Song Chang Ui 송창의

[hibiscus23]

nteresting interview i came across published April 2015

 

18/04/2015

[September 2008 – Allure] – Time To Fall for Song Chang Ui – Interview

If you meet three times, it’s called having a connection. And Song Chang Ui is an actor I have a connection with. I mean it wasn’t destiny, but I did get to interview three times in three years. The first time I met him was for the musical “Hedwig”. Then he had a few minor roles in a couple of dramas and taking on the lead role of “Golden Bride” earned him the cute and fitting title of “the nation’s husband”. Although not a long time passed, he got a role in “Yi San” at the last minute and I got to meet him a second time when he was doing a photo shoot campaign for a magazine before he started filming “Yi San”. And this is my third time meeting him right before “The Scales of Providence” start airing. I have to confess something. My two previous interviews with him were quite underwhelming. I mean these two times weren’t about who Song Chang Ui is and our conversations didn’t last long because there was little to say. And once this third interview was over, as I diligently researched about his musicals and the plays he was in, my reporter status was forgotten and he became my favorite.

“The Scales of Providence” is his next project and it’s the kind of drama it’s rare to see these days. It tells the story of Joon Ha (Song Chang Ui) who is a student preparing for a civil service examination. One day, his girlfriend gets murdered and his little brother gets falsely accused ot the crime. Their mother dies from the shock, so Joon Ha become a prosecutor and is determined to discover the truth about his girlfriend’s case. Why did he choose with such a heavy storyline? “First of all, it’s a good thing that the storyline is so clearly outlined. Hm… To be honest, I can’t give you one specific reason. Before things like the theme awareness, it’s just a drama that I felt something for. I think the best projects are the ones that make you feel something. It wasn’t a “this drama will do well” feeling. It was a “if I do this drama, I’ll be able to work really hard” feeling. And it’s because of that I decided to join “The Scales of Providence”.”

His choice is not because he has expectations for great ratings or to reach the top. When he chooses a role, his priority is the project itself instead of the character. Once again, he decided to film this drama as he was sure it could stay in his portfolio as a well-made drama. Keeping in mind that such dramas are made with the goal that people will watch it again one day, he said he accepted the director’s offer no matter which role he’d have to play and his casting was finalized before the role he’d play was established. Friday night dramas usually have heavy storylines, so without expecting big ratings, but hoping this drama would find some fans, all actors and staff are currently enjoying filming. 7 episodes were filmed before the drama starts airing, so his affectionate explanation is that it’s a drama that you keep wanting watching once you’ve watched episode 1 and got curious about the rest. If it pulls off good ratings, he’ll say “thank you”, but he doesn’t make this drama by looking just at these numbers. If you’re used to his heart-warming and thoughtful characters, Joon Ha from “The Scales of Providence” will look unfamiliar. This time, he will show a character that is a little bit darker and stronger as much as much heavy the synopsis is. He can wear a sharp Western suit, but the feminine image he has in musical “Hedwig” goes well with him too and when you look at him in the play “The Graduate”, he’s indecisive but sometimes blindly faithful. He can also do this kind of role. So which kind of role does he think suit him the best? “I don’t know if the audience feels any charm about the actor called Song Chang Ui when I’m portraying a role. I don’t know if my acting is easy or if it’s static… I think anyone has a nice side and a wicked side, a thoughtful side and a careless side, all of those things at the same time. If there should be a difference, it should be about which side will get higlighted. It’s just that our reaction will be different, depending of the situation. It’s exactly the same for acting. Just like anyone, I have all sides of a personality. Depending of the situation I’m being put in, one aspect will be maximized. If I can find the right adjustment, then I’ll be able to match the character well.”

Looking back now, his character in “Golden Bride” wasn’t easy either. His character wasn’t a man who is “a good man”. I mean, after being a social misfit because of his panic disorder, this character softly changed as time went by. This new role seems even harder to portray.

“It’s harder for me to get immersed in the situations written in the script than struggling to approach my character. It’s not about understanding the personality of the character, I must understand what he feels in each situation.”

“The situation of your character in “The Scales of Providence” is very tragic. Don’t you get depressed when you play this kind of role?”

