Actor Kang Tae-oh erased the "Injo trauma" with a historical drama after six years through Moon River.
MBC's Friday-Saturday drama Moon River (written by Jo Seung-hee, directed by Lee Dong-hyun, abbreviated as "Moon River") ended after episode 14 (final episode) aired on Oct. 20. In it, Kang Tae-oh gave a passionate performance as one of the title roles and the male lead, Lee Gang. I met him at a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul, and talked about the work and his recent activities.
Moon River is a fantasy historical romance about a soul swap, in which the crown prince Lee Gang (played by Kang Tae-oh), who has lost his smile, and the head of the division of compensation, Bak Dali (played by Kim Se-jeong), who has lost her memory, switch bodies. The fantasy premise of the crown prince who lost his wife and smile and the head of the division of compensation who lost her memory leads to a romance that transcends the status of crown prince and commoner, unfolding against a modern and sprightly historical drama backdrop.
For Kang Tae-oh, Moon River is his first historical drama in six years since his 2019 appearance in KBS 2TV's Joseon rom-com Nokdujeon (abbreviated as Nokdujeon). Kang Tae-oh said, "Compared with before, it's such a global era that it's easier for overseas viewers to access it. I feel very grateful. Seeing reactions in English makes me think that not only Korea but many places abroad are showing interest. Also, because Moon River is a historical drama, I'm proud and rewarded to be able to aesthetically show traditional aspects of Korea," expressing his feelings about taking on a historical drama after a long time.
He also laughed, "I hadn't done one since 2019, so returning to a historical drama after six years made me anxious. The historical tone and fans who loved me may remember Yulmu from Nokdujeon. They would have high expectations, and I worried whether I could meet them. There are clip compilations on YouTube where I referenced the tone by watching the Yulmu I did, and I researched the character differently from Yulmu."
In particular, Kang Tae-oh laughed about the scene in Nokdujeon that suggested Cha Yulmu would later become Injo, saying, "A friend sent me that scene so I knew about it." Fans compared the so-called "Injo meme" that left a strong impression of Kang Tae-oh in Nokdujeon with Moon River. Kang Tae-oh said, "Rather than trying to erase Yulmu's impact, I thought separately about leaving a good dramatic impact for Gang. I saw that 'meme,' and friends joked that when I smiled in the scenes where I had a romance with Yeonwol five years ago, it was compared with Neungyanggun's smiling expression. That friend said it jokingly, so I couldn't help but be a little conscious. I didn't take it too deeply, though I did briefly take it seriously as an actor and wonder if I had expressed it wrong, but I laughed it off as a joke."
He continued, "Of course Moon River was much harder than Yulmu. There are parts where both Gang and Dali have to act and scenes with other characters, but there are parts where you have to know Gang and Dali's narratives deeply. Even though I act alone at times, things have to be agreed upon, and I had to convey my thoughts to Se-jeong. Solo preparation time was important, but there was a lot of collaborative work, so even when apart we called or messaged to ask if someone could read a part once or copy the tone. I was worried a lot during filming. During filming, Se-jeong, the director and I often checked, asking, 'Is this okay? Is there any sense of incongruity or awkwardness?' and monitored a lot. Even after shooting, I wasn't certain."
(Continued in interview ②)<
[Photo] Provided by Man of Creation.
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