Ko Soo returns to TV in role revealing inner strength
Some people say that celebrities change after they taste fame. The rule, however, does not seem to apply to 27-year-old actor Ko Soo who still exhibits the same prudent, humble manner after seven years of a successful acting career.
The actor charmed many fans with his gentle and heartwarming smile, but he now vows to show a different side of his personality that has been hiding behind his gentleness.
"Some people have said they are afraid of me because I rarely lose my temper," Ko told reporters last week. "I think the strongest person of all is someone who has no enemies. In that way, I am a strong person. It is my faith never to make any enemies."
Ko made the remarks last week after a news conference for the new SBS TV drama "When a Man is in Love," which will be aired starting next Thursday.
In the drama, Ko plays the role of Ji-hun, who becomes a man of will and purpose in an effort to help the woman he loves fulfill her dreams.
"At the beginning, Ji-hun is not much different from the naive and devoted characters I have played in the past. But Ji-hun becomes stronger as the story unfolds," Ko explained. "As Ji-hun changes, I plan to do my best to reveal to people my own inner strength that people may have been unaware of."
Ko made his debut in 1997 in the music video, "A Letter," by the group Position."
Soon afterward, he was selected to appear in another music video by the group Noise. It is well known how he developed a special relationship with the pop group's leader, Hong Jong-gu, who subsequently founded the MJ Entertainment agency and became Ko's agent.
Hong has said he initially picked Ko for the music video because he saw a special gleam in his eyes that seemed to reflect his desire for acting. Ko loyally once told a magazine that he would never stop working with Hong unless he gave up his acting career. Many people praised him, as it is common for celebrities to switch agents to make more money after they become more popular.
Ko became widely known after he appeared in a commercial where he acted as a faithful boyfriend who ran clutching his girlfriend's hand in order to get her back home before her curfew.
Many remember Ko saying to himself after the girl is safely back home, "I keep my word and stick to the rules."
The sincere boyfriend does not seem too different from actor Ko himself. But Ko says that he is more of a "slow guy" than a nice guy. He was raised in Chungcheong Province, where people have a reputation for talking slowly.
"In my first interview, I put the reporter to sleep. Since I speak so slowly, the reporter got tired of waiting for my answers," he said, adding with a smile, "I am still practicing talking faster."
Ko's parents disapproved of him becoming an actor, but Ko stood up to them and came to Seoul without a plan. He wanted to act so much that nothing else seemed important, he said.
Having nowhere to stay, Ko had to spend a few weeks of chilly winter nights at Seoul Station. He went to endless auditions during the day until he finally got his first opportunity. The experience was difficult, but it helped him to understand the various characters he plays, he said.
Ko showed himself as an impressive actor in the TV drama "Piano" which aired in 2001. In the drama, Ko had made many viewers cry by playing the role of a young man with heart-aching love for a stepsister.
"I always seem to land roles that make me go through a heartbreaking love," said Ko. "I wouldn't want to do that in real life, but in some ways I can sympathize with the characters."
Ko defines love as "everything that a man can do for the woman he loves," which seems similar to his latest role. The character Ji-hun lives for one reason - to make the woman he loves, In-hye (Park Jeong-a), happy.
The actor says he concentrates on acting each scene with care rather than focusing too much on the whole plot and character. "It is important to understand the whole piece too. But I have realized that viewers feel the piece is natural when the actor concentrates more on each scene. The whole understanding part can be accomplished by fully trusting the director."
Ko will also meet fans in local cinemas in October in the movie "Some," in which a policeman, played by Ko, has just 24 hours to solve a case.
In his seven years of acting, this will be his first movie. "I wanted to build myself up thoroughly before hitting movies," he said.
To focus fully on the movie, Ko stopped all other activities for almost a year, so "I am looking forward to meeting fans through television again," he says, adding, "I hope I will be able to achieve the goal of showing a stronger part of me through this drama."
(hayney@heraldm.com)
By Shin hae-in
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