Jang Hyuk 장혁

[Guest Jill4675]

Jill, oh...I love the pic. Thank you for sharing it here.

wils! Yes, that is an absolutely beautiful photo...I love the pose, the styling, everything!

o-cha! Sorry you've been sick... Hope you're feeling 100 percent soon!

[Guest o-cha]

so his Chinese drama involvement isn't 100% yet? I hope he doesn't do it...I have no problem with Hyul trying to go to the Chinese market but I want a better Chinese project for him. Let's face it All About Eve was good for its time but to remake an old drama for 2010? errr......

Thanks for the get well wishes chinggus...I was literally in bed for almost 2 days straight and looking quite like that little sick smiley you had there Jill..heheheh.

I'm a bit better now...at least since yesterday I can actually sit infront of the computer..hehehe.

Anyone want to post more Hyukie pics? We need pics here @ the thread...hhehehee

Thanks for the vid link hahatk...I'm wathcing it right now.

[Guest flyingteapot]

Hi fellow fans!

First time posting here. I'm fairly new in the Jang Hyuk obsession fandom.

How long has it been since I've been hit with his awesomeness? Last week, I think, since his first scene in Chuno XD

Anyways, I've made it my mission to watch as much of his filmography as I can get my hands on and wanted to ask if any of you guys watched "Dance of the Dragon"? The trailers look promising...is it really worth watching? Not only for Mister "I make your screen combust spontaneously with my mere presence" but as a film?

Btw, my gosh, skimming trough this thread and seeing all these pics of Jang Hot kills me

[hahatk]

o-cha I'm so glad that you're feeling much better now. Drink plenty of water, orange juice (for the Vitamin C) and take multi-vitamin to boost up your immune system.

Here's the video I posted on Youtube on the Allure shooting interview

Guy of the Month from the Cosmopolitan 2010 March issue

Isn't Hyukie beautiful ?

[Guest wils]

o-cha, it's good to see you feel better. I agree with you on his chinese project. So was it a remake of the korean drama "All about Eve"? hm.... . anyway, it seems his casting is almost confirmed.

flyingteapot, welcome to the hyukie fandom. "Dance of the Dragon" is just okay to me. The cinematography is beautiful but the storyline is quite trite. However, you will see amazingly beautiful Jang Hyuk there. So it's worth watching as a fan.

hahatk, thank you for sharing the fabulous pics of our Hyukie. Jang Hyuk always marvels me with such various images. I love all!

[Guest o-cha]

thank you so much hahatk! Hyuk-ie is simply breathtaking.....

I especially loooove this pic

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_9vzTcHBMi9g/S5fzXVEz...mo-3-1000px.jpg

breathtaking~~~

[Guest Jill4675]

@ hahatk! Thanks so much for keeping us up to date with JH's latest pics and special thanks for the Allure video! Of the latest pics (all good), I really love the pic in the grey sweater the most. He just looks fabulous! ♥♥♥

[Guest o-cha]

Ahhhhh I just finished watching the Allure vid interview...gosh he is gorgeous....sighhh..............

BTW I also made a Chuno MV..very Dae Gil-centric

Dae Gil's Yearning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sYbnD6MQxo

[Guest Jennie]

I like this guy in 4 senses - He was really cute trying to ask to girl out

Also, I think Dance of the Dragon with him and Fang Wong is good too. Though they have no chemistry whatsoever

[Guest flyingteapot]

I just watched Dance of the Dragon.

Beware, review ahead.

It was neither really bad nor really good. It lacked focus in the story telling and all the pretty images were not enough to satisfy me.

Aah, they could have done so much more...the relationships between the characters could have been more fleshed out, there was no real dynamic between all of them so I was not really pulled into the story. The best part was Tae Kwon's childhood and upbringing, at least there was enough told to get his character.

All in all, gorgeous cinematography and music (except for the Enrique Iglesias slip in the final scene, what the heck?), the actors did their best in spite of not having much to work with and the slow, steady pace fit well with the gorgeously shot images. Jang Hyuk's performance was subtle and solid, he communicates a lot through his eyes and body language, a less talented actor would have send me for the stop button. And heh, his english wasn't bad.

So, on to Robbers and Thank You. I'm dying for Chuno but I have to be patient. XD

Good lord, the allure images *drool* XD

[Guest robotmatsuri]

OMG. Thank you so much hahatk for sharing so many delicious photos! *_______*

[Guest imogene_af]

needs to be moar nekkid.

