‘Number One’ reunites Jang Hye-jin and Choi Woo-shik after ‘Parasite’

Every production holds many perspectives. Even in the same place and time, directors and actors can experience the moment differently. “Choi Song-hee’s B-Cut” looks beyond the on-screen “A-cut” to the vivid record of what happened off camera. By weaving together interviews with directors and actors, it reconstructs the “B-cut” moments that were often more intense than the finished frame. <Editor’s note>
Reunions can be risky, inviting complacency. But on the set of the film “Number One,” familiarity appeared to fuel growth. Jang Hye-jin and Choi Woo-shik, who played mother and son in “Parasite,” worked together again, while director Kim Tae-yong reunited with Choi a decade after “Giant” (2014). Instead of easing into old rhythms, they leaned into new demands, including the challenge of speaking in the Busan dialect and pushing through emotionally difficult scenes.

Jang said the second collaboration with Choi brought comfort — and a new respect for him as a fellow professional.

"People might think that’s why he was cast, but I think that’s a separate issue," Jang said. "Because it’s our second time meeting, there’s a comfort in thinking we know each other well. We don’t have to go through the process of getting to know each other like you do with actors you meet for the first time. Watching Woo-shik again, I thought he’d gained a lot of know-how. There were moments when I was watching the monitor and the thought popped into my head: ‘I want to do it like that.’ He also seemed to feel more responsibility for the set and looked after people around him. And he really looks like my real son, which helped me immerse myself. He really does!"

Choi said Jang’s voice reminded him of his own mother, helping him connect more deeply in scenes where the two exchange emotions and dialogue more often than before.

"She kind of resembles my mom. Even her voice tone is similar, so it was easy to immerse myself while acting," Choi said. "This time we had a lot more scenes where we traded emotions and lines, so it felt like we got closer, and I saw sides of her I hadn’t seen before. I think I’m just lucky. I’ve known the director since ‘Giant,’ and I’ve been close with Jang since ‘Parasite.’ The subject matter can be heavy, but on set we laughed a lot and had a really fun shoot."

For viewers who remember “Giant,” the reunion between Kim and Choi carries added weight. Choi recalled meeting the director when Kim was 27 and Choi was 24, and said the director recognized how much he had changed over 10 years.

"When we met on ‘Giant,’ the director was 27 and I was 24," Choi said. "Back then we shot with almost no rules, and it was really hard, but it was still enjoyable. This time I went in expecting a lot. The difference is we’re about 10 years older. The director would say, ‘You’ve grown so much, you’re all grown up, now you’re an actor.’ I think it’s because I didn’t have any of that back then. I had a pure heart that wasn’t worn down by the world, and that makes me trust him more."

Jang described Kim as candid and upbeat, and said she would work with him again.

"The director is honest and keeps the mood light," Jang said. "Because it’s a story about people, his own story inevitably comes through. ‘Giant’ reflected how he felt then, and now it’s reached ‘Number One.’ If he asks to do another project next time, I think I could do it anytime. It was a really good set."

Behind the warm reunion, both actors faced a major hurdle: the Busan dialect. Choi said using the dialect while playing intense emotions felt daunting, but he wanted to challenge himself and relied on guidance on set.

"I was most worried about the Busan dialect," he said. "I thought it would be really hard to use it while doing emotional acting. This time I wanted to challenge myself. A dialect has to tell you how that person has lived. Having to go to intense emotions on top of that honestly felt scary. When I actually did it, it was really hard, but thankfully the director and my senior were there, and a lot of people watched over me."

Jang, who is from Busan, said the hardest part was balancing authenticity with clarity for viewers. She also pointed to costume details that helped complete her character, Eun-sil, including a light-blue fleece left behind by her son in Busan.

"Because I’m from Busan, people told me that if I spoke in a real dialect they couldn’t understand it," Jang said. "The hardest part was adjusting how understandable to make it. I worried people might say, ‘You’re from Busan and that’s all you can do?’ But regional emotion is in your body, so I tried to go naturally. Costumes helped a lot, too. I wanted to keep the setup that Eun-sil comes out wearing the light-blue fleece her son left behind in Busan."

Choi said he had long avoided what he called a “jinx” around heavy emotional scenes, fearing sadness would linger. On “Number One,” he said, Jang’s performance helped him face it directly.

"I actually have a jinx about emotional acting," Choi said. "I avoided filming sad things because I felt like I’d fall into a swamp and become unhappy. But I couldn’t avoid that scene. Watching the mother change because of Ha-min was really hard. But Jang guided me well, so I just had to receive the emotion. I think that’s why the acting could come out naturally."

The film’s foundation, they said, is the trust built over years — not the comfort of familiarity, but a shared willingness to test limits. Their reunion, shaped by long working relationships and new challenges, became less a return to the past than a push forward.