“Indeed. If there are many emotional feelings, my mood is a little bit down. However, I think this emotion is more overwhelming when I’m on the set and need to immerse myself. I’m not the type to worry to death even once the filming is over. Hm… Still, what do you think the actor’s path is?”

This wasn’t a question of mine, he was the one asking questions. As he spoke more and more, he suddendly asked me about the actor’s path. “On my way to this interview today, I worried about what I’d have to talk about. To be honest, the questions I’m asked in interviews aren’t something I worry about every day. I don’t live with such a complicated mind. What is the actor’s path for other people?”

“Well… This is embarrassing. Acting non-stop? It’s about doing well for this project so you can get another project, then you must do well in this project too, so you can get a new one. This is how you live.”

“Indeed. You’re right. That’s what it is.”

Growing as an actor from his point of view is not to be a top star but to act all the time. Thinking acting is his life, it’s not “let’s live for tomorrow even if I suffer today”. It’s “let’s enjoy the moments when I’m acting”. Even when he’s in 40’s, even when he’s an old man, acting without making a distinction between the stage, TV and the big screen, this is what he thinks reaching the peak of your growth and being the best actor is about.

When talking only about acting, the discussion can become formal, but I enjoyed this interview with him because he sometimes would give me weird answers. I mean weird like asking me about an actor’s path. While interviewing him, I found myself laughing loudly once in a while. For instance in moments like this. There was a mosquito flying often around us and I only said “this freaking mosquito”, and this is what he said. “Do you know why mosquitoes bite people? It’s because they need to live. Because they need to reproduce. That’s why I just leave them alone.” And there was this other time. “Is the recording going well? I don’t trust machines,” I said. To my meaningless comment, he replied “Indeed. Machines, you shouldn’t trust machines because they have no feeling.” And there’s also this one. Since he asked me about an actor’s path, I also had something to ask him. “Do actors really only think about “acting” all day long?”

“What? Do they? Really? What kind of statics said so? (with a complete serious expression) I’m not like that. People are exactly the same. You’re a reporter and when you do an interview, you’re doing your job and you only talk about your job. Isn’t it exactly the same [for actors]?”

How to describe the fact that he reacted even to meaningless words? It is nice because this interview with him wasn’t just a Q&A, it turned into a real conversation. “So if you were to define yourself by saying “I’m a man like this”, what would you say?” “I’d say “I’m a very affectionate man”. If you live without affection in your life, this world is truly empty. In a world like today, we must live by sharing with others, even if the thing you share is just affection.” To get a great body, this very affectionate man prefers exercising with people by playing baseball for instance instead of doing weight training. Even if it’s just for a few hours, talking with Song Chang Ui is like talking with a friend you can have fun with. His character in “Golden Bride” might have been strong, well-mannered and gentle, but when you get to know him in real life, he’s closer to the lively and weird Jung Yak Yong in “Yi San”.

Once this drama is over, his plan is to go back to a musical. What does being on stage mean to him? “To me, the stage is the place where I can be an actor. Because I’ve been studying the stage since my school days. It’s a place where I can go and bring all my energy. Sometimes, I receive a question on the nuance between musical and theater such as “don’t you do musicals or theater to create your image?”. I really don’t know why I’m asked this question. Acting isn’t something you do for material pleasure or basic success, acting is what being an actor is about.” Going back on stage is something very scary. When you make a mistake while filming a drama or a movie, you can shoot the scene by starting over, editing can also cover it up, but the stage is the place where what your acting is lacking of can be revealed. Still, the reason he keeps doing musicals and theater constantly is because he can learn about what he doesn’t get right or can’t pull off while filming a drama. “I worry as I wonder if people will come and see me on stage. However, I want to show a reversal image to the audience and I want to share my passion with them. I want to use their passion to keep moving forward.”