Thanks for sharing the pictures here!

Dae Gil... Iloveyou. I've never been this in love with a fictional character. All because Jang Hyuk is just dripping with AMAZINGSAUCE all over.

[qwenli]

hohomania - I like the pix you posted.

hahatk - thanks for the photos. He simply look awesome. Usually I dun like man with goatee, but JH just carry it so well.

Imogene - Yes, am so smitten with DG. Very few actors can do both action and emotional scenes well, but JH is just so talented.

Am taking my time to watch Robbers now, he is supposed to be such a jerk inside. But still so cute! When he hug LDH, my heart pounded too!

[Guest Jill4675]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sYbnD6MQxo

o-cha! Loved it! Felt like crying again at those touching scenes!!!

I need to watch ALL the episodes AGAIN starting from the beginning. Two or three times isn't enough!!!

[Guest o-cha]

For those watching Robbers...do enjoy the awesomeness that is Oh Joon and Dal Rae....the reason why I was giddy beyong belief when LDH finally confirmed her Chuno involvement was because of Robbers.

For those who have yet to watch Thank You and Robbers. I would recommend watching Thank You first before Robbers. Thank You was the drama that made me fall for Hyuk. This is the drama where he showed everyone that he came back from MS as a much better actor and a much hotter man.

[Guest Jill4675]

For those watching Robbers...do enjoy the awesomeness that is Oh Joon and Dal Rae....the reason why I was giddy beyong belief when LDH finally confirmed her Chuno involvement was because of Robbers.

For those who have yet to watch Thank You and Robbers. I would recommend watching Thank You first before Robbers. Thank You was the drama that made me fall for Hyuk. This is the drama where he showed everyone that he came back from MS as a much better actor and a much hotter man.

Let me second what o-cha said. That is absolutely the case, and I think watching Thank You first is totally the way to go! You will see him get better and better.

And, yes, there were a good many of us who were over the moon with the news of LDH's casting!

[Guest flyingteapot]

After getting my hands on Robbers and Thank You and checking the quality on both, I immediately got pulled into Thank You...hmm...

I'm on my second allnighter, 6 episodes to go. Like I said, this guy is killing me...in a good way XD

[Guest puppyiz]

Anyone has any idea what's the news with this headline ??

KimSeungWo' s ' WIN WIN ' promised to take care of the project - Jang Hyuk

김승우의 '승승장구' 약속 지키기 프로젝트-장혁 편

source : NATE

+++

I just realised this hasnt been posted

[iNTERVIEW] Actor Jang Hyuk - Part 1

News Link : Part 1 [ 2010.03.11]

Jang Hyuk says "The Slave Hunters" is a story about Lee Dae-gil growing up

"I would have something to say if it was about martial arts..." said Jang Hyuk before the interview, as if he were an action star who was in love with martial arts. But by the time the interview ended, I found out that to Jang Hyuk, talking about martial arts meant that he would talk about everything -- his acting and his life. Like a martial arts master finds enlightenment through martial arts, Jang Hyuk was devoting himself to his life through acting. He understands his character by melting martial arts into the acting, and reflects upon his life by analyzing the character. For Jang Hyuk to play Dae-gil in the KBS TV series "The Slave Hunters", it means the same as that he will pour out all of his life. See what and how much enlightenment he has gained from portraying Dae-gil.

10: How did you feel when you first got the script for "The Slave Hunters"?

Jang Hyuk (Jang): I think the boundary between genres is becoming more vague. If you look at a film like "District 9", there are elements of science fiction, action, melodrama and political satire in a single movie. I think that visuals, structure and perspective are more important than genre nowadays. And I thought the same with "Hunters." In typical television dramas, the main characters lead the show while the supporting actors are in the background. But in "Hunters", it seemed that each character had a story of his own, like in the [u.S. TV series] "Band of Brothers". And the show would be telling Dae-gil's story in one setting but another story would be developing in another setting with the perspective on it changing depending on the character who was telling it. The plot develops on similar stories, just from different perspectives, so I thought it was a drama where everyone is a main character as well as a supporting character.

10: That's why it seems "Hunters" is about what goes on in their world, rather than telling a story about a single character.

Jang: That's why I personally hope there will be a documentary-style show attached to the end of "Hunters" to objectify that world. The show started off subjectively by telling the story from a certain character's perspective but it would end objectively by showing the world as it really is. I personally like the film "Hwang San Bul" where the merchants and kings spoke different dialects depending on where they lived. The film showed something that existing traditional stories hadn't shown before by simply changing the perspectives. I think "Hunters" is like that too.

