Kim Bum talks about playing a villain in Tale of the Nine-Tailed

South Korean actor Kim Bum was interviewed by Elle magazine recently where he talked about his acting career, his role in tvN’s Tale of the Nine-Tailed and more. During the interview, the actor talked about his character in the drama, Lee Rang.

In the interview, Kim Bum shared his thoughts on his “Tale of the Nine-Tailed” character, Lee Rang. “When I think of Lee Rang, I also think of the death drive, ‘Thanatos,’” the actor said, referring to the concept of aggressive or self-destructive behaviour. “Lee Rang was abandoned by love, so he’s a character who has a deep desire for destruction.”

He said that he wanted his character to be an ambiguous kind of villain who viewers would not be able to hate. He added, “Villain roles tend to add more fuel to my desire for expression.”

Speaking about trying out a character who gets involved in action scenes and experiences intense emotions, Kim Bum said with a laugh, “I really wanted to do a melodrama. But I think it felt more freeing to me because there weren’t any romantic parts. I was able to express my emotions without being restricted by a certain relationship.”

Reflecting on his 15th year as an actor, Kim Bum said, “There was a time when I thought that my career wasn’t right for me, and I was caught up in a dilemma, but after I joined ‘Tale of the Nine-Tailed,’ I felt endless joy and interest in my work for the first time in a while.”

He concluded, “I was stuck sitting in one place for a long time, but now I’ve brushed myself off and gotten up.”

Born on July 7, 1989, Kim Sang-bum, better known by his stage name Kim Bum is a South Korean actor, dancer, singer and model. He is best known for his roles as F4 member So Yi-jung in Boys Over Flowers, guardian angel Lee Gook-soo in Padam Padam, villainous CEO Lee Ro-joon in Mrs. Cop 2, and half-blood gumiho Lee Rang in Tale of the Nine-Tailed.