Korean pop sensation Rain joins a star-studded cast in Speed Racer — the live-action film adaptation of the anglicized version of Tatsuo Yoshida’s popular anime series, Mach GoGoGo — in theatres May 9.
Directed by the Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix trilogy), the film represents one of the first successful Japanese anime franchises and the first English-language film appearance for the Korean pop star in the United States.
Rain (born Jeong Ji-hoon) was already a heavyweight pop star in East Asia when he exploded onto the American music scene in 2006, selling out multiple performances in New York and Las Vegas. At the time, music critics speculated that he alone could herald a coming-of-age for Korean and Asian pop music in the American marketplace.
That same year, Time magazine named him as one of the “100 Most Influential People Who Shape Our World.” In the magazine’s online poll of the 100 most influential people of 2007, Rain trumped news-parody host Stephen Colbert for the top spot, sparking a playful feud filled with mock videos and dance-offs.
Although Rain made a name for himself as a singer, he is no stranger to acting. He starred in Full House, one of the highest-rated Korean dramas that garnered him the Best Actor Award at the 2004 KBS Acting Awards. In 2006, Rain also received rave critical reviews and a nomination at the Asian Film Awards for Park Chan Wook’s film, I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK.
In Speed Racer, Rain plays Taejo Togokhan, a competitor and character foil to the protagonist Speed (Emile Hirsch of Into the Wild). After initially feeling drawn to the film, Rain auditioned for the role.
“I’ve been a big fan of the Wachowskis since The Matrix, and I told them it would be my honor to work with them,” Raid said recently through a translator.
When discussing the differences between Korean directors and the Wachowskis, Rain remained diplomatic. He praised the creativity and talent of Korean directors, and noted the Wachowski Brothers’ vivid imaginations and apparent superpowers to turn fantasy into reality.
Indeed, given their preternatural adeptness with special effects, the Wachowskis might seem the best able to handle the challenges of transforming Japanese anime into a live-action movie. All of Rain’s scenes, and most of the film, were shot on green screen sets to separate the actors and composite them over other backgrounds. This technique resulted in literally a foreign environment for Rain as an actor.
“The first day of shooting was kind of weird because there was nobody [around], but [I had to] pretend there were a lot of people around me,” Rain said. “But after the first or second day, I felt a lot more comfortable and [there were] no problems.”
In the end, Rain found acting with the green screen more fun than acting on a set or on location. The racing scenes became his favorite, in which he had to really stretch his imagination and push his acting skills.
But what Rain really enjoyed about his first Hollywood film experience was the camaraderie he experienced with fellow cast members, including Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Matthew Fox, and Susan Sarandon.
Despite being a megastar in his own right, he was humbled by some of his fellow actors.
“I have been a big fan of Susan Sarandon since I was younger,” he said, adding that he had watched many of her movies and was ecstatic to finally meet her. “I cannot believe that we are friends now.”
Rain is currently working again with the Wachowskis on production of Ninja Assassin, where he will have a lead role — his first in an English-language film. From there, Rain intends to speed his influence on the silver screen in the same manner as his music career.
Stephen Colbert might just find himself left in the dust.
“Speed Racer” opens nationwide May 9.