Q. Your acceptance speech is always a hot topic.
A. Yeah. However, I really don’t know why! I say my speech, and when I come down the stage, I ask people around me, “did I make a fool of myself up there?”. Actually I don’t remember what I say on the stage. Although I’ve been acting for over 10 years, I still shake and tremble when I’m up there. In fact, right now, I’m shaking just the same [for being interviewed]. Even during the stage greetings [movies promotional tours at cinema theaters], I pretend to be calm and all smiles when in fact I’m trembling on the inside.
Q. Do you watch the videos of your speeches again?
A. Of course I do. And man, I do talk a lot!
Q. You spoke for over 5 minutes.
A. Last time, as I sat down after the speech, Song Joong Ki hyung told me, “ahh why did you make it long like that?!”. I asked him, “was it dull? Was it boring?,” and he told me that it was still fun [despite the length].
Q. Is there an award that you covet?
A. Actually, I’d like to receive a popularity award. Popularity awards and I are not friends (laughing). I’m not a good looking man to win such an award, still I wish that I’d receive it one day. [T/N: popularity awards are won by online/sms votes. Winners of these awards are mostly popular hallyu stars by the voting power of their fans abroad, not necessarily/not always the most popular stars in Korea. Sometimes they are even given randomly, causing some sort of controversies at times]
Q. Song Joong Ki is a colleague and a rival to you.
A. Descendants of the Sun was greatly loved for the characters alone. And it is still loved. That could be said about any work for Joongki hyung. I feel so amazed when I see him pull off roles that I’m so incapable of.