(continued from interview ②) actor Kang Tae-oh said through Moon River that he felt honored to receive renewed praise after the end of Extraordinary Attorney Woo and his military service.
MBC's Friday-Saturday drama Moon River (writer Jo Seung-hee, director Lee Dong-hyun, abbreviated as 'Moon River') ended its run with episode 14 (final episode), broadcast on the 20th. Among them, Kang Tae-oh gave a passionate performance as one of the title roles and the male lead, Lee Gang. I met him at a café in Gangnam, Seoul, and talked about the show and his recent activities.
Moon River is a historical fantasy romance about an exchange of souls, with Seja Lee Gang (played by Kang Tae-oh), who has lost his smile, and Bubosang Park Dal-i (played by Kim Se-jeong), who has lost her memory, swapping bodies. The fantasy premise of the shaes' and the lowborn's souls switching leads to a romance that transcends the statuses of the prince and the commoner, unfolding against a modern and buoyant historical drama backdrop.
Notably, this was Kang Tae-oh's first historical drama since appearing in the KBS 2TV drama Joseon Loco - Nokdujeon (abbreviated as Nokdujeon) in 2019. Kang Tae-oh said, "Part of the reason I did Moon River was because I wanted to show a historical drama of Kang Tae-oh six years later. It's such a good work. I kept it open without fixing the frame," he said.
In the meantime, Kang Tae-oh appeared in various works, but the most memorable was the 2022 ENA drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo (abbreviated as 'Woo Young-woo'). Playing the role of Lee Jun-ho in 'Woo Young-woo,' he became known as the 'national disappointed man' for the famous scene featuring the line "I'm disappointed." However, he enlisted soon after and completed his military service, which drew sympathy.
He said of enlisting immediately after the success of 'Woo Young-woo,' "I actually think it worked out very well. I had been thinking, 'I'll finish this, go to the military, come back and then refine things and start.' So I thought thanks to 'Woo Young-woo' I could start after discharge with offers still coming in."
In fact, Kang Tae-oh quickly returned after finishing his military service through the tvN drama The Potato Lab, released last March. Although The Potato Lab only achieved a peak rating of 2%, Kang Tae-oh said, "I do not regret it. It's a very good work. I was fortunate to meet many good actors and felt blessed. It was a challenge for me. I also learned things about acting. It was a work with a lot of learning. I received a lot of advice and lessons. I think I grew a lot while filming The Potato Lab," he said emphatically.
He said, "Because I placed great importance on the process and there was energy and learning there, I think I was able to finish Moon River well," and laughed, "Also, people who liked Moon River have been watching The Potato Lab. I don't feel sad or disappointed thinking they'll watch The Potato Lab someday."
[Photo] Provided by Man of Creation.
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