Never thought I would have a chance to meet him up close.
Finally met Joon Gi (still prefer to call him Jun Ki) in the flesh after 12 years.
Well, there were some hiccups (to much dismay, chance to take a group photo and an up-close opportunity was cancelled), but we managed to attend the press conference at the very least, thanks to a contest.
He’s a jovial & 建谈 person and definitely the “King of Expressions” aka “表情王”. Knowing that we wanted more photographs, he did many handsigns for the audience to snap while the translator was doing her translations. Very boyish looking & skinny indeed. He looks 20+ only but I think his voice is really nice sounding.
Some behind the scenes:
While we were waiting for entry to the press conference at the reception area, we caught Joon Gi in the midst of some photo shoot for the local magazines. You could see that he’s quite a chirpy person off screen and is just like any ordinary playful guy having fun at work and treats his co-workers as his equals. He would goof around with the video camera and disturb his co-workers. He would also go from room to room, carrying his own stuff. No signs of 大头症 or 耍大牌 like he quoted himself as doing in his younger days.
平易静人 is how I would describe him. Glad that he is very down-to-earth and not with the wee bit of attitude we would associate with superstars. He’s just looking like a 25-yr old with that small build and infectious smile.
And so, we waited patiently for the press conference to start. There were some strict rules but I guess everyone would comply, so that they could see the person they have been waiting for so many years.
Danny Yeo was the host and the translator lady did a pretty good job. Joon Gi spoke some English as well.
He’s not the typical guy who will make your head turn on the streets. Neither does he fit the handsome or hunky category. Your impression of him would be very small eyes and effeminate looking. However, if you have watched his dramas over the years, there’s no denying that acting is his forte for he really transforms into whichever role he takes on.
From effeminate to masculine, sinister, evil, playboy, tyrannical, loving, romantic roles, he could just play these roles almost effortlessly. Yes, he almost films all the action scenes in his dramas and movie by himself, no action doubles, except for the real dangerous stunts. He has a black belt in Taekwondo, Hapkido, Taekyeon, so it shouldn’t really be too challenging for him.
If u ask me, his eyes has a lot of 戏. Small as they may be, they could just display so many different expressions even without speaking any word. U can just feel his emotions.
His acting has got a lot of layers and depth. It’s just like peeling an onion, layer by layer as the story goes along. It’s hard not to be captivated by his acting. It is very impactful and he is a very versatile actor with a very broad acting spectrum.
I hope to see in him in different roles, such as those psychopath, killer, split personality or physically challenged roles.
It’s challenging but I’m sure he can nail them in his unique J-Style.
Here’s some from the 20 min Q&A (vaguely from what I could remember, as I was just busy staring at Joon Gi and snapping away) :
He wants to apologise to SG fans for not coming earlier.
Well, if he knew he has that many fans here many years ago, he might have wanted to drop by earlier. But its okay, better late than never. Whatsmore, I’m pretty sure he can converse so much better with the fans in Singapore now since his conversational and written English is definitely up one notch after his cameo in Resident Evil.
He must have been overwhelmed by the very warm welcome at the airport when he arrived the day before. Tonnes of fans were there to receive him and he was that nice to go around shaking hands, signing autographs and collecting the presents personally.
Well, I think that’s a lot of effort and sincerity from the man himself. Most artistes would just walk through the VIP passage to avoid crowds and accidents or the crew/security would just collect the letters and gifts on behalf. Some may not even collect anything from the fans.
As a fan myself, it’s not hard to imagine how heartwarming this little gesture is. The amount of time and effort spent on preparing the handmade gifts and letters, would totally be just worth it, if your idol doest such a sweet gesture.
I’m sure the fans would not blame him for not coming earlier, but would hope that he makes more frequent trips in future.
He wanted to come to Singapore for a holiday with his family, especially to Universal studios and Orchard Road. He wanted to try the delicious seafood here on Sunny Island too. Well, but we all know it is not quite likely now, given his soaring popularity.
He was having so much fun in the filming process of Scarlet Heart that he didn’t wish for the filming to end. He was initially worried about the age gap with his fellow co-stars initially, but they hit it off well. There was much chemistry from their interactions on and off-screen.
