Actor Pyo Ye-jin spoke about her close relationship with actor Lee Je-hoon, with whom she has worked on the Taxi Driver series.
Recently, Pyo Ye-jin sat down for an interview about the conclusion of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama Taxi Driver 3 at a café in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Taxi Driver 3 is a private revenge drama in which the shadowy taxi company Rainbow Transport and taxi driver Kim Do-gi (played by Lee Je-hoon) complete revenge on behalf of wronged victims. In the series, Pyo Ye-jin played the accounting department employee Ahn Go-eun of Rainbow Transport.
Taxi Driver, which released its first season in 2021, continued through season 3 as viewers loved its satisfying revenge against villains. Having spent five years with the Rainbow Transport members, Pyo Ye-jin said she now often feels like they are family and added, "Even during filming I could feel that acting can be this free when you're already with people you're comfortable with."
She said, "Whether I throw something out there or the seniors ad-lib, it was freeing and fun because we could respond to each other as the characters. There were many scenes where I scolded the supervisors (played by Jang Hyuk-jin and Bae Yu Ram), but the seniors playfully took everything, and I was grateful. Even off set, when we went on location we ate together a lot, spent time together, our group chat is active, and we grew personally closer. It's a meaningful project that gave me precious people," expressing deep affection for the Taxi Driver series and the Rainbow Transport members.
In this season in particular, to fool villains she and the family-like Lee Je-hoon (as Kim Do-gi) performed a lovey-dovey couple act and showered each other with exaggerated displays of affection. Pyo Ye-jin recalled, "It wasn't hard at all. We became so close and comfortable that we thought, 'Oh, this is our setup.' It wasn't difficult to call each other 'jagiya' (honey), and Oppa and I bounced around to make the villains angrier, and we had fun filming it."
However, among viewers there is a substantial support base cheering for an actual romance between Kim Do-gi and Ahn Go-eun, not just the act to deceive villains. When asked whether the two characters might develop into lovers, Pyo Ye-jin candidly said, "I'm very grateful that people view their relationship so fondly. But I didn't act with romantic feelings."
She said, "That is not to say (for Ahn Go-eun that Kim Do-gi is) simply a family-like precious person; there is a specialness that goes beyond that. In reality I haven't experienced such a relationship, so it's hard to define, but Go-eun has lost someone precious in her life. For Go-eun, this person may be the most precious and most special. Right now there is no time to think about romantic feelings or dating, and even without that this person is already too special and precious. He is the one she worries about most and always trusts the most. I think it might be a different form of love."
She also talked about working with Lee Je-hoon. Pyo Ye-jin said, "Je-hoon oppa really works so hard on set. It's amazing that despite the large amount of screen time and action he doesn't get tired and gives three times his share. He is relaxed and playful with us, which made him feel like a responsible leader carrying the team, and that was reassuring. Watching Dogi oppa's endless sub-character play, I was often amazed at how he came up with those ideas. It made me feel I should work harder, and among us we always think we learn from oppa," she said in admiration.
Based on that passion, Lee Je-hoon won the grand prize two years in a row at the SBS Drama Awards for his Kim Do-gi character in Taxi Driver. Pyo Ye-jin said, "I secretly hoped he would win. When he actually received the award I was really happy. I know how hard he worked. I was as happy as if it were my own. His acceptance speech felt especially emotional, so not only I but everyone applauded. Afterward we exchanged 'you worked so hard' and 'congratulations' and wanted a long company dinner, but it ended so late everyone was tired and went home. We had planned to watch the Taxi Driver 3 finale together, but schedules didn't quite align, so we set a date to meet in January," she said, sincerely offering congratulations.
When asked about her own reaction to winning the excellence in acting award two years in a row, Pyo Ye-jin said, "I was surprised because I didn't expect to win since I had received it last season. I did put effort into my character in my own way, but I often felt sorry because others worked so hard on set. Since I often rode in the call van, I thought, 'Am I filming more comfortably?' So it felt like they said, 'You did well,' and I was grateful and also reflected, 'Did I really do well?'" she said, conveying the weight of the award. (Continued in interview②)
[Photo] Secret ENT
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