"Parasite" Star Choi Woo-shik Opens Up on New Film, Marriage Plans

Actor Choi Woo-shik is reuniting with two of his key collaborators from Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning masterwork Parasite. He stars alongside veteran actress Jang Hye-jin in the upcoming cinematic release "Number One," helmed by acclaimed director Kim Tae-yong. The project notably marks Choi's second collaboration with Kim, arriving more than a decade after their landmark 2014 indie feature Set Me Free.

Sitting down for an intimate interview at a cafe in Seoul's historic Samcheong-dong neighborhood, Choi spoke candidly about the psychological pressure of working with Kim once more, his unique maternal bond with Jang, and his evolving personal philosophy regarding marriage.

In "Number One," Choi portrays Ha-min, a young man who discovers a mysterious digital countdown appearing on his body each time he consumes his mother's home-cooked meals. Tragically, the digits decrease with every single dish. Upon realizing that his mother, Eun-sil (played by Jang Hye-jin), will pass away the moment that counter hits zero, he proactively distances himself from her in a desperate attempt to preserve and extend the time she has left.

"I think I feel considerably more nervous than I usually do ahead of a premiere," Choi admitted. "Because this is my second outing with director Kim Tae-yong, there is an inherent creative pressure to demonstrate significant artistic growth compared to our first film." He added that the project feels profoundly intimate. "I am stepping out into the marketplace with my own face and name anchoring this story, holding the director's hand. That naturally makes the stakes feel much larger."

He also reflected on Set Me Free, the 2014 coming-of-age drama that originally solidified his credentials as a serious dramatic actor. "Honestly, I actually turned down Set Me Free three or four times initially," he revealed. "The script required so many intense, raw emotional sequences that I genuinely wasn't confident I could execute them." He admitted that signing onto this new project was similarly plagued by hesitation.

"I think I voiced a substantial amount of doubt early on during this development phase as well," Choi shared. "Set Me Free brought me an unexpected amount of critical love and industry accolades, and I fiercely wanted to protect that collaborative relationship." He explained that he harbored anxiety about the potential narrative that their second joint effort had failed, noting that he had intentionally been trying to avoid emotionally draining, exhausting roles in recent years.

However, once production officially commenced, his internal hesitation vanished completely. "The exact moment we started rolling the cameras, those anxieties dissipated," he said with a laugh. "The director and I share a deep personal friendship, so communication on set was entirely seamless. I quickly realized I had simply been overthinking the entire dynamic." He noted that the duo intentionally maintained a lighthearted atmosphere between takes, careful not to let the film's heavy emotional themes suppress the overall energy of the crew. "Both the director and I acutely felt how much time had passed," he reflected. "The stylistic tone of his filmmaking and who we are as individual people have matured substantially."

Because the film includes a poignant sequence where Ha-min discusses the logistics of marriage with his girlfriend Ryeo-eun (played by Gong Seung-yeon), the interview naturally shifted toward Choi's real-life views on the milestone. "The vast majority of my close friends are now married, and many of them have started families," he observed, noting that this social shift naturally prompts him to evaluate his own timeline. Still, he emphasized his current priorities: "Because of the relentless nature of this profession, there are still a multitude of foundational life experiences outside of marriage that I haven't gotten around to yet, so I remain open to various possibilities."

Choi explicitly clarified that he holds no opposition toward the institution of marriage. "I don't think I've ever truly sat down and over-analyzed marriage as a calculated choice," he said thoughtfully. "My perspective could shift at any given moment, and when the right time manifests, I’ll make the appropriate decision." He added that there is a systemic reason why many actors in his age bracket remain single. "When a grueling project finally wraps, your immediate priority is rest, and within that repetitive cycle, you inadvertently end up missing out on developmental milestones that should otherwise feel completely natural."

"To the general public, it might sound like, 'What does a prominent celebrity have to complain about?'" he mused. "But there are baseline milestones that regular individuals enjoy as an absolute given, and we frequently bypass them due to our schedules. That is a distinct reality of this job." He concluded, "It's an ongoing dialogue I’ll keep having with myself. I do believe marriage is a definitive choice one should eventually make, but I will continue to wonder when the optimal timing truly is."

Choi's tone warmed noticeably when discussing his on-screen reunion with Jang Hye-jin. "People have remarked to me constantly that I closely resemble her real-life son," he shared warmly. "I had actually seen photographs of her son dating back to our Parasite days, and the physical resemblance is uncanny, which immensely helped me immerse myself into the role." He added that their natural vocal registers synchronized effortlessly, enhancing their cinematic chemistry.

He noted just how vastly the industrial environment had shifted since their days on Bong Joon-ho's set. "Back then, everyone kept a sharp focus, leaving little room for casual communication," he recalled. "On the set of 'Number One,' however, we engaged in an immense amount of creative dialogue and exchange, and that collaborative process itself was incredibly fulfilling. I didn't feel a shred of external pressure. If anything, I viewed it as a golden opportunity—since we couldn't fully explore our relational chemistry within the narrative boundaries of Parasite, this time we could execute it properly."

For Choi, this cinematic reunion is less about revisiting a comfortable, familiar pairing and more about measuring how much both he and his creative circle have evolved in the decade since they first began. "Number One" is scheduled to debut in South Korean theaters nationwide on December 11.