Jang Hyuk 장혁

[Biology Lesson]

Again, with the imitations... and to his face... sigh...

 

 

@YouwinJH JH lives in Korea, and in Korea all celebrities have to contend with and do the silly variety and interview shows. It's what they do. JH used to be low profile, as in the past JH didn't do those shows since he was uncomfortable with them, but I think in the last few years he realized that it's just part of the business. So he goes along with the silliness of the shows and goes along with the MCs nonsense. It's what you do in those shows. Including pretending to not being annoyed by people imitating him... 🧐. You mentioned Jisung being low profile, but JH is building a business right now, so he can't afford being low profile! He has so much more at stake here. So he needs to play the game of the Korean show business .

 

The situation in Hollywood and Bollywood is different. In the last few years I've been a fan of Shahid Kapoor, a Bollywood actor, and most of what Shahid does is serious interviews about his craft and process, something that JH rarely gets to do. Some interviews are not that serious, but are still straight up interviews. and the best thing about them? Almost all of them are in English! Shahid will also sometimes do a comedic show or a bit, but that is almost always scripted. In the cases in which he attends a variety show, it's not expected of him to always be funny, so he will be a awkward in them, and that's it. I wish this was the situation in Korea, and we would have gotten more serious interviews from JH. But I think in studying English, JH is now openning himself up to being able to move beyond this.

 

Also, we might be jaded to JH's antics in these shows, but not everyone are-

 

[dramafan33]

@Biology Lesson Wait! So that was an imitation of JH? I had no idea lol. At least he is not yelling 

 

 Now that I heard it again, it does sound a bit like him. JH is like the Christopher Walken of Korea. Everyone seems to have an “impression” of him. 

[Biology Lesson]

4 minutes ago, dramafan33 said:

@Biology Lesson Wait! So that was an imitation of JH? I had no idea lol. At least he is not yelling 

I guess  At least that's what the tweet poster said... He is doing JH's head shake thing he does when expressing internal conflict...   Do we know why JH attended this show? Was he promoting something?

[YouwinJH]

@Biology Lesson thanks for your insights. I also like Shahid Kapoor though not keeping tabs on him recently. But he does come across as serious about his craft and thoughtful. I just saw a clip on Priyanka and Kareena's segment of Koffee with Karan, basically saying that Kareena was a completely different person while dating Shahid...anyway I digress

 

You're right that perhaps it comes with the territory in Korea that you have to do silly stuff as an actor. However, I'm not sure many big named and commercially successful actors engage in it - like Choi Mansik, Kang Ho Song, Ha Jung-Woo etc. I just don't want him to have the reputation for being the silly stunt guy. And I would prefer more of his energy directed at picking and crafting the right stories etc. Let his work speak for itself

 

As for brand building, the best examples I could think of are Aamir Khan and Tom Cruise. To some extent SRK but he's got a romantic image so getting silly is sort of expected. With Tom and Aamir - again I don't follow them to closely - but I don't think they're the media friendly types but their brands are still powerful and current. People pay attention when they make stuff. That's the kind of playbook I want JH to emulate. That's the kind of brand I want for JH

 

And you could be right that speaking English will open more opportunities for him to get talking about his craft. He's really insightful if he's asked the right questions otherwise what we get on variety are the phoning in types of answers that are quite repetitive to me

 

Again with the imitations - I have no love for them because they're always mocking and rude. Like I said, these shows make him caricaturesque and I'm afraid that's the image that's going to stick in people's minds

[dramafan33]

@YouwinJH Dont know about the Bollywood actors  but even Tom Cruise, who is like Hollywood royalty and very careful about his image does not take himself too seriously at all. I watch a lot of late night TV mostly from US and  occasionally something like the Graham Norton show and Ive seen Tom Cruise be very silly and fun. Also, lots of imitations and impressions happen on those shows and they are supposed to be fun.  

[Biology Lesson]

Hmm... Also lets not forget Cruise jumping on the sofa episode... 

 

You need to remember that both Cruise and Aamir Khan were huge stars, with many commercial successes behind them in the cinema. That is not the case with JH. What he has is the respect he gets as an actor, as many agree he's one of the best actors in Korea, and his action prowess. 

