Actor Seo Beom-jun shared witty reflections after finishing the SBS Friday-Saturday drama Would You Merry Me.
In the SBS Friday-Saturday drama Would You Merry Me (directed by Song Hyun-wook and Hwang In-hyuk, written by Lee Ha-na), which ended on the 15th, Seo Beom-jun played (former) Kim Woo-ju, a perfect son-in-law type with neat looks and polished speech who betrayed his long-term girlfriend Yu Meri (Jung So-min) and had an affair with rich girl Jenny (Lee Soo-min), was jilted and served as the core of conflict that led to the catastrophe.
In particular, in the final episode, episode 12, (former) Kim Woo-ju (Seo Beom-jun) used his marriage certificate with himself to pretend to be a fake couple with Kim Woo-ju (Choi Woo-shik) and demanded reconciliation from Yu Meri, who had won a Botte Palace prize worth 5 billion won, but when he failed, he held a press conference to bring down the fourth-generation Kim Woo-ju of Myeongnyun-dang, showing the epitome of pettiness. However, on the day of the press conference, (former) Kim Woo-ju was sued for 10 billion won by the Botte Department Store legal team for defamation and obstruction of business, and later shed remorseful tears for hurting Yu Meri, resulting in a comeuppance ending. Moreover, (former) Kim Woo-ju drew attention with a warm ending by informing Yu Meri that his mother Cheon Eun-sook (Kim Young-joo) had visited Go Pil-nyeon (Jung Ae-ri) and delivering a sincere apology.
Below is a one-on-one Q&A with Seo Beom-jun
Q. The drama Would You Merry Me ended amid much love. Please share your thoughts on finishing the work.
A. Now that the work is finished, the feeling that remains strongest is gratitude. Because viewers joined and loved the show, the drama Would You Merry Me could exist. Watching the live broadcast every Friday and Saturday night with tension and anticipation was something I did, so I think I will feel empty from next week. It was really fun reading viewers' comments and reactions. I think this was the period when I received the most and the most varied insults in different languages. Later, they called me not the "former" Woo-ju but the "fake" Woo-ju, the "knockoff" Woo-ju.
Q. In expressing the oddly charming (former) Kim Woo-ju, who provokes anger yet cannot be entirely hated, was there anything you especially focused on or prepared for?
A. First, I sincerely acted all of his feelings: that he loved Yu Meri, that he wanted to return to her, and that he felt remorse, not just as a light philanderer ex-husband. And even if his excuses might seem absurd to a third party, I tried to find reasons to understand all of (former) Kim Woo-ju's words and actions. I also aimed to show the cute and immature sides of a younger man so viewers could chuckle, saying, "ugh, that guy is doing it again," when (former) Kim Woo-ju appeared. I tried to balance provoking anger while making him hard to hate.
Q. While playing (former) Kim Woo-ju, was there a moment you were personally satisfied with?
A. No role can be 100% satisfying, but I prepared and acted so I would not regret each scene. I think the most important thing when acting is that my intention and purpose are conveyed to viewers, and I was most proud when viewers followed (former) Kim Woo-ju's narrative and cursed and sighed along. I hoped that even if he was hated, at least one in ten would find him hateful but not entirely hateable and find (former) Kim Woo-ju endearing, and I'm glad that goal seems to have been achieved.
Q. How was the set when you worked with co-stars Jung So-min and Choi Woo-shik? If there are memorable episodes from working together, please share them.
A. Because senior Jung So-min was Yu Meri and senior Choi Woo-shik was Kim Woo-ju, I could live more fully as (former) Kim Woo-ju. They truly were Yu Meri and Kim Woo-ju. When acting with the two seniors, we freely shared ideas from rehearsal, creating richer scenes. There were many ad-libs even in the hospital scenes. The action of being hit by (current) Kim Woo-ju in episode 9 was not in the original script but was created during rehearsal. So being on set with the two seniors felt even more thrilling.
Q. Among the many scenes in the work, are there scenes you are particularly attached to or moments that left an impression?
A. I remember the scene in the café where Yu Meri discovers the affair, the hotel scene, and the scenes watching Yu Meri and Kim Woo-ju. The café scene was a long scene of about seven to eight minutes, and I thought that within those lines were the character, personality, and overall tone and manner of (former) Kim Woo-ju, so I tried to vary the delivery. When I was dumped by Jenny at the hotel and watched Yu Meri and Kim Woo-ju, I unexpectedly felt jealousy and anger despite knowing I was wrong, and perhaps because of those impulsive feelings, those scenes stayed with me.
Q. Is there anything you would like to say to (former) Kim Woo-ju, whom you played?
A. My painful little finger Woo-ju. Now pull yourself together and live hard for your happy future! With your perseverance and passion, you can do anything. I believe in you. I will always support you. Be happy, Kim Woo-ju!
Q. Through this work, what new insights or growth do you think you gained as an actor?
A. In a way, (former) Kim Woo-ju is the first villain role I've taken. Characters who are cheered on and loved are great, but roles like (former) Kim Woo-ju are also necessary for those characters to exist. At first I worried, "What if I only get insults for his absurd actions?" but soon I wanted viewers to curse him even more freely. On the other hand, I was grateful to be called the nickname I'd wanted, "pretty trash." Even though people said they couldn't stand him, they were happy that because of (former) Kim Woo-ju, Kim Woo-ju and Yu Meri's love developed quickly and ignited. Through this experience, I now feel a burning desire as actor Seo Beom-jun to challenge more diverse characters.
Q. As an actor, is there an image or goal you want to show going forward?
A. I've often heard, "Was that him?" Being seen differently for each character is a great compliment for an actor, and I'm always grateful. I want to become an actor who can give viewers the anticipation and trust to say, "I want to see Seo Beom-jun in this role," and "How will Seo Beom-jun transform this time?"
Q. Finally, please share a word of thanks for viewers who watched Would You Merry Me.
A. Because you all joined us, Would You Merry Me could shine even more. Thank you sincerely. You may have hated (former) Kim Woo-ju a lot, but he will pull himself together and live hard, so please cheer him on! I will greet you again in another work and another character. As the line goes, "When great fortune came into my life, I believed I would soon be happy, but it was created more from anxiety than stability; when loneliness crashed like a tidal wave, I got lost and wandered. But perhaps all those sad and anxious times were the path toward you," both (former) Kim Woo-ju and Seo Beom-jun will always cheer on all the paths you take. Thank you once again sincerely.
Meanwhile, the SBS Friday-Saturday drama Would You Merry Me, in which actor Seo Beom-jun gave a passionate performance, ended with episode 12 broadcast on the 15th.
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