Actor Koo Kyo-hwan showed his close bond with senior actress Jun Ji-hyun, sharing that their “humor battle” while filming the movie ‘Gunche’ was a blast.
During an interview with News1 on the terrace of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on the afternoon of the 16th (local time), Koo Kyo-hwan addressed Director Yeon Sang-ho’s comment that he “marked Jun Ji-hyun exclusively.” Koo revealed, “The director was shy, so he even brought me along to the first meeting with Jun Ji-hyun.”
In the movie, Jun Ji-hyun and Koo Kyo-hwan stand on opposite sides as the protagonist and the villain. Playing biological doctor Seo Young-cheol, the man behind the infection outbreak at the Dunguri Building, Koo said, “With Jun Ji-hyun, it was like I’d pose a question and she’d provide the answer. My role among the cast was to have a humor battle with her, and joking around was really fun.”
He recalled the filming process, adding, “Jun Ji-hyun and I have similar ways of warming up to shake off the nerves. When getting into character, she would make playful jokes, and I would do the same as Seo Young-cheol. Those jokes stemmed from our characters, and through them, we often gave each other hints.”
‘Gunche’ is a film depicting the desperate struggle of survivors trapped in a building locked down due to a mysterious infection, facing infected beings that evolve in unpredictable ways. It was invited to the Midnight Screening section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Koo Kyo-hwan walked the Cannes Film Festival red carpet for the first time thanks to ‘Gunche’. The film finished its official screening on the 16th, receiving a standing ovation from the audience for about seven minutes.
When asked about his first time attending the Cannes Film Festival, Koo shared, “I thought I’d be incredibly nervous, but the audience’s reaction actually helped me relax. Who claps like that starting from the leader film? Since they clapped from the Showbox logo, it felt like the movie had already begun.” He added, “As the applause eased my nerves, I realized it was a festival and watched it with the mindset of just enjoying the day. I feel like I’ve become closer to the movie ‘Gunche’.”
