Rain: Interview about "Speed Racer" and his career

The Korean Superstar Discusses His Role in the New SPEED RACER Film.

As part of the publicity tour for SPEED RACER, Rain took part in a round table interview in Los Angeles on April 25. Rain answered questions in both English and Korean, with translation assistance from Lena Shin. Rain at the SPEED RACER press interview:

Rain: Thank you for coming. I’m very honored and thankful to be here. It was great working with the Wachowski brothers, and it’s an honor to be here promoting this movie.

Question: For American audiences who are just getting to know you, what would you like them to know about you… something that maybe defines who you are?

Rain: First of all, I don’t try to wrap myself up in a pretty bow, and I hate being pretentious. I think being honest is the best policy here, and when I don’t know something, I’ll admit it. I try to be pretty open, and just be myself. If there’s anybody that admires me as a role model, I think that’s the best way to represent myself: being honest and being who I am.

Q: In America, Asian males are often stereotyped; typecast as not highly sexualized figures… something that you might be trying to change. I was wondering if you could talk about that.

Rain: Well, what I’m trying first is to carry out both my singing career and acting career together. SPEED RACER being the first American film that I’m in, it is a very lucky thing for me since it’s helping me tremendously to break into the American entertainment industry. I’m preparing an album in English as well, so I think that might help introduce me to America. I think the result is more important than the process, so as long as I put my effort into the process the results will show eventually.

Q: Regarding SPEED RACER, was the original Japanese MACH GO GO GO anime series popular in Korea?

Rain: Yes. It is very popular.

Q: Were you a fan of the cartoon before you got offered the part in the movie?

Rain: Actually, I didn’t watch it, but I knew it was very famous.

Q: Tell us about your character, Taejo Togokahn.Friend or foe? Taejo (Rain) throws a punch at Speed (Emile Hirsch) but isintercepted by Racer X (Matthew Fox).

Rain: In the original cartoon there was no Taejo character; he was invented by the Wachowski brothers for this movie. It’s actually a very important role. On one side he’s kind of dark, and on the other, he’s supportive of Speed, because he helps Speed get an entry ticket for the final race. Over all, I think the character is a good guy because he genuinely enjoys the moment when Speed wins. I asked the Wachowski brothers “Why am I so happy for Speed?”, and they told me maybe they’d show why in the next movie. [laughs]

Q: Did you sign a contract for another SPEED RACER?

Rain: I signed a contract for 3 years but that doesn’t guarantee there will be another movie. Also, most of the things in the contract are confidential so I can’t say much about it. [laughs] I suspect that if there is another SPEED RACER, I’ll have a bigger role.

Q: What was the biggest challenge in coming to Hollywood?

Rain: Working with the Wachowski brothers made it pretty easy, because they don’t differentiate between the starring roles and the supporting roles. They give all the actors concrete ideas for their characters and treat everyone as equals.

Q: Wasn’t it a risky choice to do this movie because your performance may be overshadowed by the fame of the Wachowski brothers?

Rain: I don’t believe they would’ve chosen me if they didn’t think I could deliver a strong performance. They looked at me closely when I auditioned for the role, and during filming I did my best to live up to their expectations. No matter what kind of a movie and role I get, if I like the film I’ll do my best even if it’s only for a single scene. I chose to be part of SPEED RACER, even though it’s a supporting role, because I would rather be a small player in the major leagues than a star player in the minors. It still feels surreal working with them. I’m currently doing another project with them, NINJA ASSASSIN, and I think I’ll be in the next SPEED RACER as well.

Q: How did you train for an English speaking role?

Rain: I believe, since I’m Korean, it’s pretty obvious that I wasn’t able to speak English in the first place. For an American citizen, it’s taken for granted that you have to speak English, but I’m not an American so I was kind of intimidated to speak English. I was thinking “What would other people think?”, and “Maybe I’m not pronouncing things right”, or “Maybe my grammar’s not right”. But then I started to think that my position was pretty good, since this was a perfect opportunity for a Korean to learn English. So, when I auditioned with the Wachowski brothers, I said to them, “Right now, my English might not be perfect, but if you guys wait and see, I’ll do my best on my acting. My English will improve and you’ll see me doing very well.” The Wachowski brothers didn’t cast me strategically, thinking that I’d market well. They really cast me because they believed in me and had trust in me.When I first saw Susan Sarandon [Mom Racer] on the set— I was her biggest fan when I was young— so I went up to her and said, “Hi, Susan. I’m learning English, so I might just make a mistake in grammar or pronunciation. Would you please correct me, because I’m going to try speaking in English?” And she helped me out. My English is improving day by day, and by the time NINJA ASSASSIN is released next year, I’ll be much better than I am now.Sorry about that… it’s a long answer. [laughs]

Q: What actors do you draw inspiration from when you do your acting? Do you have any favorite actors that you try to emulate?

Rain: Do you know Scarface? Yeah, Al Pacino, he’s my favorite. I grew up watching Hollywood action films and I always thought maybe one day I’d be in one, and my dream came true. I’m very happy.

Q: You’ve had some great success as an actor/ singer at a fairly young age. You’re one of the big stars in Asia, and now you’ve got your foot in Hollywood movies. What is your final goal?

Rain: Right now, for me, my primary goal is to see SPEED RACER at #1 on the US box office. I’m not the star, but I am one of the important supporting roles, and being in a great movie that becomes number one would be a dream come true. I’m not allowed to drink right now because I’m in training for NINJA ASSASSIN, but I really feel like I should go out and have a drink. [laughs]

Q: Do you fear for your longevity, ten years, twenty years from now? And what are your thoughts and plans to maintain your success?

Rain: With SPEED RACER now, and everything I’ve done in the past, I’ve given my all. There’s going to be NINJA ASSASSIN and my English album next year, and I’m gonna do my best to put NINJA ASSASSIN at the top of the box office, and the album at the #1 position in the charts. Whatever I do, I’m very lucky to be in this position, but I believe nothing is impossible when I put my mind to it. Maybe, this isn’t related to the question, but in 20 or 30 years when my popularity has faded, I’ll be able to look back and be glad. It’ll be mission accomplished.

Q: What’s the first thing you want to do, if you return to a normal life after being a celebrity?
Rain: I’m gonna hit on every girl, as many girls as I can.
Thanks, have a great day.

Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Warner Bros.
Official Site: Speed Racer The Movie
Special Thanks to Gemma Cacho, Warner Bros.
As shown on: www.scifijapan.com