Kang Dong Won, who plays a servant for the first time in his career in the Netflix film 'Uprising (Jeon, Ran)', revealed his thoughts by saying, "It suits me better since I'm not exactly a 'golden spoon.'”
Released on October 11th, 'Jeon, Ran' (directed by Kim Sang Man) is set during the chaos of the Japanese invasions of Korea, telling the story of Jongryeo (played by Park Jung Min), the son of a top Joseon military family, and his servant Chunyeong (played by Kang Dong Won), who meet again as enemies in the army serving under King Seonjo (played by Cha Seung Won).
Kang Dong Won portrays Chunyeong, a servant with unparalleled swordsmanship. Park Jung Min plays Jongryeo, who eventually becomes King Seonjo's guard. With Park Chan Wook as a producer and writer Shin Chul collaborating on the screenplay, expectations for the film are high.
Within three days of its release, 'Uprising' garnered 7.5 million views, landing third in the global non-English movie category on Netflix.
When asked about playing a servant for the first time, Kang Dong Won humorously responded, "I didn’t grow up rich, but I’m not quite a servant either. I think a servant suits me better than an aristocrat, which I feel is far from my personality. Park Jung Min suits the aristocrat role more." He also reminisced about his tough training for sword-fighting scenes, which included intense exercises like 1,000 sit-ups daily for eight months while preparing for 'Duelist' (2005).
Kang also praised Park Jung Min’s emotional acting, sharing how working alongside him influenced his own performance, "I thought a scene was supposed to be cold, but Park played it passionately, and it drew me in." Their on-screen bromance has attracted much attention since the film's release.
Additionally, Kang Dong Won recently became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) this year. He humorously commented on the benefits, saying, "There’s a membership fee, but during awards season, I can watch the nominated films for free, which is a good deal."
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