Ryu Seung-ryong in 'Portrait of a Family': Never Letting Go of a Child's Hand, Never Clinging to the Glory of an Award [Interview]

[Financial News] A detective working undercover in a chicken restaurant kitchen made audiences laugh by shouting, "I've never tasted anything like this before" (the film 'Extreme Job'). A black ops agent who cried like a child after losing the wife he loved (the Disney+ drama 'Moving'). An ordinary office worker who finally came face to face with his own self only after losing the business card that identified him as a department head at a major conglomerate (JTBC drama 'The Dream Life of Mr. Kim'). These are the characters actor Ryu Seung-ryong has brought to life.
In the film 'Portrait of a Family,' which opens on the 2nd, he returns as Hwang Jung-gu, a man who becomes a father overnight. Jung-gu, once a star player in Korean baseball, falls to rock bottom after his daughter Dong-ju suddenly appears, leading to a breakup with his top-star wife Nam-mi, played by Ha Ji-won. Eight years later, when Dong-ju, played by Kim Si-a, is named a suspect in a case involving the death of a friend, Jung-gu's family reunites to save the child.
After watching the film, Jung-gu and his family linger in your mind. For Jung-gu, the child's presence turns his once smooth life into a muddy mess, yet he never lets go of the hand that has held him back.
When we met Ryu on the 25th at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, he said, "She must have thought, 'Why else would I come to someone as inadequate as him?'" He added, "The sight of that child standing on tiptoe to cook ramen is what keeps Jung-gu going." He explained that the pity he felt for the child ultimately moved Jung-gu.

Ryu has played fathers many times before in works such as 'Miracle in Cell No. 7' and 'Moving.' At first, he turned down 'Portrait of a Family,' worried that it would be another similar role with more crying. But he changed his mind after director Lee Ji-won sent him a five-page handwritten letter filled with sincerity.
"After reading the letter, I felt this was different from my previous father roles. I also felt challenged, as if I could bring out a side of myself I had not shown before. I'm grateful to the director for reaching out to me."
Lee, who directed 'Miss Baek,' spent six years writing the screenplay in a small exam-prep dormitory in Sillim-dong while preparing for her debut. Ryu described her as "someone who never lets anything slide." In fact, she carefully examined everything from the actors' shoes to the texture, color, and pattern of their costumes. Because they trusted her intensity and desperation, actors such as Kim Hae-sook, Kim Sun-young, and Kim Young-min also gladly became part of Jung-gu's family.
The family that emerged from that process is neither polished nor perfect. They resent one another, snap at each other, and clash at every turn. Even so, when they gather in one place, they bring laughter and a sense of warmth. Ryu said, "It makes you smile because it feels like, yes, that's a family," adding, "I thought the very fact that they were together was already a five-point hand."
In hwatu, bi-gwang is a bright card, but on its own it cannot score fully. Only when it joins the other bright cards does it come into its own. The same is true of the characters in the film. Each of them is scarred and diminished, but together they save one another. Ryu said, "Problems that suddenly come into your life are not necessarily bad cards," adding, "The film shows that if you move with sincerity and stay together, those cards can turn into good energy instead."

That line also mirrors Ryu Seung-ryong's own life. He began in the theater world and expanded into film in his 30s. After making his mark with 'War of the Arrows' and establishing himself as a leading actor through 'All About My Wife' and 'Masquerade,' he became a 10-million-ticket actor with 'Miracle in Cell No. 7.' But he also went through a string of box-office disappointments with 'The Piper,' 'The Sound of a Flower,' 'Psychokinesis,' and 'Seven Years of Night.' Before returning to the top with 'Extreme Job,' he experienced both the sweetness and bitterness of box-office success.
He reflected, "When things were going well, I never imagined they would go that well. And when things were going badly, I never imagined they would go that badly." Only after going through life's highs and lows himself did he learn that neither good times nor bad times last forever.
As is widely known, his wife's words at the time gave him great strength.
"When I was struggling, my wife said, 'Honey, this isn't a cave, it's a tunnel. If it's a tunnel, then light will come if you just go a little farther.' Once I thought of it that way, it felt manageable. Nothing good or bad lasts forever. I think it's best to leave plenty of room in your heart and accept things with flexibility."


After 'Moving' opened a second peak in his career by combining action, romance, and paternal love, he won the grand prize in the television category at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards in May for 'The Dream Life of Mr. Kim.' Even then, his gaze was directed downward rather than toward the mountaintop.
One of his rules when things are going well is to "prepare to come down right away." Even when 'Extreme Job' was riding its phenomenal box-office wave, he told his colleagues, "Don't show your teeth, and let's bow at 90 degrees."
Recently, he became bothered by the fact that the Baeksang Arts Awards acceptance video had remained at the front of his social networking service for too long. Looking for a way to bring that glory down himself, he volunteered to help promote the film 'Wild Sing,' starring his agency mate Oh Jung-se. Wearing a ridiculous wig and taking part in a challenge video where he sang "I Like You," he gladly shattered the image of a solemn award-winning actor.
"I manage my own Instagram. The Baeksang video had been sitting there for far too long. I wanted to push it down quickly. It was a good chance to support the film, too."

Even on the day of the 'Portrait of a Family' interview, his down-to-earth side came through. At lunchtime, he visited a sujebi restaurant in Samcheong-dong with Ha Ji-won and others, greeted the customer at the next table first, and even linked fingers with them while promising to meet again at the movie theater. A reporter who happened to be seated nearby and witnessed the scene also found it hard not to fall for the charm of such a lovable "middle-aged actor."
Ryu Seung-ryong's appeal is not limited to his ability to make people laugh and cry. Because he knows the bitterness of life, he does not become arrogant. And when he reaches the top, he thinks about the way down. Above all, he knows how to turn even his own glory into something to laugh about.
Just as Jung-gu in 'Portrait of a Family' stopped in his tracks after seeing the child's small back, Ryu Seung-ryong does not chase only the light in front of him. That is why his attitude toward life, and his sense of humor that makes even the descent from the summit beautiful, shine all the more brightly.
[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter