On March 21, 2026, Korean actor Gong Yoo held a Masterclass at Cinema La Compagnia in Florence as a special guest at the 24th edition of the Korea Film Fest. The Masterclass was held at 11:00 a.m., but people lined up hours in advance to secure the best seats for the long-awaited meeting with the international celebrity. I was able to attend as an Honorary Reporter, and it was a truly moving and engaging experience. Gong Yoo, now in his 25th year in film, retraced the years that marked a turning point in his career. He spoke about himself through his roles and engaged the audience in an informal conversation, moderated by Caterina Liverani, during which the actor seemed very comfortable discussing his emotions and his involvement with the projects he has participated in throughout his long career.
After a brief greeting in Italian, Gong Yoo began talking about the beginning of his career. He stated that his dream wasn't to be an actor initially; he'd dreamed of becoming a commercial producer and being behind the camera lens, but once he entered drama and theater school, he had the opportunity to put himself on the other side of the camera and never left. From one program to the next, he began to feel the need to convey his emotions as well as mere information. The series that brought him to fame was Coffee Prince, aired almost 20 years ago, as he reminded us, pleasantly surprised by how many people had seen it even nowadays, after asking the audience directly when they had seen it for the first time. Coffee Prince is a 2007 series, a product with many episodes, the likes of which you don't see many these days. From a first impression of this project that was ambiguous, as it was still a romantic series and therefore potentially a "light project," it turned out to be a story that goes beyond the usual stereotypes of the love story to instead tackle deeper themes, such as the protagonist's identity crisis when he realizes he's fallen for the female lead, whom he thinks is a boy. Gong Yoo made a thoughtful reflection on the matter, declaring, "I'm heterosexual, so with this role I asked myself a lot of questions. So I haven't had any experience of homosexual love, but at the end of filming, one thing I gained was the concept that in the end, love is the same, the principle of love is the same." The large audience's applause was inevitable for this beautiful message about the equal importance we should give to the love we feel for a person, regardless of sexual orientation, which was the strong point of this cutting-edge series, directed by a woman at a time when such themes were not a given, especially in Korea.
Gong Yoo then spoke about Goblin, a series that turns 10 this year and is undoubtedly the most beloved by viewers, judging by the audience's enthusiasm during the conversation. He immediately said yes to this project, as he found the script impeccable. To justify the series' enormous international success, the actor said it was a combination of three important elements: it was a serie with a great script, a great director, and a great cast.
Other films were also discussed, among them a special mention goes to Silenced, undoubtedly one of the most challenging films of the actor's career. The actor explained that the story is written in a novel by Gong Ji-young, which Gong Yoo read while serving his military service. Once he discovered that it was based on true events, he decided to contact director Hwang Dong-hyuk (who later directed Squid Game), who had initially turned it down but later accepted the project given the importance of this topic. The film deals with a weighty subject matter, which is why Gong Yoo says he tried not to bend it to the needs of the industry, but to maintain coherence and respect in the narrative.
During the Masterclass, Councilor for Culture Giovanni Bettarini presented the actor with a parchment of recognition from the city of Florence, signed by Mayor Sara Funaro, for his long and productive career, on behalf of the city administration. In reading the parchment, Gong Yoo was described as "an ambassador of Korean talent in the world and an exceptional interpreter of contemporary sensibility," and it is hoped he will continue to appear in international theaters, inspiring the entire world. This official moment made the meeting even more significant, underscoring the cultural bridge between two countries that a festival of this kind seeks to create, which for 24 years has brought the best Korean films to Italian theaters, as well as distinguished guests who offer insights into Korean culture.
That same evening, the festival was also hosting the screening of Train To Busan, to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Gong Yoo opened the screening with a final farewell to the festival. In the morning, during the Masterclass, Gong Yoo stated that he accepted the role in this movie immediately after reading the script, thinking it was perfect. He wanted to participate in such an original project, given that zombie films were usually a Hollywood exclusive, and he thought that the fact that Yeon Sang-ho had previously worked primarily in animation would contribute to the film's spectacular nature. Train To Busan, set inside the KTX train carriages, effectively captured the attention of audiences at Cannes, becoming an instant cult, and the sold-out screening on March 21 in Florence demonstrated the power of seeing a film on the big screen. During the screening, which for a few was the first and for many the umpteenth, everyone shared the same emotions, laughing, crying, they were scared and it was perfect because cinema is born as sharing and that is how it must continue to live, a moment that I choose to share with many people I do not know, but who will experience as many emotions as I do when watching a film.
How about this article?
- Like2
- Support0
- Amazing0
- Sad0
- Curious0
- Insightful0
