Interview: Jinho Woo
South Korea-born actor Jinho Woo has been playing major roles in international theatre and film productions. Based in New York City since several years, Jinho Woo never stopped performing, and got to work with some of the most influential and talented people in his field, such as award-winning director Moisés Kaufmanthe, founder and artistic director of Tectonic Theater Project. He will be featured as the lead character once more, as ‘Trent Seong’ in the American featured film "A Place In The Dark". The movie, produced by Ifé Creative Works, is directed by the prestigious and award winning director, Robert O. Peters, a famous Nigerian film producer, director, and cinematographer, best known for directing the 2014 Nollywood breakout movie "30Days in Atlanta" as well as the movies Shades of Attractions (2015), Boxing Day (2016) and A trip to Jamaica (2016).
"A Place In The Dark" was filmed in the summer of 2019 in Boca Raton/Miami FL and it’s in its final stage of post-production.
We had the pleasure of checking in with Jinho and he was kind enough to respond to a few interview questions.
Tell us about your fall season so far! What are you up to?
I haven't been able to work since my working permit expired in May. I was mostly at my apartment working on the Visa work, reading and watching TV shows or movies. So nothing really interesting happened. And I've been staying at my apartment as much as possible because of the pandemic.
Biggest lesson learned in your career so far in acting?
This is a tough question because everything was a learning experience. But I think the biggest lesson I've learned and which I think is the most important thing for me was letting things go. It applies to a lot of things. For instance, if you try to be good in the moment while you're acting, you tend to push or get tense. You have to let go and trust the work you've done prior to the moment. Things that are precious will come out naturally. And of course, you always have to get used to letting go of the auditions you've done and being rejected.
Any mantras before a performance?
I always try to do a full vocal/body warm up before every rehearsal/performance/film shooting. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half. And for the last 10 minutes, I just sit still and check in with my body. See if there's any tense parts, clear my mind and focus on the character. It's almost like meditating. If it's a theatre performance, I like to be on the stage before. Feel the space and hear how the acoustics are that day.
What is your most proud on screen work you've been a part of?
I guess I can say it was the featured film I filmed last summer, "A Place In The Dark". It was the first featured film I was in as a lead role. It wasn't easy playing the character and I feel like I somehow pulled it through. I haven't seen the film yet since it's still in the post-production. But I can't wait to see the final result.
Biggest plan for 2021?
The biggest thing happening might be the film "A Place In The Dark" I mentioned above. They're planning on releasing and submitting to film festivals from Jan 2021.
Which platforms are you most active on and how do our readers stay connected with you?
On social media, I'm on both Facebook and Instagram. But I'm not really active on social media. Most of the posts I posted were work related. But if anyone's interested, you can find me on
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jinho.woo.12/
Instagram - jinho.woo
