Actor Ahn Jae-wook mentioned the differences between him and his wife, Choi Hyun-joo.
On July 31, an interview with actor Ahn Jae-wook was conducted at a studio in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, ahead of the ending of the KBS 2TV weekend drama "For Eagle Brothers" (directed by Choi Sang-yeol and Lee Jin-ah, written by Kwon Hyun-sook, produced by DK E&M).
Ahn Jae-wook plays Han Dong-seok, the chairman of LX Hotel who is born with a diamond spoon and has been widowed for 15 years in "For Eagle Brothers," showcasing a variety of charms ranging from his prickly tsundere appeal to his late-blooming pure love characteristics.
"For Eagle Brothers" started with a viewership rating of 15.5% (nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea) in its first broadcast, reaching a peak of 21.9% in the 40th episode. It consistently recorded 19-20% ratings, gaining popularity. The drama was extended by four episodes due to its hot popularity and concluded on the 3rd with the 54th episode.
What about the family's reaction to the drama's hot popularity? Ahn Jae-wook recalled, "They liked it. My eldest child is in the 3rd grade, so there haven't been many chances to see mom and dad on stage or on TV. It's not that we keep the TV on at home, but it's cool to see the performances. They find it fascinating that people recognize mom and dad. It makes them feel proud."
When asked about his plans after the drama ended, he said, "I think I need to take care of the kids. My wife has started performing, so now I have to watch them. Also, the kids have a vacation in August. How the ending date aligns perfectly is interesting."
When asked if he plans his schedule considering his wife Choi Hyun-joo, a musical actress, Ahn Jae-wook said, "We are not actors who produce that much to adjust our schedules. But we do plan. Once a performance schedule is set, we discuss some distribution, saying 'I'll join at this time' and things like that. We don't specify things like 'I'll work from this month, and you from that month.'"
When asked about the advantages of being an actor couple, he said, "But we don't really talk technically. My wife studied vocal music, so she probably has some curiosity about the stage. If I say, 'Expressing is difficult' or 'The director said this,' she doesn't explain every detail. That's not her style."
Ahn Jae-wook said, "There are similar cases when I explain, which leads to double casting or triple casting. When one interprets it in their own way, it adds more fun for the audience. Technical support is meaningless. Even if there are three different interpretations, don't get anxious; just believe in yourself and do it. Teach me how you handle going off-script."
Ahn Jae-wook's MBTI is 'ENTJ' and his wife Choi Hyun-joo's is 'ISFP,' indicating that their types are completely different. When asked if this might be complementary, Ahn Jae-wook explained, "When it's good, it's complementary; when it doesn't match, both are stubborn." He added regarding his wife's reaction to the drama, "She doesn't analyze it in detail. She just thinks, 'People like it, so that's good.' That's not how she looks at the acting."
When asked if there's any jealousy in romantic acting as an actor couple, Ahn Jae-wook laughed and said, "There's none for us. We hug and kiss people on stage, so if we were jealous, we wouldn't be able to work. Jokingly, when I say, 'I will kiss Gwang-sook,' it's actually our daughter who doesn't know how to react. My wife just asks, 'Is that good?'"
Ahn Jae-wook, who often watches performances with his daughter, said, "I didn't realize what being an actor was when I was younger. When I was a kid, I only considered easily accessible jobs like doctors, firefighters, or police. But I took my child to performances often. Since they've been watching major performances since they were 8, they find children's theater boring and feel the shabby stages and poor environments, which leads to growth as an actor."
He continued, "When a child actor appears in mom and dad's work, they wonder, 'How old is that sister to do that? Is that allowed?' They think that if they set their mind to it, they could become actors someday."
When asked if he would allow his child to become an actor if they wanted to, Ahn Jae-wook replied, "Honestly, I hope they don't, but I don't need to possess that thought preemptively. I can't predict where their interests will lie, and I haven't checked if they have talent in art or if they like moving around. Until they reach the lower grades, I just let them attend play and physical education-oriented academies, like dance, skating, or swimming. I just want to establish a culture of doing homework and self-study."
When asked if their educational views are similar, Ahn Jae-wook shook his head and said, "We fight all the time. It's so different. My wife is a typical model student, the kind who sits in the front of the classroom staring at the teacher for an hour. I wonder how anyone can listen to one person's story for an hour. I'm curious about what my friends did yesterday and what we'll do next."
Ahn Jae-wook also stated, "We wake the kids up at 6 a.m. If they wake up at 6, they do their homework for that day until 7, have breakfast at 7, and if there's time left before school, they finish their work to make the afternoon easier. I can see they're young, so it might be delayed or postponed. The biggest difference is flexibility."
Ahn Jae-wook commented, "When I tell the kids to relax, my wife asks, 'So, are you going to take responsibility and handle everything? If you're confident, do it your way.' In those moments, I should back off. But even though we're talking about it now, I actually can't refute what my wife says because everything she says is right. It's not unreasonable. So, I can't refute her; I just tell them to take it easy."
Meanwhile, Ahn Jae-wook married musical actress Choi Hyun-joo, 9 years his junior, in 2015, and they have one son and one daughter.
[Photo] Provided by JAYB Entertainment, Choi Hyun-joo's SNS.
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