and still does not like his baby face.

Conversations without filtering, revealing even his ‘old’ hobby as a fishing mania.

I saw that hidden behind ‘pretty’ smiles exists the ‘real man’ Lim JuHwan.

1 그린색 판쵸. 제스. 체크 팬츠. 본. 2 체크 코트. TNGT.그레이 니트와 화이트 셔츠. 엠비오. 그레이 체크 팬츠. 본.

On the day of interview, a staff called him urgently. “Can you shoot photos today?” Jang Jinyoung’s(actress who was in the same company with LJH, passed away due to cancer) coffin was carried that day and LJH’s pic at the funeral, pale and worn out, was uploaded online in real time.Fortunately he showed up in the studio on time, and chased his sleep with a cigarette. Though he had just finished another photo-shooting in the morning, he lay, jumped, balanced on a chair and took all sorts of difficult poses without complaints– that’s a pro model for you. The interview carried out in his van was extremely comfortable, to the extent that made me feel I’m a close friend of his. Having heard that he does interviews every week, I asked him what’s the question he’s most sick and tired of. He cordially answered that he enjoys talking and sat up straight.The first question to him, sorry enough, was about curtailment of his drama <Tamra the Island>.<     Tamra the Island> has been cut down to 16 episodes. It was your first leading drama, you must have felt bad.      Well, I’m fine since the drama itself got good responses. The cut down was due to the relation between MBC and drama makers and low ratings, not due to the quality of the drama. Which will you choose, a makjang drama (provocative drama with poor quality) with high ratings or unpopular but well-made drama?  The latter, of course. I want to be in dramas that can be re-watched. Although my coㅡpany might have different view. Including this incident, I guess you must often feel the ‘coldness’ of the show-biz world. Any field has its ‘coldness’. If a part-time worker in a cafe makes a mistake during serving, s/he might get fired the next day. It’s just that the show-biz world has everyone’s attention, so it stands out. But you still had hard moments, right?  I’m a little too optimistic. Even after fighting with a friend, a good sleep cures everything. That’s why I was called “old man” since I was young. I’m not even that greedy or ambitious. Then are you satisfied with your current position or popularity?  Yes. Because it’s not like ambition will get me anywhere. If I get some fame later I just hope that people will think “Oh he filmed this kind of drama before, oh he was this type of person.” You have this image of fragile, pretty boy, but you seem to be free and easy type of person. Everyone finds it surprising. I did a lot of part-time jobs like newspaper delivery since middle school,and still use public transportation like buses and subways. I only use the company’s van when I have filming scheduled or when I’m extremely busy. I guess your road manager would be happy about it.  Actually he worries more. Thinks I might run into an accident somewhere. It’s not like I have problems with my legs, so I don’t see what the problem is for me to walk around alone. But you’re still a leading actor of weekend drama. Don’t people recognize you?  I do feel some glances, but I try not to be conscious of it. Outside the camera range, I’m not Park Gyu of <Tamra the Island> but am Lim JuHwan. A citizen of Seoul, a son in a family, a friend of my friends Lim JuHwan. What kind of actor is Lim JuHwan inside the camera range? I heard that you visited film site every day when you had a small role in a movie <First Love of a Millionaire>, to figure out what kind of people become leading actors. Well. Back then, I was just curious what difference lies between leading actors and me. Did you find the answer.  Nope. But if I take a step by step, I’ll be up there someday.

