‘Casino’ Choi Min-sik “Cha Moo-sik, who had no brakes… My life is now a brake”

“I said not to imitate Western noir. We said we would do it our way. Don’t shoot out, but when you shoot, shoot in an instant. “

Disney Plus drama released the last episode on the 22nd, completing a total of 16 episodes of seasons 1 and 2. On the 24th, we met Choi Min-sik, an actor who fully portrayed ‘Cha Moo-sik’, who is loyal and loving but sometimes cold and cruel, in a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Choi Min-sik, who appeared in a light outfit of jeans and a black sweater, continued to speak in a sonorous voice.

Choi Min-sik always appeared only on screen. which is in 1997 This was the first play for 25 years since then. A 16-episode drama will be completely different from the breath of a movie. Choi Min-sik said, “I shot 14 scenes in one day. It was an amount that could not be imagined in the film,” he said. He also caught COVID-19 right before leaving the Philippines to film. At the time of filming, the after effects of the corona were said to be severe. It is said that the effect of the corona was responsible for Cha Moo-sik’s hoarse voice in the middle.

close to Cha Moo-shik’s biography. Season 1 shows the process of becoming a casino legend in the Philippines, from childhood in an orphanage, childhood selling newspapers in front of Daejeon Station, school days punching and studying, getting caught up in student movements, and becoming is a North Korean activist. From season 2, he is caught up in a murder case. Oh Seung-hun (Son Seok-gu), a police officer sent from South Korea who wants to arrest him, is betrayed by his trusted younger siblings, Jeong-pal (Lee Dong-hwi) and Sang-gu ( Hong Gi- Jun). it’s a long story He said he was left with regret. He said, “I discussed with the director and the actors, but the narrative conflicts a lot. I thought I should have gone on a diet,” he says honestly.

In fact, it is said that there was a heated discussion at the filming site to build each character one by one. He said, “I met every day with Seok-gu Son or actor Lee Dong-hwi as if I was studying for an exam about how to connect the next scene as an assistant to the director,” and “I did the director that. open up and let me speak.” As a result, Choi Min-sik “It was a meaningful period as it was done intensively as if unraveling the spine,” he said.

Mu-sik Cha continues to ‘do’ something. It means that there are many scenes expressing Cha Moo-sik’s actions, but not many scenes depicting his emotions. The last chapter is different. He is pursued by Daniel, the godfather of the casino industry in the Philippines, whom he usually treats as ‘father’. Korean police are also after him. Tears fill Cha Moo-sik’s eyes in front of the beach. He invites his beloved Jeong-pal to the hideout and prepares a simple dinner. It withers, but also prepares red flowers. It can be said that this is the only scene that shows the sensibility of Mu-sik Cha. This scene was Choi Min-sik’s idea. They are said to have urgently asked for the art team on the spot.

“I wanted to express the forerunner of the withered flowers (there are no flowers that bloom red for 10 days). I wanted to show my emotional attachment to the people around me, with the feeling of at least grasping at straws when people are cornered.” In Season 1, there is a scene where Jeong-Pal says ‘Kwon-Moo-Seven Reds’ and Cha Mu-Sik corrects it to ‘Hwa-Musi-Il-Hong’.

Mu-shik Cha is knocked down by a single bullet. The screen doesn’t even show it for long. The vain end of a person who had overcome many hardships in his quest for wealth. For this reason, some say it will come back to life in production next season. He said, “Isn’t it right that Moo-shik Cha leaves as petals fall? He continued, “During filming, I said, ‘Let’s not imitate Western noirs. Even if we were to take action, we said we shouldn’t have a gun fight or a street fight. So, wouldn’t there be reality?” he said.

Although he filmed an online video service (OTT) drama, Choi Min-sik was still a ‘filmmaker’. There are also people who say it was better when I saw it in the cinema. Although the trend has changed to OTT, he insists on the theatre.

“There’s an OTT advantage because you can drive it. Still, I like the theatre. I stop this (OTT) and go to the bathroom and turn it off if it’s not fun, but it’s not easy to leave the theater even if it’s a waste of money. I like the smell of a theater where people gathered to watch content interact with each other. Theater culture should not disappear. It’s not a space to go into a museum.”

Actor Choi Min-sik doesn’t have an agency these days. There is no manager. I also drive myself. He also said he had a hard time because he couldn’t find a taxi to go home after the premiere the day before.

Choi Min-sik expressed that now is the time to put a brake on his life. “Cha Mu-sik had no brakes. They kill people without even knowing it, meet the wicked, and fall into the pit. Going around without a controller also wears the brakes. Since I drive long distances alone, I have a lot of time to think, and it’s nice that I don’t notice. It reminds me of frog tadpoles. I also have greed and desire to act, but I am checking if it is going well.”

For him, who has already made a family out of acting, his wish now is to ‘act romance’. He said he misses the motivational, family, and trivia stories. “I want to tell a story about the fading love of middle-aged and old people, a heartbreaking story that can relieve a sublime pain when you are modest, and that you can feel as a person. In this world of chaos, I want to tell a story like a short story, the Samjungdang library I carried in my pocket in high school.”