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kim-jonghyeon · 2 years

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Ren - "Every moment of NU'EST activities was genuine, I'll become a great artist" (X's Interview - 3)

[source - This is the third part of a three-part interview. Part 1, Part 2]

Ren (Choi Mingi), who plays Hyunbin in the musical Bungee Jumping of Their Own, shows his affection for his sunbaes who cherished and took care of him.

"Leo-hyung (Jung Taekwoon), who plays Inwoo, went down the musical path as an idol and has been in a lot of productions so he knows how hard it is. That was the first thing that he made me understand. He gave me a lot of advice about different things, like the attitude that I need to have moving forward so I can be acknowledged in musicals. He also taught me about the basics. (Jo) Seongyun-hyung told me to focus on the scene every time it changes. Don't overthink and just stay true to the scene. There were a lot of times when I couldn't see things from up close, so that was a huge help.

(Lee) Changyong-hyung gave me a lot of life advice as an actor and as a person. He talked a lot about his own experiences. I'm 28 now, which is quite a confusing period, I think. We had a lot of deep conversations about what life is going to be like from now on. We also drink often. Though we're 12 years apart in age, we can communicate really well. I also have a mature side. I can be childish, but underneath all that, I have some deep thoughts."

Ren debuted in 2012 as a member of NU'EST and then as a musical actor when he was chosen to play the lead in Jamie (2020). With Hedwig (2021), which has starred famous actors like Jo Seungwoo and Jo Jeongseok, and now with Bungee Jumping of Their Own, he is building is filmography.

"When I was in Jamie, I think Director Shin Seorin and the audience went easy on me. I take responsibility for my work though. I think my tendency towards perfectionism has led me this far. Hedwig helped a lot. My energy was literally explosive and pulled me along with it. The show's running time was about 2 hours and 40 minutes. There's no intermission. I worried if I could do it at first but somehow I was already doing it. I worked so hard I was bleeding."

Bungee Jumping of Their Own gives off a distinctly different feel from Jamie and Hedwig, which have a more showy atmosphere as musicals.

"I always carry the energy I had when I was in Hedwig. I have an explosive energy and I love just letting it out. Jamie and Hedwig really suited me. In Bungee Jumping of Their Own, I'm playing an 18-year-old. Just from looking at parts of it, the feel was so different that I worried whether I could do well. Even though I was scared, I had a strong mindset to take it on. We only live once, right? I want to try everything and live an interesting life."

Having done three shows, he's definitely grown a lot.

"The first Jamie show feels different from the first Bungee Jumping of Their Own show. In Jamie, I felt like I had to put the fire out quickly, let's put the fire out first. I was so nervous and jumpy and tense. I was so busy putting out the fire in whatever scene I was doing, but now I've chilled out a lot. Experience is important, I think."

When asked about what he thinks his strengths are as a musical actor, he pointed to his explosive energy.

"I'm really happy that I'm able to show the public my energy. I've held in and pushed down a lot this whole time. When I was promoting in a group, there was the group image to think of, and I had a position and responsibility in the group, so I couldn't go overboard. I think I can be natural and have fun when it comes to musicals.

Later on, I want to try being in The Man Who Laughs. I watched (EXO) Suho-hyung in that show and I wanted to try it too. I also want to try Sweeney Todd. It's quite charming and has a really distinct style, and I think I can pull it off. I'm really good at acting like I'm possessed. Since my life is a musical, I'll be able to do it well."

He still gets along well with the NU'EST (Kim Jonghyeon, Aaron, Baekho, Minhyun, Ren) members even after disbandment.

"The members and I are on good terms. They haven't come to see Bungee Jumping of Their Own yet but they came to all my previous shows and said complimented me and said I did really well. Sometimes we talk about our lives when we go out to eat. I was able to go into musicals because I was in NU'EST, and it's given me so much help and experience for whatever I choose to do.

When I was promoting in a group, there were five of us, so there was someone for me to lean on, but now I don't have anyone to depend on but myself. When I was in a team, we could help each other when there was a problem, but when there's a problem on stage, I have to take care of it on my own. There's a big emptiness."

If NU'EST was the invaluable first act of Ren's life, he's now officially opening the second act as a solo artist.

"Like people's lives, nothing lasts forever. Though there's some sadness, I feel relieved and refreshed. I think every moment was genuine while we were promoting as NU'EST, and we worked so hard and gave our all. So I have no regrets. Expect that I'll keep doing my best moving forward, and I hope to become an influential artist who gives my fans good synergy while enjoying what I do."

In order to become a good artist, Ren is striving toward his own goals.

"I want to become a singer of a genre that only I can do. I usually like dance and pop songs more than ballads. Of course, at this point it's still a vague dream and quite abstract, but if there are people who'll accept and acknowledge me, I think it will be fun. As an actor, I want to touch people's hearts. Variety shows, dramas, movies - there are a lot of things I want to do."

[this is a fan translation by a non-native korean speaker and may contain inaccuracies. it has not yet been proofread or edited.]

#hope i got the romanization of the other actors' names right huhu #the way this article said we're going to respect the names nu'est wants to go by #a lot of the older ones still use jr #ren #렌 #최민기 #choi mingi #nu'est #nuest #뉴이스트 #shanibugi trans

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