But aren’t you already a leading actor now? And you’ll always be leading from now on.  I don’t get that. All I care for is whether the character has impact or not, why would leading or non-leading matter? Like the character in the movie <A Frozen Flower> who guarded the king. Is there anything in process? What’s your next film after <Tamra the Island>?  Not sure yet. I don’t really get to choose scenarios yet, so I try not to care. It’ll just makes me more anxious. I think the company wants me to jump into the next film and do two things at the same time. Honestly, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Any plan to appear in entertain shows? I don’t fit in those shows. Don’t have any talent. Unless they do fishing there. Wait, so your hobby is fishing?  I go fishing whenever I’m free. I’ve been doing it with my father since I was young, so I’m a veteran now. I’ve even caught a 80cm carp. These days, I can’t go far places because of filming, so I go to artificial fishing ponds near my house. I guess you like pondering over fishing poles.  I don’t ponder about anything. Don’t know when the fish is gonna bite, so I have to concentrate on a float. It’s more restful, not thinking about anything. Are you into anything other than fishing? Well, when I was in middle school, I was so obsessed with assembling things that I wanted to go to an engineering school. I often assembled radios or gliders. Then, in high school, I joined theater club and changed my obsession. So you were into acting since then.  I joined because the theater club teacher asked me to. In the beginning, I  actually was too lazy to memorize lines so I volunteered to be a staff member. In 3rd grade (3rd grade high school=12th grade) I was forced to act for ‘Youth Theater Festival’ in Daehakro, and that’s when I fell in love with theater. I acted in an episode of a play named <Good Doctor>. More than acting itself, I was mesmerized by the thrill behind the curtain or the applause after the play. I wanted to do theater for the rest of my life. Then I got into an management company by chance, and shifted to an actor together with Kang DongWon hyeong who was in the same company. Do you still miss theater.  Of course. If I earn a fortune from this job, I will build a theater in Daehakro. Not a commercial theater, but a theater for high school students. Students would be doing all the lightings, directing, and make-ups. I’ll only be providing the place for it. So you’ll always say yes if someone in theater business scouts you. I’d love to, but my company would disagree. Because once I commit to a play, I’ll be out of schedule for at least 3 months. And most importantly, it won’t make much money. Well then you can’t do theater acting, but you’re still doing modelling right?  My original job was model anyway. I try to remind myself of my own beginning. During my last fashion show, I asked the designer a favor, that I do not want to be the main. Because when I was a model myself, I did not like all the stars getting the main. I hated that models do rehearsals from sunrise to sunset for that fifteen minute show, but stars just arrive an hour before, do make-up, and boom they stand on the runway. Finale or opening for a model is correspondent to a leading role in a drama, so how can an outsider just snatch it away? I guess you’ll care much about fashion.  Now I see what clothes suit me the best. I think ‘line’ is more important than style. Like waist line or shoulder line when you put a suit on. Is there any female fashion trend currently that you’re not fond of? Oh, yes, one.  Walkers like military boots are in trend now, but I don’t like them. They make legs look shorter. I saw you smoking. I heard you started smoking for your role. How much can you do for acting? Can you lose 20kg like Kim MyungMin? Although not as near as 20kg, I actually have lost 10kg. In earlier time of my model career, I was slightly chubby and looked very young. One day, when I was trying out in an audition, director Han Hee of <Super Rookie> asked of me, “Don’t passers stare at you because you look pretty?” I shyly agreed. Then he told me that this kind of face can’t be used in dramas. It will disperse the attention that should be on leading roles. Then the flow of the story will be broken, and the drama can fail because of me. He also said that the current drama trend is not even school-oriented (so pretty boys are not as needed) so in this rate I won’t be able to get a role. It was shocking. I knew the fashion trend, but had no idea for the trend for what (TV) viewers wanted. Also I guess I was kind of confident in my own visual since I was a model. Anyway in a month and a half I reduced my weight from 70kg to 62kg. After that, I was casted for <Snow Queen>, and unintentionally became an actor who fits the skinny trend. Still, my baby face is a complex. You hate baby face?  Well, I might be able to be like Cha Taehyun sunbae and act high school age in thirties. For someone it might be a bless, but not for me. I think any man would like to be as manly as possible. I mean, don’t the actors who became known for kkotminam(flower guy) eventually turn and choose macho roles?

4 바이커 가죽 재킷. 카이 아크만. 체크 셔츠. 빈폴. 레깅스. 제스. 가죽 장갑. 스타일리스트 소장품.

You should get more manly roles from now on. <Tamra the Island>’s Park Gyu seems quiet, but also has tough aspects like when he breaks the jar with a stick. Due to that, he’s called Jimseung(beast) Park Gyu in <Tamra the Island> DC inside gallery. Satisfied with the nickname? Jimseung Park Gyu, kkeutjanggyu(kkeutjang, meaning an end or finish + gyu from Park Gyu). I like them all. So you do ‘DC’ when you’re free.  I’ve visited there a couple of times. I watch movies more often. Recently, I cried watching Indian movie <Black>. Once I cry, I look up all the actors in the movie. I visited your minihompi(mini homepage offered in cyworld, social network in Korea). I see you have a lot of interest on actors of your age.  I don’t think I can act like experienced actors such as Song KangHo or Kim YoonShik. So I focus on actors of my age and try to see how they act, what kind of energy they have. You mentioned a lot of Japanese actors of your age.  Korean actors express their emotions passionately, while Japanese actors express them with restraints. I find it more touching. You also often visit Japan. Do you like Japanese culture?  It’s a nice city to calmly roam around alone. I also have many Japanese friends. It’s funny that they find me exotic and interesting. Japanese don’t easily show their emotions, but I just treat everyone pretty openly and be friends quickly. Except when I meet hypocritical people. I think I’ll be visiting Japan again soon because <Tamra the Island> is going to be broadcasted on Mnet Japan from October 26th. Other special autumn plan? I’ve been filming <Tamra the Island> for a year, so I’ll feel pretty melancholic once I’m done with it. Not that I can’t get out of the character, like some of sunbae actors. I’m not at that level yet. I’ll just feel empty. I want to have some empty time, not doing anything. But you’ll still have to prepare for your next work.  Before my thirties, I want to do everything slowly step by step, thinking I’m getting acting experience. Well, some new actors might say I’m just over-blessed. So you’ll get intense when you become thirty?  Oh, I’ll be on a marathon starting then. Now I haven’t found my own style yet, and my expression of emotions or delivery of my lines are kind of wavy. I hope they’ll be stabilized by the time I’m thirty, and I’ll be getting down to real business then.

From: imjuhwanfan Source: 임주환 인터뷰