Interview with Song Joong Ki Part II: “Even Today, I Only Slept 2 Hours”

Do you remember the first time that you want to take on the career path of an actor?

I had a lot of things I wanted to do before I entered the military. I thought I would regret it if I didn’t. That’s why, I signed up for an acting academy. To be honest, I tried many other things before entering the acting academy. I prepared to be an announcer, broadcast PD and press representative. Back then, acting was one of the things I wanted to do and I wasn’t sure. However, I have confidence now and it’s become my all. When I first registered at an academy institute, I didn’t tell my parents beforehand. It wasn’t until during the middle of the term when I couldn’t pay for the tuition fees that I told my mother the truth and also received her support. I was lucky that I was able to sign a contract and make my debut, but my father thought I was an immature son. He thought that I would give up pretty soon. (Laugh) I thought that I was able to continue with this career because, through acting, I was able to earn money and I saw that people enjoyed watching my acting. I don’t want to hear that I changed because I became popular. I want to continue working as an actor. Maybe not now, but I want to be an actor who’s able to tackle any kind of role convincingly. I’m nervous just thinking about what my future self would be.

You’ve never had a time to rest since debut?

No matter how tough things are, I have the tendency to be optimistic. Even today, I was only able to sleep 2 hours because of drama filming and promoting for my movie. Of course I would think of rest because my body is so tired. However, I believe that I’m lucky to be in this kind of situation. There’s a lot of things I’m dealing with that I couldn’t have fathomed as a rookie. But for an actor, having a busy schedule is happiness.

Do you want to be an actor for the rest of your life?

I learned a lot of things when I observed Han Suk Gyu sunbaenim through the drama “Deep Rooted Tree.” There was a sunbaenim who once said in the past on set, “Acting is such a fun job,” and he really looked like he was enjoying himself. As I watched him act, I had the thought that I want to enjoy acting on site for a long time as well. I might retire when acting becomes too hard on me physically, but I don’t want to give up so easily. I really want to have a long acting career.

Do you feel nervous that your popularity might fade?
It’s inevitable that popularity fades. That’s why I must always be prepared. I don’t want a meteoric rise in popularity. It’s because I know that it will fade. This is an statement from the Minister of Culture’s book, “A life’s peak is not made.” I think it’s right. If now is the peak in Song Joong Ki’s life, then I must find something else and climb to the peak again. I want to be an actor who can quickly get back on my feet after a fall.

How do you feel when you look at your past?
I was a rookie actor 7 years ago, but now I can stand confidently as a protagonist. I’m proud of myself. I worked really hard so far, but I also compliment myself as well. If I want to have a long career in acting, I must be careful with my choices. That’s why I think “Werewolf Boy” was a good choice. I want to pat myself for being able to fully immerse into the difficult character. (Laugh) I think all of my hardships from this filming would fly out the window if the public loves this movie. I’m really curious on what the masses will think.

Source: Soompi