When actor Go Soo is not acting, he does not do much of anything. He doesn't really have any hobbies, he says, and the time he spends not acting is often spent getting ready for a role.
In a recent interview with Ilgan Sports, the actor spoke about the different ways he prepared for his role as a troublemaking royal tailor in "The Tailors." To embrace his character he grew his hair long and actually learned to sew.
Changing his hairstyle was easier. As "The Tailors" is set in a time when men rarely cut their hair, he stopped getting his trimmed.
"I grew my hair for the movie from last October," he told Ilgan Sports. "The long hair you see in the movie isn't a wig. It's my natural hair. Because it was the first period film I acted in, I wanted it to look more natural than awkward. I thought my real hair would look better than a wig. Since I have never worn my hair long, I also wanted to take this chance to try it."
In the film he plays a libertine and genius designer named Lee Gong Jin. His character's unconventional designs attract attention and he becomes a designer at the royal court. There he gets to outfit the queen, played by Park Shin Hye, and his designs set off a rivalry among tailors. It's a rivalry with political consequences.
Since he was playing a Joseon-era fashionista, another way that Go Soo prepared for this role was to learn to sew.
"I used to do many things when I was young, but now I don't really have a hobby," the 36-year-old actor said. "That's why I came to be more interested in work where I can learn something new, just like I learned how to sew for this movie."
In real life he is not as interested in fashion as he used to be.
"I usually wear something ordinary," he said. "I like clothing that is not too loud."
He admits that he used to wear glamorous clothes when he was younger but now he prefers a simpler look.
Stills from the film show that he seems at home in Joseon-era clothing too.
The film, which also stars Yoo Yeon Suk, premieres on Dec. 24. This year Go See also appears in the short films "Awaiting" and Myohyangsangwan." His last drama appearance was in "Empire of Gold."
