(continuing from interview ①) Actor Kim Eui-sung expressed his faith in Lee Je-hoon.
Recently, an interview with Kim Eui-sung, a lead actor in the drama 'Taxi Driver 3', was held at a café in Gangnam District, Seoul.
'Taxi Driver 3' is a so-called "private revenge agency drama" in which employees of the taxi company Rainbow Transportation, run by Jang Seong-chul (Kim Eui-sung), head of the victim support center "Bluebird Foundation", carry out revenge on behalf of wronged victims. Led by the taxi driver and former special forces officer Kim Do-gi (Lee Je-hoon), white-hat hacker An Go-eun (Pyo Ye-jin), new car development researcher Chief Choi Kyung-gu (Jang Hyuk-jin), and aerospace researcher Chief Park Jin-eon (Bae Yu Ram) act as "dark heroes" solving cases based on true events, raising public awareness and catharsis.
The drama, based on a webtoon of the same name, saw season 1 of 'Taxi Driver' rank fourth in favored programs in May 2021 (first among dramas at the time), season 2 reach first place in April 2023, and season 3 also rank first, making it a successful example of a serialized drama.
At a point five years after season 1. Reflecting on the past five years, Kim Eui-sung recalled, "Five years is not a short time, and when this drama first started it began in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a very dark story, and while it could be exhilarating in a way, I wondered whether ordinary viewers would accept such expressions."
On the chemistry with the actors, he said, "Everyone filmed comfortably and happily. If there is a different character from other dramas, we had to create an environment where our members could come in as hosts, greet people and leave. At first, we were all new. If we were busy thinking about ourselves, now we seem to be comfortably playing the role of the so-called proprietor. In that sense, I feel we've grown." He added, "Some actors only appeared in the new seasons, but the five members inside have continued unchanged. That's not an easy thing in this environment. I'm proud that we can do it together," expressing affection.
Asked about the strengthened chemistry developed over five years of working together, Kim Eui-sung laughed, "Rather than chemistry, I think each of us is changing little by little to resemble the characters we play. Go-eun is becoming increasingly fierce. She scolds people all the time. The chiefs seem to be getting dumber. They are more absorbed in the roles they play. I sometimes call her Yejin, but on set everyone calls her 'Go-eun.' It's like the relationships in the drama have come to dominate us."
He also showed affection for lead actor Lee Je-hoon. Kim Eui-sung joked, "He is the person who changes the least. He lives a life without mistakes that makes us not worry about this drama. He's so reliable. Because of Je-hoon, I won't quit."
He continued, "(Lee Je-hoon) is like a pillar that gives confidence. During this shoot I think I saw his stern side for the first time. It was a time when we had a lot of footage to shoot. The usable locations were limited, and the time was short. Once you prepare it takes a long time. Because we couldn't set up many alternatives, he moved with a producer's mindset." He added with a laugh, "I was a bit careful beside him. No matter how much older I am, I thought his sense of responsibility for the work is certainly different. Maybe I'm the immature one."
(continued in interview ③)<
[photo] Provided by An Company
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