Bela Padilla’s Korean leading man Yoo Min Gon grateful for Summer MMFF nomination
MANILA, Philippines — Bela Padilla’s Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko leading man Yoo Min Gon scored his first acting nomination at the Summer Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
He was not the first foreign actor to be nominated at the MMFF though with Judith Chapman of the Eddie Romero film Desire setting precedent back in the ‘80s, according to MMFF spokesperson Noel Ferrer.
As of presstime, the winner for the Best Actor in a Leading Role category had yet to be revealed during the Gabi ng Parangal held yesterday, but the South Korean actor was up against Carlo Aquino (Love You Long Time), Elijah Canlas (About Us But Not About Us), Enchong Dee (Here Comes The Groom), Gerald Anderson (Unravel: A Swiss Side Love Story) and Romnick Sarmenta (About Us But Not About Us).
The biggest question following the announcement of nominees yesterday, which only the jury led by Golden Globe nominee Dolly de Leon could answer, was why Apag star Coco Martin failed to score a Best Actor nod.
Yoo, meanwhile, shared his happiness over being nominated, saying he gave the credit to Bela, who also wrote and directed the Summer MMFF entry, because without her “it would not have happened.”
He further wrote on his social media: “Oh wow, never expected this (because) I saw all the eight movies and other actors were all so good!!! Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart!!!”
In an earlier interview with select press, including The STAR, he described Bela as his lifesaver.
“I always say thank you to Bela. (I always tell her, ‘You’re my lucky charm, you’re like my mommy and best friend in the Philippines.’ A lifesaver,” Yoo, who previously appeared in the Korean films Unboxing Girl and Time To Hunt, said.
“I am really, really thankful (to her). She trusted me and she helped me get really comfortable on the set because I don’t speak Tagalog.
“We bonded really, really great… As a director, she’s really perfect. It was more like playing than working.”
Yoo also shared how he ended up as the male lead in Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko.
“Bela and I have a mutual friend, another Korean actress. I shot one of my films with her like five or six years ago. Bela shot Ultimate Oppa with her two years ago,” he recalled.
“Bela was looking for a Korean lead actor and asked my actress-friend to introduce me to Bela. That’s how we got together,” he said.
In the film, Yoo plays Gun Hoo, a fan of Bela’s character, Lisa, who was inspired to become a book author after watching a K-series. After showing up at Lisa’s book-signing event, he invites her to fly with him to Korea and explore the filming locations of her favorite K-dramas. It turns out, there’s more to this fan-idol relationship than meets the eye.
After his experience working with Filipino actors, including Lorna Tolentino and Boboy Garrovillo, and producer Viva Films, Yoo said he’s open to doing more projects in the Philippines. “I really like working here,” he said.
Asked what was his impression of the country prior to coming here, he shared, “The first images that came to my mind about the Philippines prior to doing this film, because I’ve never been to the Philippines until I started shooting, were mangoes and avocados because they’re really expensive in Korea and they’re not as good as here.”
He continued, “Obviously, the sea, the beaches. I was so like excited to come to a new country, a place I’ve never been to.”
It appears he’s enjoying his stay so far. He shared that he’s proud to be the first Korean actor to participate in the MMFF.
He’s also busy sampling local food and culture, sharing: “I’m trying a lot of Filipino food right now — I tried Sisig, Kare-Kare, Kwek Kwek, Pancit Palabok, Liempo, Crispy Pata, there are more but I can’t remember.”
Yoo is also having a taste of local showbiz while doing promo for his film, such as appearing in It’s Showtime and meeting main host Vice Ganda.
“Honestly, I didn’t know about Vice Ganda before I came to the Philippines. But there’s like a really, really close friend of mine and he’s a big fan of Vice Ganda,”
“I told him, I’m going back to the Philippines to do a promo, and he’s like, ‘Oh, do you know Vice Ganda, blah, blah, blah? If you ever get the chance to shoot with him, can you get me a picture?’
“So, when we did Showtime, during a break, I went to Vice Ganda and had a picture. I sent it to (my friend) and he is super happy.”
Meanwhile, Yoo expressed his surprise over Filipinos’ obsession with Hallyu or the Korean wave (K-dramas and K-pop music).
“I was super surprised,” said the actor, who spent a part of his growing-up years in Canada.
“Not only Philippines but worldwide, (foreigners) love Korean dramas and Korean pop. I thought it was very surprising because 15 years ago or 20 years ago, when I was a kid, Korean culture wasn’t popular.
“Even when I first moved to Canada, when they asked me where I came from, and I’d say Korea, not a lot of people knew about Korea. They didn’t even know where Korea was.
“But now, everyone knows about Koreans and they love our culture, our movies. I’m really, really thankful. I feel lucky. Korean culture has finally met its luck.”
- Latest
- Trending
