10 Craziest Method Acting Behind Great Performances
2. Choi Min-sik Did His Own Stunts (Including The Octopus) - Oldboy
Perhaps the only film to make you feel immense sympathy for a small octopus (or, for accuracy, four small octopi). Oldboy is a bruising, visceral film with many wince-inducing scenes, but perhaps the most unpleasant moment is a simple scene in a sushi restaurant.
Lead actor Choi Min-sik visits the eatery on his release from captivity, and wishes to eat a living thing. He does just that: in an unflinching shot, he gobbles down a small octopus in just a couple of bites. The octopus does not want to be eaten; even after its head is bitten off, its tentacles fight on, wriggling in protest.
Choi Min-sik did this for real, four times. A Buddhist, he prayed for each of the molluscs as he did the deed, which was likely minor consolation if any. On top of that, he gained and lost a substantial amount of weight, and trained to perform the majority of the stunts seen in the film - no mean feat.
A role like Oh Dae-su is one which necessitates immense dedication, and director Park Chan-wook got that in spades from his leading man. It was worth it, but Choi will no doubt stay away from seafood for the foreseeable.