As he goes on stage or on TV, his acting shows us the method of his efforts. When he doesn’t give an answer that would give the impression that he wants to become a star and when he gives an honest simple answer, you can know it. “You’re still growing as an artist since I met you three years ago. Do you like the speed things are going at right now?” “My personal growth? I’m satisfied. First of all, I’m not slowing down… Haha. I have this sense of responsibility that I must keep working hard and doing well. Sometimes, it feels uncomfortable. I have many thoughts, but I’m trying to look only at the situation right in front of me. I don’t make a lot of plans and I think only about what comes next right away. I’ve been like this since I was a kid. “Let’s just worry only about what’s imminent”. Life always has its twists, so worrying in advance won’t solve anything. What I’m sure of is that I will keep acting. It’s the only thing.”

As you get to know him, Song Chang Ui is an interesting actor. When you look just at his soft appearance, he may seem like he isn’t talented, but when he sensually sings “Wig in a Box” from “Hedwig”, you discover a talent you couldn’t even imagine. He’s an actor who is fun to discover. What you heard from me is that I hope that this down-to-earth actor won’t become a star but an actor who lasts for a long, long time. I mean, the kind of actor that if you don’t see on TV, you’ll be able to see on a big screen, and if you can’t see him there either, you’ll be able to if you go to his university’s theater venue. If he keeps walking in that direction, I think this hope will come true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf_bHa6i_tY

If you’re curious about what he’s up to these days…

What’s your current ringtone? “The Good, The Bad, The Weird” OST.
A movie you saw recently? As you can guess, “The Good, The Bad, The Weird”. It was really awesome. I like movies with strong male characters like “City of The Rising Sun” or “Beat”.
What is the thing you do every morning just to take care of yourself?
I take vitamins as soon as I open my eyes. I live alone, so I ended up taking them because it’s good for my health. I take some before going to sleep to. Always!

Who’s the person you’re on the phone the most with these days? My parents. Since we don’t live together, my mom calls me a lot.

What are your plans for tonight? Why do you want to know? Do you want to go out for a drink?

Oh! No. I’m going to an award ceremony at the Gongju film festival tonight.

Night or day, which one do you prefer? Night. Don’t you have fun when night time comes? There are also many things to do. I like the night.

Do you have a girlfriend? I still don’t.

What kind of boyfriend are you? When my friends saw how thoughtful my character was in “Golden Bride”, they told me to stop joking. It was like “this is complete acting”. Haha. To be honest, I have a thoughtful side and I take care of the other in subtle ways. Like a slightly nagging mother-in-law?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY9c49r_r-U

 

 

Watch it until the end if you wonder what rocker Song Chang Ui looks like.

Translation: @onesunnylady – thesunnytown.wordpress.com

 

https://youtu.be/uUYLfGe-4bU

 

 

[hibiscus23]

one of his early short dramas "The Rainy Day" (2006) cr: bae moo YT

    

 

 

[MarjorieS]

Hello hello @hibiscus23 hi chingu, thanks again for all the pix, vids and my favorite BB, ah simply love it :-) Some exciting news for you, your yeobo will be attending the MBC Drama award this year , as he has been nominated for the best actor award in long series. The event will be held on Dec 30, 2015, live broadcast at 8:55 pm (  Beijing time ). SCU nomination is well deserved and I hope he will be recognized and receive the award :-) But the most exciting part is that he will be performing part of Rebecca musical during the show, wow please remember to tune in and watch him perform, you have been waiting for this chance for so long and now it finally arrived ( Yipee ) It is indeed great news for us all :-) :-)

Wishing you all chingus @hibiscus23, @suchadiva42, @christinajoyce, @irilight a very Merry Christmas, a safe and happy holiday with love and warmth and fun together with family and good friends ! 

[hibiscus23]

56 minutes ago, MarjorieS said:

Hello hello @hibiscus23 hi chingu, thanks again for all the pix, vids and my favorite BB, ah simply love it :-) Some exciting news for you, your yeobo will be attending the MBC Drama award this year , as he has been nominated for the best actor award in long series. The event will be held on Dec 30, 2015, live broadcast at 8:55 pm (  Beijing time ). SCU nomination is well deserved and I hope he will be recognized and receive the award :-) But the most exciting part is that he will be performing part of Rebecca musical during the show, wow please remember to tune in and watch him perform, you have been waiting for this chance for so long and now it finally arrived ( Yipee ) It is indeed great news for us all :-) :-)

Wishing you all chingus @hibiscus23, @suchadiva42, @christinajoyce, @irilight a very Merry Christmas, a safe and happy holiday with love and warmth and fun together with family and good friends ! 