Korean actor Jang Hyuk [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

10: Then what kind of a world do you think "Hunters" is depicting?

Jang: The most important element is the people. I think "Hunters" begins its story by telling how people became influenced by their history and how that history has continued on into the present. In the case of Dae-gil, he could not marry the woman he loved because of the status system, which is also what ruined his family. So after he becomes a slave hunter, he hangs around with the commoners and lowly people like Choi Jang-goon and Wang-son although he was born an aristocrat. So there is no such thing as a good or bad character in "Hunters" because they are all people who have no choice but to follow their circumstances.

10: Do you see Dae-gil as someone who became who he was because of the historical circumstance he was in?

Jang: My favorite fictional character is Choi Dae-chi from [1991 MBC epic drama] "Eyes of Dawn" and his life completely changed due to the historical circumstance he was in. If Japan had not annexed Korea, if he had not been drafted to the military, if he had not met Yoon Yeo-ok who was one of the Japanese army's comfort women, he would not have turned into a North Korean partisan. This man has no ideology but he had to belong to some organization while he was alive and happened to gain a following. It is the same with Dae-gil. Tae-ha is fighting for a political cause. And slaves unite and learn the ideology of 'the world of slaves' in order to survive. But slave hunters have no ideology. They live their lives by the day by catching a slave and Dae-gil will keep searching for Eon-nyeon. And he has become an animal-like slave hunter in order to survive and the best one too. He could have gotten stabbed to death in a village somewhere if he hadn't found Eon-nyeon.

10: But Dae-gil is too complex a character to just say that he lives according to the flow of the times. In "Hunters", you could describe Tae-ha as a straight arrow and Wang-son as frivolous, but you can't define Dae-gil with just a couple of words. He is the lowliest of the low yet innocent when it comes to love, and he is imprudent yet also serious.

Jang: Dae-gil was born an aristocrat but lives amongst the commoners so that is why he is a character likely to develop an ideology regarding equality. I play Dae-gil based on this feeling. And Dae-gil has tried his utmost to survive after becoming a commoner. Even the son of the deceased eats food when he gets hungry, so you can only imagine how hard of a time Dae-gil would have. On most days, he would have been making a living while on some days, he could have laughed and talked about the old days. That's why I think Dae-gil's unique characteristics are expressed through my experiences from everyday life and my mentality.

10: And what are those characteristics, do you think?

Jang: For example, the character Chun Ji-ho is really cruel. He is able to call his subordinates in a composed voice right after killing someone. Dae-gil may be better at killing people but he is not someone with that kind of character. He is a slave hunter who captures slaves, but sometimes also helps slaves. And it's not because he is nice but because on some days, he is in a good mood and is reminded of the old days. If he wasn't feeling well on that day he might not have saved them. There is also a noble side left to him so he is clinging onto the last piece of wild animalistic nature he has. I don't have a fixed concept for my character -- I just try to go with the feelings he would feel within his circumstances in his kind of life.

Korean actor Jang Hyuk [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

10: Your character's way of speech seems to change depending on his circumstance. You speak with a certain rhythm when you're with other slave hunters.

Jang: That is something I attempted at from permission of the director and the writer. Because I think it's the right thing to do if I could bring my character to life. When Dae-gil was a nobleman, he used to speak indirectly. When his father asked him if there was a girl he liked, he would say "No. There is no such woman" but quietly hoped that his father would notice. On the other hand, [the slave hunter] Dae-gil uses a direct form of speech because that is the only way he can survive. And there are many instances where he will get into an argument while going through all kinds of things. So if I cut in when somebody is saying something important, I can control the other person because he can't talk anymore. I need to ride a certain rhythm in order to do that. But what I care more about than my acting or speech is the eyes. Dae-gil's eyes are always unfocused. He looks at things with a different perspective unless it is something important. He lives hiding his emotions and restraining himself like that.

10: I think that is why Dae-gil looks sad. He seems like someone who has given up on dreams and hopes, and volunteers to live life in a numb state.