 

@YouwinJH Don't know most of the names you mentioned, but JH is his own man. He strikes his own path the way he sees fit. Also, being surrounded by friends who are active in the variety field probably also has much to do with him doing more of these shows. 

[YouwinJH]

@dramafan33 I've seen the Graham Norton show a few times, not a favourite of mine, but it's usually a balance of OTT and more chilled stars sharing the same space. And I could be wrong but TC only does these shows when's he's promoting a film. And probably because I'm not invested in TC, I don't care. At the end of the day, there is a strong brand behind him and he delivers successful films

 

JH's action brand is still fledgling. Admittedly his English skills are just developing so he doesn't have a lot of room to manoeuvre. To @Biology Lesson's point he has to work with what he has. I get it.  And I've been the one who has said in the past that he needs to build a fanbase in Korea to be able to launch a successful international career. Maybe this is what he's doing. I guess only time will tell whether his strategy has paid off

 

We've had this conversation before and we've all in one way or another been frustrated with Korean audiences in general. In my head, JH has to deliver a commercial hit at the BO or a ratings success. I don't think doing variety shows is what will get him there. Matter of fact I think it will do more harm than good - should he be pandering to a fickle audience who are largely indifferent or should he be making other connections / extending his networks? Don't get me wrong. I'm sure he's doing both

Only time will tell. I also think we're looking at this from different angles. Is there a strategy behind what he's doing such as opening himself up to a new audience? Probably. I don't have an issue with JH being silly - I question whether being silly is the best way to open himself to his audience. I also think Korean entertainment can be mean-spirited so I'm also questioning the motive of the people who invite him on these shows only to get him to act silly or make people do impressions of him. The risk then is that this becomes his brand despite his intentions - and he's said he doesn't like the impressions

 

@Biology Lesson I give the sofa incident the benefit of the doubt because it was a one-off never to be repeated event and they've memed the hell out of it already. But it's a good example of never counting your chickens before they hatch. It would be my advice to JH as well. Be cautious and strategic - no need to show all your cards at once
 

Yes JH is his own man yet he has a gameplan. I'm trying to understand his end goal. He can't be doing all he's doing for nothing. If that's the case, I'd be surprised but good for him for putting himself out there. At the end of the day, those people you don't know are successful with Korean audiences. Frankly I don't care what they do or why they're loved. I also know that my taste will always be different to what Korean audiences like. Again it boils down to, what does JH want? Does he want to win them over? Will it work?

 

My wants are simple. All I care about are good projects. He's winning in book if he does interesting and well-written and directed pieces - and for me that's all he needs to focus on. I don't care for big named directors either but probably Korean audiences do care. Obviously my position will be different from you guys because you've liked his recent stuff, I haven't. Hence, I'm more cynical

 

Anyways I need to stop over thinking and go to bed. It's really not that big of a deal 

[azureblue7]

5 hours ago, Biology Lesson said:

Again, with the imitations... and to his face...

I didn't know that was an imitation of him...hahaha! Goes to show how bad it is

Hyuk posted a selfie of him during the filming of Radio Star today.

 

Hope he's promoting something on the show too..

Still waiting for his interview in English..

[YouwinJH]

Started Queen of Tears this weekend and was googling today only to find out Kim Hee-won is one of the directors. Mentioning it here because of the JH connection - I wonder if they'll ever work together again.

 

The drama itself had laugh out moments in the first two episodes and I actually like that it doesn’t take itself too seriously even though the subject matter is a little grim. I also like the fact that the gender roles have been swapped.

 

My biggest concern however is that it doesn't have enough content to sustain it for 16 episodes and it might be another pointless show like King the Land. The next two episodes will determine whether I drop it or not. I'm sort of intrigued there might be a time travelling element to it

 

Oh and the writer has a reputation for plagiarising stories. As a writer, that's a redline. She is famous for Crash Landing on You, which apparently she stole from another writer. I've not seen it. And also My Love from the Star, which I've only seen bits of

 

Also been watching movies lately. Saw three Japanes films - Yoko, Ripples and Perfect Days. While I wasn't bowled over by any of them I do like their simplicity and moodiness / meditativeness in general

[Biology Lesson]

41 minutes ago, YouwinJH said:

