Actor Gong Myung (31) has returned with 'The History of Confession,' capturing the excitement of first love.
The Netflix film 'The History of Confession' is set in 1998, where 19-year-old Park Se-ri plans a strategy to straighten her lifelong complex of curly hair before her once-in-a-lifetime confession, getting entangled with transfer student Han Yoon-seok, depicting a youthful romance. It recorded 6.2 million views within three days of its release, ranking third in the global (non-English) film category.
Gong Myung plays the role of Han Yoon-seok, a transfer student who is one year older than his classmates and gradually becomes attracted to Park Se-ri, who he accidentally gets involved with.
Gong Myung expressed his surprise at the global ranking, saying, "I was shocked to see it at number three. Since it's a work I love, I felt good. I'm in a good mood."
When asked about his reason for participating in 'The History of Confession,' he said, "It was so cute and lovely. From a third-party perspective, it's been a while since a youth romance was presented as 'genuine' rather than a remake. I really wanted to do it because it was a genre I had been longing for. I thought the character Yoon-seok was a perfect fit for me to show my youthful side. After watching it, I immediately said I would do it."
Playing a high school student in his 30s was not easy. He paid attention to his appearance to pull off the school uniform after a long time.
Gong Myung said, "Wearing a school uniform means there's an age difference with my friends. I monitored how I could look the same as them. I tried to lose weight. I already took care of my skin, but I tried to take even better care of it."
Regarding the 1998 setting, he mentioned, "That era has appeared in quite a few other works. I have seen it through other projects and acted while thinking about the feelings I had back then. Before we started filming, the director and everyone listened to songs from school trips or popular songs from that time to immerse ourselves."
What was his actual high school experience like? Previously, Gong Myung's younger brother, NCT's Doyoung, made headlines by saying, "My brother was the Guri F4."
In response, Gong Myung shyly said, "I wouldn't say I was unpopular," adding, "My brother talked a lot about it. Since he is two years younger than me and we went through elementary, middle, and high school together, I might have seemed bigger in his eyes."
He commented on his chemistry with Shin Eun-soo, saying, "It was really good."
He continued, "Eun-soo is really talented. I felt there was a lot to learn from her. She has a great passion for acting. I saw her working really hard during the sign language performance in the drama 'Shining Watermelon' on YouTube. She really puts in a lot of effort on set. I also tried hard not to fall behind. So, there was synergy, and I think it blended well into the work. Whenever I talk about 'The History of Confession,' I tell everyone that she is a really good actress. I learned a lot from her. We had great chemistry."
What was it like to act out first love with Shin Eun-soo? He said, "I felt really excited even when holding hands. When I said I really liked her and dropped Se-ri off in front of her house, the feelings of reluctance to say goodbye resonated with me."
He added, "We talked a lot about the first kiss scene with Shin Eun-soo. We discussed how to approach it. The kiss scene was the most challenging. I hoped the viewers would feel excited. So, I pondered a lot on set."
Having mostly worked with seniors in previous projects, Gong Myung took on a senior role in 'The History of Confession.'
He mentioned that being the 'senior' on set was a big responsibility, saying, "Since I was the oldest senior compared to previous works, I thought about the seniors from those projects. I acted in an environment and atmosphere created by them. I also thought about how I could lead on this set while trying to mingle with my friends. There was pressure, but I learned a lot."
He shared, "When I was in 'Danta-ra,' I remember it being fun and lively when my peers were around. If the set felt chaotic, I would try to calm things down by saying, 'Hey guys~.' There were many scenes with dodgeball or group shots, so I wanted to focus during filming."
Since his debut in 2013, Gong Myung has appeared in dramas such as 'Danta-ra,' 'Drinking Solo,' 'Bride of Habaek 2017,' 'I Like It When You Smile,' and films like 'Some Viewpoints,' 'To Hee-ya,' 'Search Out,' and 'Gibang Doryeong.' He became a ten-million-view actor with the film 'Extreme Job' and has been active since his discharge in 2023.
This year alone, he has appeared in dramas 'One Week Before I Die,' 'Please Take Care of My Alcohol,' and 'Square.' Including 'The History of Confession,' he has appeared in a total of four works.
Gong Myung expressed, "When I thought about what kind of activities I wanted to pursue after my military service, I wanted to do many projects. I hoped the characters I portray would be diverse. I am very grateful for this year. I am thankful that I have filmed many projects and that four of them have been released this year." He added, "I still think it's a time when I need to do more. I believe that will help clarify what kind of actor I want to become."
He also mentioned, "Although I wore a school uniform in previous works, in 'The History of Confession,' I wear a school uniform almost throughout the film except for the ending scene. I think this work shows my youth. In that sense, I feel that Han Yoon-seok is a character that leaves a fresh and vibrant impression in my filmography."
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