Jang: In that respect, my experience of appearing in the film "Maybe" helped a lot in understanding Dae-gil. In that film, my character has a rare disease so there was nothing strange about him dying the next day and thus he seemed unpredictable to other people. Other would think it is a misfortune but he has always lived that way, so for him, yesterday is today and tomorrow is today as well. You cannot put any obligations on the world and you can't really put one on Dae-gil either. He goes out to find Eon-nyeon today and will go out tomorrow too. I think that is the purity of Lee Dae-gil. Not that he is a good or bad person, he is just pure.

10: In that sense, Dae-gil has a strange child-like side to himself. When it comes to his work, he makes clear judgments about the situation even when he gets shot by a gun. But in other respects, Choi Jan-goon is much more like an adult.

Jang: That is right. Dae-gil is the leader in terms of work, but Choi Jang-goon is the mental leader. And it is only when Dae-gil has such personality that Choi Jang-goon and Wang-son can each have his own spectrum. It is important to have a feeling of all the different characters mingling with one another. And the saddest part about playing Dae-gil was the scene in the first episode where he sees the drawing of Eon-nyeon by artist Kang. He is drawing a profile sketch of her and it has to be exactly the same as how she looked ten years ago. She has to be a kid, looking exactly the same as Dae-gil last saw her. And even though he doesn't know what do to when he catches the girl, he still loves looking at the drawings. So he carries the picture around and gets another one drawn when it gets old. There is a part of Dae-gil that is consumed with the memories of when he used to a nobleman.

10: Then can Dae-gil go on to the next phase after he catches Eon-nyeon? It seems like Dae-gil's life has stopped at the point when he parted with Eon-nyeon.

Jang: That is a little different. In my perspective, I think "Hunters" is a drama about Lee Dae-gil growing up. People keep growing even when they become adults, but in Dae-gil's case, I see it as a growth in the way he communicates. Dae-gil is still immature and cannot communicate well with others, but I think he is changing, little by little, by interacting with Tae-ha and many other people. The way he changes isn't like he is simply desolate, sad or sick but all the emotions get built up. So I think Dae-gil is gradually changing, little by little.

10: In order to dig deep into the inner aspects of your character like that, it must be essential to analyze the times that he is living in. How did you prepare for that?

Jang: I read the information with the basic stuff. Like when I did the [sBS historical drama] "Great Ambition", I had studied about the currency and old merchants during that time in order to play a merchant. You have known about such things if you want to improvise. The historical period in "Hunters" is when the Ming Dynasty changes to the Qing Dynasty, and so no wonder it is confusing. From the noblemen's perspective, they had to have people like the slave hunters because slave, who were like their real estate property, kept running away. The slave hunters were sort of like hired soldiers or detectives during that time. They chase after the footsteps and fight when it is necessary.

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@10asia.co.kr

Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr, Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[Guest puppyiz]

[iNTERVIEW] Actor Jang Hyuk - Part 2

News Link : Part 2 2010.03.11

10: For Dae-gil's martial arts skills, did you keep in mind the historical aspect and the environment Dae-gil is in? His style of fighting is apparently different from that of Tae-ha's. How did you approach that?

Jang: The action sequences are handled by the martial arts specialists but I wanted to do something more. An actor has to know how he wants things done so I thought it was right that I do both the action stunts and act at the same time. That's why I asked the director if I could design the martial arts sequences by direction of the martial arts director. In "Hunters," martial arts is also part of one's acting needed in showing that person's character. Tae-ha and Chul-oong practice traditional martial arts and follow the fixed structure and system used in the palace. A slave hunter like me learned martial arts to survive in the common streets so of course my style of martial arts will be different to theirs. It has to be different from the style Choi Jang-goon and Wang-son use.

10: That's what I had been curious about. Dae-gil was born into an aristocrat family so he wouldn't have been taught martial arts properly. Dae-gil's martial arts moves are compact and swift which is remarkable just like the training you are receiving right now for jeet kune do.

Jang: It's sort of like this. There is a difference between the martial arts practiced in battlefield and on the streets. At the time, the people on the streets would carry around swords and hunting slaves basically means their own lives are at risk everyday. So when you're in a life and death situation every single day, it's impossible for your fighting to take on a certain style. Whether it be with a long sword, a dagger or a stone, you have to survive. That is why Chun Ji-ho knocks people down with stones and why Dae-gil too knows how to use all kinds of weapons. One can't know what situation they'll end up having to face. Even for those born into aristocracy, they should break away from the stereotypes and become brutal in order to survive. That's why there is sort of a demon-like feeling to him also. And in holding a sword. There will be times where an actor has to feel comfortable carrying around a sword, or holding the sword backwards and recite their lines at the same time. That's how comfortable I have to seem with the sword -- as if I have been using them for my whole life. That's why it's similar to the jeet kune do I'm learning. It's fundamentally about survival and so it rejects conventionality.

