Korean filmThe crime-action thriller film "V.I.P." has been released on Wednesday in South Korea that centers on a North Korean defector who is suspected of being a serial killer.
Korean actor plays the character of serial killer Gwang-il, his first evil role in his career. "V.I.P." is his first film in three years since starring in "Hot Young Bloods" in 2014.
"I've always wanted to do a macho action noir but thought it might be too early to do so because I knew what I had in me very well," the 28-year-old star told Yonhap News.
The film also stars Jang Dong-gun, Kim Myung-min and Park Hee-soon.
Lee Jong Suk got the offer to star in the film last year and he immediately loved it.
"I was driven by the idea that I might rather use what I have as a strong point," he said.
He describes his role as someone who thinks he is above everyone else.
"Gwang-il is a person who regards himself as superior to all others. He frowns for the first and last time when Chae insults him before many people, asking him if he is impotent. For him, Chae is the only person who dares to grate on his nerves," he said.
In playing the character, he watched a lot of films.
"I studied a lot to figure out how to create a different character and concluded that mine should feel like an innocent child who kills people just out of fun and does not think he is evil."
However, he is wary of that his violent image in the movie would scare his minor fans. He cited one incident when he was asked by an underage fan on SNS if it was okay to watch an R-rated film.
"I immediately sent a reply out of the thought that I must prevent her from seeing the movie. I said, 'Thank you so much for your support but please watch it when you've grown up,'" the actor said.
Lee Jong Suk said he likes to watch "the dramas and the films that I have appeared in."
"I found my acting was far smoother in recent titles but that I surely stopped growing as an actor at some moment. I found myself acting mechanically because I already knew the skills," he said.
He said he suffered when he starred in the drama "Doctor Stranger" in 2014.
"I received much acclaim for my acting at that time, but I suffered a lot because the doctor character clashed with my own personality. I'm a very shy and introverted person, but the character is a very playful and carefree type of person. I felt some sense of shame after delivering the character," he said.
Lee Jong Suk has received notice from the Korean military for him to enlist but said he requested to delay it until he finishes the promotions for "V.I.P" and an upcoming SBS drama that will air in September.
