If We Were Us follows Eun-ho and Jeong-won as they reunite after ten years and confront feelings they never fully resolved. After meeting on a flight from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Seoul, the two look back on their relationship from their days as friends 15 years earlier to the present.
Moving between a love that began when all they had were dreams and the lives they built afterward, the film delicately portrays one facet of youth.
Koo Kyo-hwan plays Eun-ho, a game designer, and grounds the film with a character who feels true to life. His natural performance invites viewers to see echoes of people from their own memories.
Rather than explaining the character, Koo focuses on making him feel alive within each scene. He credits the director's guidance and his rapport with his co-star.
“Director Kim Do-young's direction was very detailed. I tried to adjust the emotion differently for every take. At times, I became so immersed during filming that I cried. My co-star had a major influence as well.”
Koo joined the project because he trusted his collaboration with director Kim Do-young.
“Director Kim Do-young was a senior colleague I respected, and I was certain that working with him would help me portray Eun-ho well.”
The film is based on Us and Them, but Koo focused on finding new emotions rather than reproducing the original.
“I haven't seen the original yet, but I've heard it is an excellent film. This screenplay felt like a gift, so I approached the remake with that mindset. I plan to watch the original after our film opens.”
Koo carefully considered how to portray Eun-ho naturally ten years later.
“I don't think Eun-ho fundamentally changed after ten years. Just as your old self comes out when you meet a longtime friend, I tried to perform him naturally.”
Eun-ho's failure to find work affects the people closest to him, a situation that also connects with the actor's own experiences.
“Because it was fiction, I could look at it from a step back. There are many failures, but we keep trying nonetheless. I don't believe failure is the end.”
Koo considers the ending a happy one because it values each character's growth more than the outcome of the romance.
“Parting well is a happy ending. The same is true of Eun-ho finding success and becoming a father. It feels like a film that shows how to say goodbye well.”
Koo's acting philosophy centers on thorough preparation and sustained effort on set.
“Acting comes from effort. I prepare responsibly and search for the approach that fits each scene. I want to be an actor who feels like someone the audience knows.”
Moving between acting and directing, Koo continues to pursue storytelling. Audiences will be able to see his directing again in Your Country, a collaborative project with director Lee Ok-seop.
“My goal is to direct and act in the same project. It is still difficult, so I am training. I want to keep acting and directing, and I would also like to try stand-up comedy.”
“My ultimate goal is to make a masterpiece that I both direct and perform in. I still have a long way to go and keep thinking about it. Honestly, it remains difficult, so I see myself as still in training. When I act, I want to direct; when I direct, I want to act again. Someday I definitely want to try stand-up comedy too. I am afraid of what happens if no one laughs, but I still want to do it. There is clearly a special pleasure in telling a story.”