Song Joong-ki: 'I Want Become Actor Like Leonardo DiCaprio'

Actor Song Joong-ki, who will play his first role as a protagonist in the movie "Penny Pinchers", gave an interview at a cafe in Samcheongdong on November 3. Asked about his favorite actor, he answered, "I admire the actor Leonardo DiCaprio and want to become an actor like him. He has excellent acting ability and many charms of his own. And he has successfully transformed into a characteristic actor from his previous image of a 'pretty boy'". His answer sounds very natural when considering his own characteristics. It will be his first appearance as a protagonist, but his recognition among audiences is already very high. He has appeared on various programs such as entertainment programs, dramas, and movies, and his appearance looked splendid even though he was not the main character of those programs. It might be because of his beautiful appearance, but his appearance was not his only virtue. He mentioned that he was a very competitive person, and it seemed to be true when looking at his concentration while appearing on any works on TV or on the movie screen.

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Song Joong-ki became a star with his appearance in the KBS drama "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" last year by playing a supporting character named Koo Yong Ha, and he recently left an impressive image in the SBS drama "Deep-rooted Tree" by playing Lee Do. In "Penny Pinchers", he enthusiastically presents what he has as an actor by playing the protagonist. His wish to become like DiCaprio does not sound unrealistic at all.

Song Joong-ki said, "I am proud of myself because I can play a protagonist already. I have tried my best up to now, but it was totally thanks to my good luck". He has many talents and he has been a subject of jealousy among many men, but he personally picked his ability of understanding reality and strong competitive spirit as his strong advantage. He realizes his current situation very well and gives up what he cannot do, and once he begins, he never gives up and tries his best. He used to be a short track speed skater until he was in the third grade in the middle school and he used to dream about becoming a member of the national team. But he realized that he did not have enough talent for that and he gave up.

After he quit skating, he began to study and he received an excellent score at school thanks to his competitive spirit again. He said, "I was wandering after I stopped skating. I was greatly disappointed, and I chose to study instead at that time. I studied not to fall behind, but it was not because I liked to study. After I entered university (Sungkyunkwas University), my goal had changed again, and I usually focused on hanging out with my friends. I had great fun at that time". He was a member of the university's broadcasting club, and he worked as an anchorman there. He decided to become an actor when he was a sophomore. He explained, "I had a vague dream of becoming an actor from childhood, but I did not have the conviction. I worried that I might want to become an actor only because of a fantasy about being an actor, and my parents also thought that I did not need to study drama and cinema at the university when I had to choose my major. But I suddenly realized that I had to become an actor with a strong conviction at that moment, so I enrolled in an academy that teaches acting and began to appear in a drama as a supporting actor".

The most outstanding drama among his acting experiences was "Sungkyunkwan Scandal". He used to have many young fans before, but he could have older female fans in Korea and Japan after that role. He said, "Koo Yong Ha was not the main actor, and I knew that his appearance would not make up a huge part of the drama, but I really wanted to play the character because I liked the feelings that Koo Yong Ha could deliver. Koo Yong Ha was a pretty boy with feminine taste, but he also looked like a macho man. He also looked very sexy. I thought that many mature female fans could discover his charms (laugh)".

His next drama after one-year break was a historical drama again. He appeared in only four episodes of "Deep-rooted Tree" by playing the young Se Jong. He said, "I had discussed playing a protagonist in another drama at that time, but I chose to appear in 'Deep-rooted Tree'. People around me asked why I chose this supporting role who would only appear in four episodes instead of playing a protagonist. But I could be totally immersed in the drama when I first read the script. So I had given up the other opportunity. I worried how I could present this serious and difficult acting while playing the character, but I basically thought that my appearance in only those four episodes was more valuable than appearing in a total of twenty episodes as a protagonist". After he finished his appearance in the first four episodes of the drama, he recently filmed one more scene with the actor Han Seok Kyu. Song said, "I had felt sorry that I could not act together with the great actor Han Seok Kyu when I filmed my parts in the first four episodes, so I was greatly happy when I heard the news that I had to film one more scene with Han Suk-kyu. I really anticipated appearing with him more than any other time when I appeared with any other beautiful actresses. When he praised my acting, saying, 'You have done very well up to now', I was almost crying with gratitude".

Song Joong-ki plays an idle young man in "Penny Pinchers", which is completely opposite to his previous images. He said, "I play a young man who does not have a job in the movie, but our movie was not focused on dealing with social problems. It is only a romantic comedy movie. My counterpart named Hong Sil in the movie is a very sad character, so I thought that I had to present a pleasant appearance. I tried to present the character's sadness with a pleasant and light atmosphere". Asked whether he worried about breaking his previous images, he answered, "I gave up everything about my hairstyle and clothes in the movie because the character does not appeal with his appearance. It was a kind of new challenge to me. I did not want to break my previous images, but I was not afraid of challenging myself. I was also excited to present my different and various appearances".

Song Joong-ki made a last comment about his future goal of acting, saying, "I am still young. My age, which is twenty-seven years old, is not a young age, but I think that I am still young as an actor. I want to appear in action and noir works, but it is not a good time to do that now. Now I want to focus more on studying and trying different things to find out what is right for me and what is not right for me now".