 

@MarjorieS wow chingu thnx for the great news! oh i'm so excited now! i hope i can watch it coz i can get MBC channel here! well like u said he deserves it & keeping my fingers crossed! i can't thank u enough for bringing me good news for me & all his fans here!!!! I can't wait really! aside from that he'll be performing part of Rebecca? arghhhh how good does it gets eh? yipee is right You're v welcome for all the pix, vids etc & BB w/c you and our chingu @suchadiva42 really like! hahaha I shld be thanking you & other chingus for coming here in spite of the fact that you guys are bz with your own yeobo LSW hahaha!  ~0~

Wishing you too a very joyous Christmas a blessed one, safe for us all, peace in the world & as you said love/warmth & all the fun with family & friends!!! to all chingus here!

Stay in touch & once again endless thanks for your great news of SCU! now i can sleep better! hahahaha

    

[hibiscus23]

http://www.hancinema.net/mbc-drama-awards-2015-nominees-list-89368.html

The link above fr hancinema will get you to vote for your fave drama/actor/actress/best couple which i just did minutes ago upon learning about this good news from chingu @MarjorieS :)))

GOOD LUCK TO SONG CHANG UI for Best Actor in Make a Woman Cry!!!!

 

 

[hibiscus23]

from Make a Woman Cry drama where SC is being nominated for Best Actor (MBC Awards)

SC & Kim jung eun got a great chemistry in this drama - hope they win Best Couple award

[suchadiva42]

@hibiscus23" chingu I don't mind at all to come here and voice my opinion about this handsome actor who I really give credit where it's due, while SCU is really have showned it in what he does. I'm just so glad to be a part of coming seeing this miraculous, wonderful thread in which I love everything that's been posting, I maybe MIA at times but when I get the chance to come here I sure doesn't leave with a disappointment  

 

SO I WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU AND @MarjorieS A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

[hibiscus23]

@suchadiva42 chingu hi hi wave wave, earlier i cldnt get into soompi, it seems to be happening often these days, i hope it was bc of maintenance & it's not just me well chingu what a nice thing to say! i know u got to o what u got to do so don't even think otherwise of being an MIA :)) i appreciate you & our chingu @MarjorieS for taking your time to even visit here though you guys are bz with your own work let alone your handsome yeobo on the neighbor side at soompi! i also apologize for not peeking at LSW thread since as you guys can u/stand i've been trying to build SC's thread desperately & i just can't believe we've gone this far where a few mos ago it was only up to (i think if i'm not mistaken) 20 something pages, i may be wrong. However i do thank @Ayame our chingu for starting this SC thread w/out which i wld be in the dark plus the other SC fans from yrs ago who were dedicated to him albeit these days i can u/stand they may have moved on to other idols of their choice! I'm so glad you guys enjoy this thread & hopefully this will grow as time goes by! LOL sounds so dramatic isn't it? hahaha I'm also happy to learn that your visits here doesn't disappoint you at all! With that BB will always be available to you both! hahaha here's one for both of you! THANK YOU ENDLESSLY chingus for your tireless support for SC - especially me on this thread! Hugs to you both! TTYL

[hibiscus23]

[hibiscus23]

scene in Rebecca musical play

 

[hibiscus23]

Merry Christmas to Song Chang Ui and his fans all over the world esp our chingus here @MarjorieS @suchadiva42 @christinajoyce @irilight @gigglessquiggles @the girl who! @valsava @Ayame and others who are MIAson his thread who tirelessly have been coming to support him on this thread!

[the girl who!]

i'm sorry for being MIA for so long ... but still i wanted to wish all of Chan Ui's fans a happy holiday  all the best for you all ...