When Kang Ha Neul visited Singapore last year, he voted Joon Gi as the most “princely” among the Scarlet Heart cast. However, Joon Gi felt that he is the most “unprincely”. Ha Neul has all the traits of what a prince should have, he said.
Well, Joon Gi, we know you are just being humble. You are already a prince in many people’s hearts.
He also didn’t feel that Wang So would fit in modern times, since Wang So is too autocratic, possessive and just wants to do things his ways. Nonetheless, he felt that Wang So would still be as handsome and charming in modern times.
Oh yeah, Joon Gi. We know this definitely. =)
When asked how he felt about Resident Evil: The Final Chapter as his Hollywood debut, he immediately shook his hands and said he doesn’t consider Resident Evil his debut. It was more of a cameo for him. He’s still in touch with the director and often drops hints that he wishes to take part in future projects. He doesn’t mind how small the roles would be, if he could contribute and play a part in Hollywood productions.
We can tell Hollywood is one of your bigger aims. We are sure you will make an official debut soon in the next few years. Fighting!
Though we know Joon Gi enacts almost all his action scenes by himself [oh yes, he has a black belt in Taekwondo (3rd Degree), Hapkido (1st Degree) and Taekyeong (1st Degree)], he knows he will be stalling the filming process should he get injured. That will have an impact on his investors (time, money, production schedule) and leaving fans worried as well. Thus, much as he wishes to do all the action scenes by himself, he would take a step back and consider the pros and cons first nowadays. This was due to the action scenes in “Two Weeks”, where falling into a river or being in car accidents would potentially cause a major accident.
The energetic actor mentioned that he enjoyed preparing for his “Thank You” Asia Tour Fan Meet as it is a chance for him to express his gratitude to all who have showed him unwavering support in all his years in showbiz. It’s not too hard to decipher why the title of the Fan Meet is a simple “Thank You”, but you can indeed feel it from his preparations in the things he would want to showcase.
He enjoys singing and dancing a lot and it is a time for his fans and audience to see a different side to him at his fan meet.
Asking him to choose between being a better dancer vs a singer, he chose the former.
He felt that fans may love him singing ballads more but he felt that he can have more fun doing fast tracks and he could portray that better. Well, we can tell he loves dancing especially, with all that 扭腰摆臀 =X He’s considered quite flexible and does have a flair for dancing, given that he is not a trained dancer.
Well, we can see how he enjoyed dancing to the upbeat tunes of Big Bang and Twice’s TT.
Who else can be as 风骚 and as good as he is when it comes to dancing to TT?
His favourite sport is soccer and he quoted himself as being like a puppy who will run around with the ball. However as he ages (gracefully), he starts to take on other sports such as golf in recent months.
After thoughts:
If u ask me, he doesn’t seem like those who will 耍大牌. But off screen, he is also as nice to his fans to collect every single letter n gift one by one at the AP and he is well known for fan service. I haven’t read any reports throughout the years that say he is bad to the media or fans. It was only the initial phase in 2005 when he was the hottest in Korea and Asia because of “King and the clown” where he admitted to having this big-headed issue.
However, over the years, it’s plain to see how much he has grown not just as an actor, but also as a person. He’s become more mature and knows how to face his fame and popularity in a more positive note and makes it his motivation to become better.
Throughout the interview, you can tell he is those who is very open, jovial and likes to chat. He’s not the uptight kinda person or would be scared of whatever question u may throw him.
He had been on interviews since morning till 5pm when this ended and he was still on all smiles when he went from ballroom to ballroom to change his attire. He would just go through the doors quietly and open the doors himself.
It was only when he went off in the buggy to prepare for his rehearsal, that took us a little aback.
The fans suddenly hoarded and mobbed him, just like how the zombies in Resident Evil tried to catch hold of their prey. Well, can’t be helped since he was on all smiles sending flying hearts to those waiting for him outside the venue.
Nonetheless, we do hope that everyone do take care of their own safety and his safety.
Albeit a short interview with many restrictions, I am still grateful that we had the chance to watch him upclose 10 metres from the stage.
May I have another chance to meet him up close again and hope it doesn’t have to be another 12 years before he comes to Sunny Island again.
And we were definitely hyped up for the next day’s actual fan meet!
Stay tuned for more updates of the Fan Meet!
