Kang Dong Won feels grateful after becoming part of the film, Broker.
The Busan-native started his career in 2000 as a model after graduating from Hanyang University with a degree in mechanical engineering. He then accelerated in the industry and became an actor through his debut TV series, Country Princess.
After two decades of working as an actor, Kang Dong Won already has nearly 30 titles under his belt. But his recent project, Broker, became a gamechanger – thanks to director Koreeda Hirokazu and IU.
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Kang Dong Won Praises Director Koreeda Hirokazu
Broker is the first Korean film by Japanese director Koreeda Hirokazu. It explores the story of baby boxes where people can leave their babies anonymously if they can no longer provide for them.
Kang Dong Won and Song Kang Ho lead the film by playing Dong Soo and Sang Hyun’s roles, respectively. They are two brokers who set up the baby boxes.
In a new interview, the actor applauded director Koreeda Hirokazu’s style as it is reportedly close to indie films and genre films. For Kang Dong Won and the cast members, the directing style was more comfortable while filming.
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Before working together in Broker, the actor and the filmmaker reportedly met for the first time seven years ago at the Japanese Roppongi Hotel.
“After that, we set up a separate meeting and began [our relationship] by saying that we should work together if there’s a project worth doing [for the both of us]. The director said he’d write a synopsis and get back to me. The next time we met, he sent the synopsis and we met again to talk about it, and that’s how we ended up working together,” he went on.
Kang Dong Won Reflects on Working With IU
Elsewhere in the interview, he was asked whether he gave IU acting advice. Kang Dong Won playfully responded that he got “his own fish to fry.”
The actor showered the eight singer instead and revealed that she did well in acting, and he was impressed as it was their first time working together.
“Ji Eun [IU’s birth name] played with Doo Na and Joo Young and I played with the old man [Song Kang Ho]. Also it was the [height of the] pandemic when we were filming and there were no gatherings so we couldn’t meet up. Even while promoting, we were busy promoting as soon as we went to Cannes and as soon as we came back,” he went on.
Their performances led them to have a spot at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Broker competed for the Palme d’Or but failed to bring home the grand prize.
Still, Song Kang Ho got the Best Actor award, becoming the first Korean male to win the acting award at the film festival.
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