[hibiscus23]

@the girl who! wave wave to u chingu, no worries, we got to do what we got to do & it's really nice to see you even for a short while! we wish u also a wonderful Holiday! let's put it this way (just joke ok) if you can't visit SC how about he'll visit you among the MIAs here hahaha won't that be great? It's always nice to see you even if you'd been away for a while! take care & all the best!

to all chingus here HAVE A GREAT TIME THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

TO SONG CHANG SSI:

[hibiscus23]

signing autograph for his fans presumably after or before the Rebecca musical play

Ummhhh he seems to be in a pensive mood here, i bet you he's thinking of his script in Rebecca

cr: SC fans fr dcinside

so cute made by his fans

[hibiscus23]

Hello to all chingus here, sorry for being MIA for a few days, I hope ev.one has had a great Christmas celebration if you happen to be celebrating this major Holiday!

Let's all hope for a great New Year with good health & peace in the world! Advance greetings to Song Chang & all his fans here & around the world! To our chingus @MarjorieS @suchadiva42 @irilight @christinajoyce @Ayame @the girl who! @valsava & all the MIAs here!

[MarjorieS]

Hello hello @hibiscus23 long time no see and here to visit again. Wow, you have posted a lot of beautiful SCU pix , well wishes and lots of BB,my favorite :-) :-) Thanks so much chingu for making us all happy and SCU thread so lively and exciting, SCU will be so happy and appreciative of all your support, precious time and endless efforts and hard work, SCU is such an amazing actor, so talented but humble, hard working and always striving to perform the best. He deserves all our respect and support :-) BTW, did you watch the MBC award show and get to see SCU  performing ? ?? I do not have access to MBC but was hoping you might be fortunate to watch the live show, must be spectacular :-) 

Attaching a pix of SCU to cheer you :-)   Handsome SCU !

 

Source : tieba.baidu SCU    credit : lotushelen

[hibiscus23]

@MarjorieS hey hey chingu howdy? nice to see u again! thnx so much for his latest pix fr TB lotushelen! so cute! i thot the mbc awards will not be till end of this month? i do hv access to mbc tv here locally but i was hoping it's not till dec 31st? awwww then if u think it's been shown oredi then i'm late? oh nooooooooooooooo! i hope he won an award in make a woman cry as best actor! i shld see dramabeans after this if they hv anything! thnx for your kind words as always! glad u always like what i post/posted here! you're so sweet & i know u like BB too as well as our other chingu @suchadiva42 so here's for you both: from Betty Boop

[suchadiva42]

@hibiscus23  Aww chingu thanks for BB still she's too much lol. 

I love in what you're doing and I have to say this thread is very unique as well as being a spectacular one that makes me come back here looking for more of SCU pics, stills, etc. And as the count down continues for another year to ring in, let me do the honors and wish everyone a HAPPY AND A SAFE NEW YEAR!!

 

[hibiscus23]

1 hour ago, suchadiva42 said:

@hibiscus23  Aww chingu thanks for BB still she's too much lol. 

I love in what you're doing and I have to say this thread is very unique as well as being a spectacular one that makes me come back here looking for more of SCU pics, stills, etc. And as the count down continues for another year to ring in, let me do the honors and wish everyone a HAPPY AND A SAFE NEW YEAR!!

 

@suchadiva42 hehehe chingu good day to u! I know BB can be too much, she never ceased to amaze us! awww thanks v much for your continued support of SC & this thread (for me esp), i really have been trying my best to show our support on him since he truly deserves a lot of accolades among the other Korean celebs who bring us or brought us joy since we have discovered Kdramas!

I also wish you & everyone here a HAPPY & HEALTHY/SAFE NEW YEAR!

to our SONG CHANG UI Haeng bokhan manee bader sae yo! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

 

[hibiscus23]

THANK YOU CHINGUS @MarjorieS @suchadiva42 and all FOR KEEPING ME COMPANY HERE AND MAKING THIS THREAD THE WAY IT IS NOW, WITHOUT YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IT WLDN'T BE POSSIBLE TO ATTAIN WHAT WE HAVE NOW! MWAHHHHH AND MAY YOUR NEW YEAR BE AS HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS AS IT CAN BE, YOUR WISHES MAY BE FULFILLED! I'M SO BLESSED TO HAVE SUCH CHINGUS LIKE YOU & ALSO TO OUR OTHER CHINGUS WHO MAY BE MIAs NOW BUT I'M SURE THEIR PRESENCE CAN BE FELT IN SPITE OF THEIR ABSENCE!!!!!