In his new film The Policeman’s Lineage, Choi Woo Shik flaunts his masculinity �in a way that he �did in no other films �before. The Policeman’s Lineage is an adaptation of Joh Sasaki’s novel that shares the same title. It follows a rookie police officer named Choi Min Jae, who has strong ethical beliefs. He is secretly tasked with monitoring his boss named Park Kang Yoon, who uses illegal means to maintain an unrivaled arrest rate.
Q1. At the press conference for the film’s premiere, you mentioned that you’re “grateful to have discovered a new side” of yourself. What felt new to you?
I wanted to portray how he matures throughout the story �as he shows acts of responsibility and stands up for what he believes is right. My goal was to show Min Jae’s development as a character, and I am pleased with how it was captured in the film.
Q2. Were you yearning for a change since you didn’t have a chance to show your masculinity in your previous works?
To be honest, I wanted to shift into a more manly presentation of who I am early into the film. Now that I think about it, I think those thoughts were immature and downright silly. I don’t even know what masculine charms I have. Maybe that’s why I want to show it so badly. Although it may not be the stereotypical masculinity, I consider what I presented in Our Beloved Summer �to be one of the masculine traits that I have.
Q3. How satisfied are you with your visual transformation in ‘The Policeman’s Lineage’?
I rarely see homicide detectives dressed in expensive clothes and accessories in Korean films. I hope those presentations of police officers are fresh and new to the audience. Personally, I found it very charming.
Q4. Between crime suspense (The Policeman’s Lineage) and romance (Our Beloved Summer), which genre do you find more challenging?
Both of them are equally challenging. I don’t think there’s an easier genre to play in. But I feel very fortunate to work with Kim Da Mi and Cho Jin Woong because the chemistry was great and it led me to experience those magical moments during shooting.
Q5. Is this your first film since ‘Parasite’?
Yes, I took up The Policeman’s Lineage after Parasite. I saw a lot of aspects in Min Jae that I would not find in Parasite‘s Ki Woo, which fueled my desire to work in this film. I felt a lot of pressure after Parasite’s success, to the point where I couldn’t sleep. Just then, the word “process” sprang to my mind, and then I realized that it’s all about enjoying the process. So I thought it’d be fun and meaningful to take part in this project as Min Jae. The joyful process of filming was how I overcame the pressure after the success of Parasite.
Q6. Have you received many role offers from Hollywood? �
No, that wasn’t the case for me (Laughs). But I want to star in films from different areas of the globe and I’m pretty comfortable acting in the English language. However, I’d been offered bigger roles in Korean movies that are more intriguing, so for now, I’m expecting to hear from more Korean productions.
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