Actor Yoo Jeong-hoo shared his thoughts on playing a challenging character.
Yoo Jeong-hoo delivered a strong performance as Kim Ji-hoon in the KBS2 Wednesday-Thursday drama My Girlfriend is the Man (written by Lee Hae-na, directed by Yoo Kwan-mo), which ended on the 28th of last month, leaving an impression on viewers.
My Girlfriend is the Man (hereafter My Girlfriend is the Man) is a wild romantic comedy about girlfriend Kim Ji-eun (Arin), who suddenly becomes a pretty boy overnight, and boyfriend Park Yoon-jae (Yoon San-ha), who cannot give up on her. Based on a popular webtoon of the same name, the original work was also released in Chinese and Thai, proving its global popularity beyond Korea. Directed by Yoo Kwan-mo, who directed Police University, The Woman of 9.9 Billion, and Perfume, and written by promising writer Lee Hae-na, the series concluded last month on the 28th after 12 episodes.
Yoo Jeong-hoo made a radical transformation playing Kim Ji-hoon, the "biological alter ego" of Kim Ji-eun played by Arin. Kim Ji-hoon is a character who suddenly turns into a man because of family history, and he faces major crises in both his relationship with Park Yoon-jae and with those around him. Having built experience appearing in Bad Girl Friend, New Romance Playlist, Cheongdam International High School, and Assi Durian, Yoo Jeong-hoo anchored the drama with solid acting skills and delicate expression, leaving an impression on viewers.
After successfully completing his first leading role in a terrestrial drama through My Girlfriend is the Man, Yoo Jeong-hoo said, "This is a work in which I grew a lot both as an actor and as a person. Because it was my first time in such a big role in such a large production, expectations were high, so I felt a responsibility and wondered how I should lead it, how to make it well, and I grew a lot while thinking about those things. And in terms of acting, through communication with the director and fellow actors, we created better scenes and I realized the importance of communication. Previously, I only looked at the script and my lines, but through My Girlfriend is the Man my perspective broadened."
The role Yoo Jeong-hoo played was not easy. Yoo Jeong-hoo said, "When I first received the script I wondered, 'Can I do this?' and 'Am I too lacking to play this role?' but those worries were brief. Rather, when faced with the situation, I thought I could do it, and that if I could successfully pull off such a difficult character I would grow immensely, which made me eager to take it on."
He continued, "The original is Kim Ji-eun. So I thought all my mannerisms should be removed and the base should be Kim Ji-eun. I communicated a lot with Arin and even asked about small actions, like which hand she uses to eat and how she reacts when surprised, and when Arin said, 'If that friend were me, she would have done this,' I absolutely followed that. In the early stages when Kim Ji-eun had become Kim Ji-hoon, I believed the inner self was simply Kim Ji-eun. Since she hadn't been changed for long, she wouldn't accept it, so at that time I referenced the Kim Ji-eun character Arin built a lot, and later, because it was the process of Kim Ji-eun accepting Kim Ji-hoon, I created it myself. During that time I communicated with the director and tried to express it a little differently to match the period when Kim Ji-eun accepts Kim Ji-hoon," he added.
Yoo Jeong-hoo said he had unusual experiences, such as visiting a nail shop for the first time in his life because the character changed from female to male. He said he went to that nail shop introduced by Arin and added, "There was a scene where, from Park Yoon-jae's perspective, Kim Ji-eun and Kim Ji-hoon appeared to overlap, and when we filmed those scenes in the same space and positions but with overlapping shots, both Arin and I and everyone around us said the two looked alike. It was a strange experience that everyone recognized that, although they looked different on the outside, they appeared as one character."
The results of his effort showed up in praise. As My Girlfriend is the Man uncovered a treasure in Yoo Jeong-hoo, evaluations naming him as such continued, and Yoo Jeong-hoo became an actor everyone paid attention to. Yoo Jeong-hoo said, "I think childhood friends are the most objective and cold-blooded judges of who Yoo Jeong-hoo is, and my friends said, 'It seems like your acting changed dramatically in this work.' I'm grateful that many people commonly recognized the parts I worried about and worked on. There are many cases where effort doesn't lead to results, but even if the results aren't huge, I'm grateful and happy that everyone felt my effort and change."
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