First loves are difficult to be fulfilled. You get excited just by seeing that person, you don’t know how to act, and even though you end up sighing because of this emotion, the fever of the passing infatuation remains. In tvN’s [Reply 1997], it was Junhee (Hoya) who showed the expression of a first love the best. He quietly stared at his secret crush Yoonjae (Seo In Gook), who had his head on his desk, and his faint expression when his confession got mistaken as a joke showed everyone what it is like to like someone.
Two years after his debut, Hoya, who is in charge of dancing and rapping in INFINITE, perfectly played the role of Junhee with his delicate eyes and passionate way of speaking. “At first, since I’ve never taken acting classes, I thought I had to make the script mine completely. Reading the scenes in which I didn’t appear helped me a lot because I could understand the flow [of the drama]. I would also think of what Junhee’s expressions and reactions would be like everytime Yoonjae spoke in advance. I don’t know if I did it right though. (Laughs)” When asked about the reason why he was able to totally erase his real self while it was the first time he acted, he replied by saying “I was lucky”. His enthusiasm to put 100% of his energy in an unfamiliar area was a reliable weapon.
Of course, the energy he used to become Junhee is coming back to him intactly. “We took part in two events recently, and when my part [in the song] came, the audience’s cheers were a bit different compared to those in the past. (Laughs) I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but Junhee comes off as quite a pitiful person so I feel like people were cheering me on as if they were trying to comfort me.”
This young man who only lived on stage got to discover another talent of his thanks to acting, and it made him able to show more of himself. That’s why right now, more than the fact he got to try out acting, finding another way to live more happily is the important thing for Hoya. “Since it was so fun to film with others, it felt like I forgot about all the hardships. I usually need to get ready in the early morning for music shows. And when I am done with the music shows, even though I am really tired, I would rather film for the drama continuously. As time went by, filming became more and more exciting”.
While cheerily talking about times that were both physically and mentally difficult, his eyes displayed both the vigor and innocence of a 22-year-old young man. We can only be curious to see what movies shook the heart and body of this young man. These movies are probably pieces that nourrished him.
Hoya’s first recommendation : 8Mile
Hoya: This is the autobiographical movie of the hip hop musician who visited and held a concert in Korea not too long ago, Eminem. The place he actually lived in, Detroit in the USA, is a poor area but it was portrayed quite authentically. Seeing the main character, Jimmy (Eminem) dreaming of of getting away from his melancholic reality and using hip hop as an escape really touched my heart. Especially the rap battle against Papa Doc(T/N : Papa Doc is one of the characters of the movie) is something I will never be able to forget. I also really liked the theme song Eminem made, ‘LOSE YOURSELF’
Explanation of the movie : This is the story of a man who used rap as a haven of peace to get away from his misfortunate life. Even though it is obviously based on Eminem’s real story, [8 Mile] doesn’t end easily with the lead character, Jimmy, as a big star. The only strange lingering imagery left is the back of Jimmy, returning to work overtime, even after winning his rap battles. After the domestic premiere of the movie, the line “Like when you gotta stop living up here and start living down here?” became an in-word after it ended on everyone’s lips, the movie won a prize at the 75th British Academy Film Award.
[8 Mile] | 2003 | Curtis Hanson
Hoya’s second recommendation : You Got Served
Hoya: People who like movies like [Step Up] or [Honey] will certainly like this one too. It’s a hip hop dance movie, but the looks of the professional dancers when they started the battles really left a vivid impression on me. The story might be a bit poor, but since they all danced very well, I couldn’t take my eyes off of this movie. Watching scenes that had the dancers’ sweat and cheers felt like I was watching a musical. Since I am also a dancer, my body kept moving as well.
Explanation of the movie Movies about dance are always bound to be fascinating. This might be explained by the fact moving freely along to the rhythm and beat of a song is something quite hard for most people. In this movie, David (Omarion Grandberry) and Elgin (Marques Houston), by taking part into a street hip hop contest in order to obtain their own studio, will test both their skills and friendship. Even though the reviews concerning the dance scenes or the story weren’t overwhelming, seeing the characters run towards the dreams to become dancers can only make this movie fascinating.
