"I just watched the completed version of the film for the first time since filming, and I was very satisfied as scenes in the film were almost similar to what I had imagined," the 43-year-old actor said in an interview with Aju Press in central Seoul early this month. "It is always a great joy to see audiences bursting into laugher at scenes in which I appear."
"Pilot," directed by young filmmaker Kim Han-gyeol, is about a pilot who loses his job due to inappropriate remarks about women. Cho plays the lead role who disguises himself as a woman to hide his identity and return to the cockpit.
When asked if he has a list of criteria for choosing projects, Cho said, "The first feeling I get while reading a script is important to me." Regarding "Pilot," he recalled, "I found the overall storyline intriguing enough to inspire me to take on the challenge of portraying the cross-dressing man."
Apparently it was a huge task for him to play the character in women's clothing, but it was not a whole new world for Cho, in fact as he has played the lead role of the Korean adaption of Broadway's perennial rock musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" since 2006.
But the stumbling block came from something he hadn't anticipated. "I had to alter my voice to a feminine tone. Rather than resorting to exaggeration, I opted to utilize the uppermost range of my voice," Cho said.
"Pilot" comes after his previous hit comedy "Exit" which attracted over 9 million moviegoers at the time of its release in 2019. When asked about the pressure of comedic roles, Cho admitted, "I feel a lot of pressure," saying that he is not that funny in real life. "If I were solely responsible for comic elements in films, I wouldn’t be able to manage," he said. "But with interactions with co-stars and other actors, things can be different. The key to success seems to lie in the chemistry between actors."
Cho, whose acting career now spans about 20 years, said he still loves what he is doing for living. "This job requires me to be endlessly imaginative and creative, which is what I love most about it,” he said. "I feel happy when I see fans enthusiastically respond to creative stories and interesting ideas, just as I do. That's what motivates me to keep moving forward as an actor."
"I believe failure can be a stepping stone to success if we learn from it, so I do not afraid of failure and will keep trying even if I fail," he said. "I don't want my days to be regretful because I didn't do my best."
"Pilot," a perfect choice for viewers seeking a light-hearted escape from the summer heat, is scheduled for release on July 31.