Oh and the writer has a reputation for plagiarising stories. As a writer, that's a redline. She is famous for Crash Landing on You, which apparently she stole from another writer. I've not seen it. And also My Love from the Star, which I've only seen bits of

 

Plagiarizing stories?! I wonder how can a Kdrama writer be accused of plagiarism, when so many of the plots are virtually identical. The different genres tend to be so repetitive in my eyes, that most of them can be accused of being copy-paste of each other! Maybe they don't have identical lines, but the structures and formulas are. This is why I, again, will say how I appreciate BH. It maybe wasn't perfect, but it sure broke the mold... I'm trying right now to watch a show called The Goddess of Revenge, and it's OK, but it's very formulaic- not necessarily to revenge shows, but to vigilante shows.

[azureblue7]

 

Our TMT is at it again ..

 

[Biology Lesson]

1 hour ago, azureblue7 said:

Our TMT is at it again ..

I really don't like him being called K Bruce Lee...

 

So he's not promoting a project here, but promoting his new status, personally and professionally...

[YouwinJH]

4 hours ago, Biology Lesson said:

I really don't like him being called K Bruce Lee...

 

So he's not promoting a project here, but promoting his new status, personally and professionally...

Maybe he's the new spokesperson for goose dads...

[azureblue7]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Prettysup]

I think we will probably see and hear the same things as before haha..

 

 

 

[azureblue7]

Promoting the show on his IG too

 

 

 

[Biology Lesson]

13 minutes ago, azureblue7 said:

Promoting the show on his IG too

Still not confident enough to practice his English, I see...

[azureblue7]

 

 

[azureblue7]

He also showed various acting while riding a horse. Very detailed explanation from him ...hahaha

 

Jang Hyuk shared on the show that after 26 years, he left the agency he had been with since his debut and started working on his own.

 

Jang Hyuk said, “Working alone broadened my options and I can plan alone and it’s much more comfortable than before.” 

 

He continued, making people laugh by saying, "I drove to the 'Radio Star' filming site today too. But the way to get there was confusing. So I went to MBC Mall and came back." 

 

Jang Hyuk explained why he sent his family overseas, "I went to New York two years ago to work on a movie. I met a lot of people there, and I felt a lot of language and cultural differences. I didn't want my children to have to do that, so I sent them to study abroad." 

 

Jang Hyuk said, “I’m a wild goose dad,” and showed a sorrowful look in his eyes, saying, “Before, I couldn’t see birds flying alone. But now, I can see birds flying alone.” He added, showing his lonely heart. He also said, “Nowadays, meal kits are so popular that I can easily prepare meals on my own,” and “Depending on the time, there are also 30% off sales. My perspective on the world has changed since I started working on my own. In the past, I only saw straight lines, but now I can see around me.”

 

Translated from :https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/076/0004120593

 

This is sad news..

 

Maybe that's why he's learning English...

 

 

[YouwinJH]

Thanks @azureblue7 though I won't watch any of the clips. It's a little childish but the simplest things make me cringe and this is one of them 

 

Re the state of the market, I think I read it in passing in an article about the recent box office success of Exhuma. I suppose it is also the reason behind that 200 actors campaign that KOFIC was doing a few years back

 

It does look like opportunities are drying up although a few stars are still in demand. That's why box office performance is so important because if you can draw the audience, funding will be available because the producers are confident about the return on investment

 

TV on the other hand depends on the budgets of OTT and networks, who are competing with each other for our eyeballs. I think there are more opportunities with TV but, for actors, I think it depends on their contacts. That's why some people keep working with the same writers / directors etc. Ratings also matter because again ROI determines who is good to bet on or not

 

That said, there is also a market for cheaply made content. The quality varies. I enjoy independent cinema a lot but there's also the b-z grade films that some people enjoy. Alot of action films fall into that camp imo. Call me a snob but that's precisely why I'm not so keen on him pushing the whole action hero thing. I'd rather he do some art house / independent stuff. And because I'm really enjoying Japanese films lately, it would be great if he built some networks over there vs his interest in HW. He has connections through his boxing but I suppose like China, relations with Japan can become political / sensitive

 

Anyway this is coming from the pov of an observer rather than someone who knows anything about the entertainment industry