The Man Who Lives His Life

Lately, Hwang Chansung has been enjoying every single day, thinking about today and not tomorrow. When you live like it’s nothing, something eventually happens.

“It is important to make a lot of money, but I’m more interested in getting acknowledged. Eventually, pushing personal satisfaction aside, I think I’m looking for people’s acknowledgement.”

Usually the shooting site atmosphere is like this. A celebrity appears accompanied with a manager and many other members of the staff. When they always appear out of nowhere swarmed by people, you realize, “Ah, this is the person I’m meeting today,” but on that day the scenery was different.

A strong young man appeared in the studio surreptitiously. The man who lingered around in a training costume was the celebrity “Hwang Chansung” we were supposed to meet. The youngest of an idol group and an actor told us that he has been going around on his own for some time now. It’s been 8 years of strict personal management and physical exercise and body-building for the oncoming activities even in his free time. He says he became quite light-hearted after having rested thoughtlessly for a while, when he decided to have fun each time he could.

Lately, he’s been effortlessly portraying an “unemployed by choice” character Nam Bonggi in the drama “Ms Temper and Nam Junggi,” and people often say that he “looks relaxed.” Hwang Chansung says that life gets more exciting when you have fun today, so we tried to talk about his mishap-free life.





A while back quite a few people witnessed your “valet parking” when you drove to some brand’s event by yourself. I also heard that you shouted out the names of the people you knew on the site, behaving like a “free man?”

It’s been a while since I began going freely around. (Jo) Kwon also appeared in that event, but he was accompanied by a manager. The manager was flustered, saying “Chansung-ah, you should’ve at least called if you came.” Haha. The person responsible for the brand is a nuna I know, and she told me to come if I had time, so I just went because I happened to have time back then.





But you’re 2PM’s Hwang Chansung; shouldn’t you drive around with a manager? You came to the shooting site alone again today.

Sometimes it’s more inconvenient to go around with a manager. I’m impatient, so if I’m about to go somewhere, I’ll be satisfied only if I leave immediately. I just go on my own, instead of waiting for someone, wondering when we would leave.





The reviews of the drama “Ms Temper and Nam Junggi” are good. You actually are a higher level celebrity who began working in high school days, how did you get into the mood of a hopeless bum?

I didn’t have any schedule in the beginning of the year, so I got some free time. Usually, in such a situation, I would be busy with training, but this time I met people, had a few drinks, and spent my time like a genuine “bum.” I think that period was advantageous for my portrayal of Bonggi.





Do you mean that you just had fun without any thought about your next projects?

I used to think a lot about rest when I would rest. Back then, even resting was an extension of my work schedule. When you continuously keep on preparing for your next project for 8 or 9 years, you really just want to have a decent rest, so I didn’t do anything. And after a while you realize that the world doesn’t collapse or anything.





You are displaying “acting that doesn’t feel like acting” in this drama.

People around say the same thing quite often, too. To be honest, I’m just doing it like, whatever. Haha. It means that I just act freely without having any second thoughts on whether I should do something or not. I was also influenced by the director’s style. I act freely because they say it’s just a rehearsal, and then suddenly they go “This is good,” and decide it’s an OK. So I just take it easy.





You participated in a survival show in your teens, and you debuted as an idol when you signed a contract with JYPE. You could say that your life has been intense so far, what do you think about the unemployed character who doesn’t use his body at all?

I didn’t dream of living this way before I entered JYPE. I just enjoyed every single day. But then I appeared in the show “Superstar Survival” and I ended up becoming a JYPE trainee. I think back then things cleared up a little bit. There’s nothing the character I play couldn’t do, but it’s not like he’s exceptionally good at something. He’s a person who knows which way his life should go, but he just lives the way it feels good. He doesn’t get too involved into anything, and he’s not too ambitious. Without that many things to be unhappy about, I think it’s a rather happy life.





“I don’t know if it’s the right thing to worry about how people think of me or what my image is. I would dislike it more if I couldn’t choose the role I liked because of such concerns. I want to do the things I want without thinking of anything else.”





But is it possible to be a singer and an actor without much ambition?

I am an ambitious person. So I always think that it is not enough. So I end up plunging deep into a specific sphere, and even if it’s about enjoying your hobby, I want to be better at it than others. I’m not unhappy if I don’t manage to achieve something at the desired level, but I do have a strong desire to do well even in the smallest tasks. It is important to make a lot of money, but I’m more interested in getting acknowledged. Eventually, pushing personal satisfaction aside, I think I’m looking for people’s acknowledgement.





What about when it doesn’t go the way you planned?

But it never goes the way you planned. You always experience a slump. Haha.





Prior to “2PM,” you made your acting debut in the legendary sitcom “Unstoppable High Kick.” Wouldn’t you receive a lot of comic role proposals because of that?

Because of “Unstoppable High Kick,” for the first time I grew to think that I like acting and I would like to continue doing it. But I don’t know if it’s the right thing to worry about how people think of me or what my image is. I would dislike it more if I couldn’t choose the role I liked because of such concerns. I want to do the things I want without thinking of anything else.

When you go to the casting meetings, what do the directors or the writers usually say about your first impression?

I usually hear “You’re a lot better at (script) reading than I thought.” Haha. “I wasn’t expecting anything, but you’re good.” I hear that quite often, too. After all when you’re an idol singer… You are a strong candidate for casting because of your recognition and visibility, and because of such background… But when you read your lines once, you prove that they can entrust that role to you. It’s important to be known to some extent, but it’s more important to be suitable for the role.





Since 2008, 2PM has created the “beastly idol” trend. In a sense, you could say that you left a memorable mark in the entertainment world. Shouldn’t you also leave something behind you as an actor?

Wow, this is a very difficult question. With every film or series I would think that it would be great if people didn’t know it was me. I wanted to hear something like “That actor is pretty good? Who is he?” To put it simply, I want to be an actor you don’t get sick of? As of now, this is my goal.





A drama with 2PM’s Junho is broadcast in the same time slot as yours. Are you bothered by this?

Junho’s drama role was secured first, and my appearance in the drama was decided later. And when I thought about it, it was a different broadcast station drama in the same time slot. We do worry about each other’s viewership ratings. Haha. A while back, I sent a coffee truck to Junho’s filming site. With a slogan “Let’s do well or something.” Haha. We do support each other, hoping each of us turns out well.





After so many years of working together, you must be real comrades.

As everyone knows, together we’ve been through quite a lot. So we developed a close comradeship that cannot be replaced by anyone else. Also, through everything you kind of reached your personal nirvana. It feels like the thoughts you had when you were young are finally getting sorted out. I sometimes imagine I could go back to the past with this particular mindset. This is how much I like the present.





What is so good about it?

I used to stress out about many things before. When I shook such things off one by one, my life grew easy. It feels that my thinking also became a lot more flexible and natural.





Then your understanding of success should have changed too, no? How would you imagine a successful actor?

I suppose success is being able to act consistently. When you look at foreign actors, they take up even the smallest roles as long as they like it. Even people, who have always played lead characters, are glad to take up supporting roles if they like it. It’s nice to see that they’re not tied down to one personal space. When I enjoy it, wouldn’t the others enjoy it too?





Interview: Go_Chansung

Photos: Hwang Chansung

Kor-Eng: Egle0702

MAY BE TAKEN OUT WITH PROPER CREDITS!!!