10: How did you learn to do the action sequences with a sword?

Jang: I learned martial arts long time ago. And the weapons used in jeet kune do are not considered weapons but means that when one holds a sword in jeet kune do, it means your arm has become longer. To be more precise, I'm not practicing jeet kune do in "Hunters" right now, it's wing chun (a form of Chinese boxing). Wing chun is a form of martial arts that Bruce Lee learned. It was founded by Uhm Young-chun before the time period of "Hunters" so it wasn't a problem to incorporate that format.

10: But it is hard to put emphasis on the reality in the drama. You have to keep in mind what the audience is watching so how were you able to balance that out?

Jang: If you were in an actual fight, you'd have to be done in one go or just not fight at all. But since this is a drama, you have the design the action sequences so that it can leave an impression visually. And that's where wing chun and defense comes in handy. The training doll that Dae-gil used to practice his martial arts was used during the Qing Dynasty and I kept in mind the fact that there was exchange between the Qing and Chosun Dynasty so I just assumed that Dae-gil modeled it after that. I thought it was important that I show how Dae-gil practiced his martial arts for ten years. When designing the action sequences, the technical part is important on the outside. But no matter how grand it looks when it's shot, you also have to do a good job in delivering your emotions. I have to accept what sort of emotions come from which part of his past when he's doing martial arts.

10: I think that's why "Hunters" director Kwak Jung-hwan refers to you as being "full of emotion during action scenes."

Jang: It can be compared to a boxing match. The boxer forms a pattern during the 24 rounds in where to put more energy and where to hold back. It's not about working on an action sequence but figuring out the flow of how it is supposed to be played out. And the director too will adjust the process of his directing depending on his overall idea for the show.

10: Dae-gil's character seems to be an accumulation of all the experiences that you had in your life. You learned jeet kune do and watched numerous DVDs to analyze the characters.

Jang: There are people who ask me whether there was some sort of turning point before taking on “Hunters.” And I think they were probably referring to my serving in the military, getting married or having a child which were big changes in my life but they're one of those things in life that just happen. I myself didn't undergo a sudden change -- it was a natural process which came about as I gradually accumulated on my experience. At the age of 35, I am starring in "Hunters" which is a drama where I can give it all I have.

10: Your answer confirms you are someone who is likely to collect DVDs. (laughs) I remember seeing your showcase of DVDs -- it looked like you know the satisfaction that comes from someone who knows how to collect things.

Jang: There is saying that you can tell what a person is like by seeing their room. I think about how I could fill up the empty spaces in my room. Whether it be a DVD, book or figurine, they all become my toy that I see and feel. That's why it's important to find an interest that you can manage.

10: Is that why you watch movies on a regular basis? I heard that after you watch a movie, you fall asleep 10 minutes into the next film.

Jang: Because I'll become curious to find out what happened in that movie the next day and watch it again. Some days I watch three to four movies a day and when I'm shooting a drama, I take my DVDs on set. I'll also listen to the commentary for films I really enjoyed and I bring my exercise equipment and books on set too.

10: How does your everyday life influence your acting? From your roles in "The Earth of Wang Reung" to "Thank You" to "Slave Hunters," I think you're someone who focuses more on how to express the inner depth to your character inner depth rather than wonder how different a role you'd get to play.

Jang: If I practiced three days worth of jeet kune do and rested the next day it doesn't count as two days. It means I just rested. And it gets easier after several years. That's how I feel when I do dramas. I think later on, I would like to try designing characters. If I get assigned to create a character you would craft it into three-dimensions. I have great interest in things like that.

10: It seems that your acting and life experiences have accumulated and led you to you playing the role of Dae-gil. And it also seems like he will be leaving a mark on your acting career. How do you feel about that?

Jang: If you ask me why I act, I would have to say it is because I like portraying characters and giving life to them. I don't think there is a limit to the characters I play. I think I take the character's personality and develop on it to show how he grows. I'm sure I have been influenced by the various roles I've played and the people I've met. And I think that's what makes up my acting. That's why I still think I am accumulating on my experience.

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@10asia.co.kr

Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr

Editor : Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr; Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[Guest flyingteapot]

Great in depth interview. Thanks for sharing!