Kim Nam-gil Breaks Down Trigger’s Most Electrifying Moments

Kim Nam-gil reveals how playing a rogue sniper pushed him to explore his character's darkest emotions and most primal instincts.
The actor discusses his intense preparation for the role.
From weapons training to mastering his character's brooding physicality.

When Kim Nam-gil takes on a role, he doesn’t just act—he immerses himself in the psyche of his character. In Netflix’s Trigger, a gripping action thriller about the chaos unleashed when illegal firearms flood gun-free South Korea, he plays Lee Do, a former military sniper forced back into violence.

The role made him reflect deeply on the power of guns—and the dangerous allure they hold, especially for the young and disenfranchised.

"If I Had a Gun When I Was Younger…"

The timing of Trigger’s release was eerily prescient, coinciding with a real-life homemade gun incident in South Korea. Kim addressed the uncomfortable parallel with caution. Still, the realism struck him.

"I didn’t anticipate that kind of situation when I made this work, so I would appreciate it if you treated it as a separate piece from the work. I heard that it was made with fantasy elements in our country, so I thought it might be something that could happen in reality, but I was surprised that something like that really happened,” said Kim Nam-gil, as quoted from Chosun, July 29.

The series explores a provocative premise: what if guns were suddenly accessible in a society where military-trained men technically know how to use them? The concept resonated with his own youthful frustrations. He admits to fantasizing about the weapon’s power—not for punishment, but as an escape from oppression.

"Half of the population can handle guns, and because it's a country with military duty, all men know how to handle guns. When I was young, I thought, 'If only I had a gun.' I think I imagined carrying a gun as an escape route,” Kim noted.

Yet, his perspective evolved during filming. Exposure to American gun culture made him question whether firearms could ever be tools of protection rather than destruction. But the series’ ending, which rejects cyclical violence, affirmed his belief:

"These days, values do change. It would be good to remove some of those dangerous elements for the children of the future," he mused.

Playing a Character Younger Than Himself—And the Pressure to "Look the Part"

At 45, Kim portrays a man born in 1988—a subtle but deliberate age gap that required physical and emotional adjustments. He chopped off his hair to embody the no-nonsense sniper, shrugging off vanity. Though he admitted feeling sheepish about playing younger.

"I didn’t want people wasting time on useless things.I thought, 'Actually, isn’t it okay to do this with someone my age?’,” he said.

But the industry’s bias toward youth nagged at him. "I wondered if they tried casting someone younger and it didn’t work out."

His solution? Lean into raw authenticity. The approach paid off, blurring the line between actor and character.

"I tried to highlight my natural wild side rather than preparing something special. When I play someone like this, I sometimes fall in love with him,” he noted.

The "Too Much Talker" Controversy—And Why Kim Nam-gil Won’t Stay Silent

Kim’s candor isn’t limited to heavy themes—it spills into his personal life too. When close friend Yoon Kyung-ho jokingly branded him a chatterbox, Kim fired back with mock outrage.

"I was extremely offended. They kept calling it a false accusation. Records are distorted, too. But in Kyung-ho’s case, I think he distorted both his memories and records at the same time," Kim recalled.

The feud might get a public showdown—Kim teased a variety show with Yoon and Joo Ji-hoon to "see who really talks the most."

But his loquaciousness has purpose. At fan meetings, he fills five hours with games, songs, and heartfelt conversations. He even dreams of a talk-centric event.

"They send me letters about their lives, and I share mine in return. I can’t keep it short. Psy does stand-up concerts, right? I want to show I can do it with talk too," he said.

Trigger isn’t just an action flick—it’s a mirror held up to societal tensions. Kim Nam-gil’s portrayal of Lee Do, a man torn between justice and vengeance, reflects his own philosophical struggles.

"We live in an individualistic society now. Punishing someone when social conditions are met… there would be no end to it,” he stated

For Kim, the role was a reminder that growth means rejecting old cycles—both onscreen and off. Whether debating gun control, defending his talkative nature, or embracing roles that defy his age, he does it with a blend of intensity and wit. And that’s what makes him unforgettable.

Trigger is now streaming on Netflix.