[You Got Served] | 2004 | Chris Stokes
Hoya’s third recommendation : Secret / A Secret That Cannot Be Told
Hoya: I wonder if there is a movie that expresses the sorrow of love as much as this one. The two main characters’ love that went over time and space was really memorable. Even though it was a bit corny, the scene where Xianglun (Jay Chou) plays the piano with one hand and tells Xiaoyu (Gui Lun-Mei) “I have to hold your hand with the other one” left a really big impression on me. The fact that Jay Chou, who both acted and directed this movie, was 29 years old at that time, but still unexpectedly managed to do well also surprised me.
Explanation of the movie : After entering an arts school, Xianglun, who is endowed with piano skills, meets a lovely girl, Xiaoyu, and they both become closer through the piano. However, as their relationship keep on growing, Xiaoyu disappears after seeing she has a “secret that cannot be told”. This was Jay Chou’s debut as a director, and he took care of both the scenario and the direction of the movie.
[Secret / A Secret That Cannot Be Told] | 2008 | Jay Chou
Hoya’s fourth recommendation: The Notebook
Hoya: This is a melodrama that is particularly nice to watch when the weather starts to get colder, just like now. Does the love that keeps you alive really exist? Looking at the connection between these two people, who gave up on love because of an incident in the past, make them reunite really touched me. Just watching the scenes where Ryan Gosling, who plays the role of Noah, and Rachel McAdams, who plays the role of Allison, are together already felt amazing.
Explanation of the movie : Stories about lovers falling in love at first sight, breaking up because of their status difference, and then falling back in love after a long time are too evident. However, following the rules of melo movies, this piece is the perfect match to move you during an autumn day. Noah, even though the woman he loves can’t remember him, still remains by her side until the endm and this is one of the reasons why this movie remains engraved in the minds of many.
[The Notebook] | 2004 | Nick Cassavetes
Hoya’s fifth recommendation: Jumanji
Hoya: This really is a movie stuck in my memory. It’s a movie I’ve watched when I was young, but the shock I got from the scene where the animals jump out of the game is still vivid in my mind. (Laughs) When the elephant stepped on a vehicle, and a motorcycle appeared, I thought it was the police who came to give some help but it was actually a monkey and I found this moment especially funny. Since it’s a movie from 1996, Robin Williams was quite young, and Kirsten Dunst was really cute when she was a child.
Explanation of the movie : “What if your board game became real?”, [Jumanji] has been taken to the screens through this impertinent thought. As soon as Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce) threw the dice over the game board they found, a hoard of animals rushed out of the game and started creating a mess. They also joined force with Allen (Robin Williams), who has been stuck in the game for 26 years, in order to finish the game, but their situation slowly goes out of control. After watching the movie, you are so into it you may suddenly hear strange sound of drums.
[Jumanji] | 1996 | Joe Johnston
Hoya who doesn’t forget about his duties
If the condition to be a good actor was to make viewers look forward to another role, then Hoya certainly took a step closer to being a good actor. This is because he made [Reply 1997] viewers want to see him in front of the camera play another role than Junhee as soon as possible. Hoya is currently drawing his future as an actor in his mind. “I think it’s more interesting to play a role that is totally different from my real personality. Since it is something I can’t usually do. So if I get another opportunity to act, I want to do things I am unable to do in real life because I am an idol. Something like a movie that would include action, swear words and be a bit rated.”
While he has a lot of dreams, not forgetting about his duties is another virtue of this young man. “I think getting to play another role would help me improve in acting, but my original occupation is INFINITE. I feel like I have to focus more on being a singer for a while and work hard. INFINITE is the most important.” The ability he has to use his energy according to circumstances isn’t given to anyone. The reason why he always looks so amazing whether he is on stage or in a drama is now evident. Furthermore, you can predict that in the future, Hoya’s name will be known in a large number of places.
trans. cr; saphira @ infinite updates | source cr; naver ; take out with full credits
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