Yoo Teo, who transitioned from a basketball player in Germany to an actor, has recently been interviewed by a Korean media outlet following the massive success of “Past Lives.”
Although kimchi is now globally known, the lunchbox with kimchi prepared by Yoo Teo’s Korean parents, who immigrated to Germany as industrial trainees, was a subject of ridicule. His different skin color and way of speaking gave him a sense of deficiency. Despite being a basketball player, Yoo Teo, who is sensitive, couldn’t establish a strong sense of belonging. Even after coming to Korea, there were cultural and linguistic differences that couldn’t be perfectly reconciled.
After starting his acting career, he faced limitations in roles. Due to the strong image of a foreigner in his pronunciation, it was challenging for Yoo Teo to consider roles other than those of overseas Koreans. He often took on roles with few lines or needed dubbing.
In this context, portraying “Hyesung,” a “native Korean,” in the film “Past Lives” is a special challenge for Yoo Teo. His passion for this film, produced by A24, a studio loved by cinephiles in the United States, was fervent from the beginning.
Yoo Teo said, “Because I lived abroad for a long time, I always had an element of anxiety. I shed tears after reading the script.”
“Past Lives” depicts the process of resolving emotions that have accumulated over 24 years when Hyesung and Nayoung (played by Greta Lee), who were each other’s first love in their youth, reunite. Yoo Teo focused on portraying Hyesung’s melancholic emotions. He said, “Hyesung and I share a ‘deficiency.’ Growing up in a multicultural environment, I have resentment toward things that don’t go as planned. I have confidence in expressing those emotions better than anyone else. Hyesung is a character who missed his first love in his youth. There is loneliness. I thought I could make use of my skills.”
He also talked about how his pronunciation improved, he said, “I’m fortunate that my efforts are noticeable. I should probably tell my teacher about the ‘ㄹ’ pronunciation to fix it. If things don’t go as planned, a sense of ‘Han’ (a Korean cultural concept of unresolved resentment) can develop. Korean pronunciation is especially like that. I had to learn vocabulary, tone control, and ending handling. It was really difficult, but these days, I’ve gained confidence, and I speak with confidence.”
Yoo Teo was nominated for the Best Actor award at the British Academy Film Awards in January, becoming the first Korean male actor to do so. He has also risen to the preliminary nominee for the Best Actor award at the upcoming Academy Awards on the 11th of this month. Although it is a meaningful achievement as an actor, Yoo Teo stated that he doesn’t feel particularly excited.
“I don’t live in the past or the future. I focus on the present. When I went to London, someone asked me, ‘Did you prepare an acceptance speech?’ I thought it was impossible, but after saying that, I practiced an acceptance speech for two hours. In the end, I didn’t receive it. I couldn’t even enjoy the awards ceremony.”
Cillian Murphy received the Best Actor trophy at the Oscars for the film “Oppenheimer.” Yoo Teo shared an episode of being with Cillian Murphy at a party afterward.
“Senior Cillian Murphy deserved to receive the award. I’ve been studying his work for 20 years. At dinner that night, I gathered the courage and said, ‘It was good that you received the award.’ I congratulated him, explaining Eastern sentiments. He hugged me. It was a good moment.”
He added, “I’ve been acting for 20 years, but in Hollywood, I’m still a rookie. Let’s not expect to be nominated for any awards for the next five years. It’s more important to be recognized in the global film industry first. I need to show my skills clearly without any regrets. After that, becoming a nominee and winning an award will be the order of things. Until that situation comes, I’ll just work hard.”
Source: (A)
