Actor Hong Jong Hyun expressed his thoughts on being brought in mid-production for Positively Yours.
On the afternoon of the 13th at The Link Seoul Hotel in Guro-gu, Seoul, Channel A held a press conference for its new drama Positively Yours. Director Kim Jin-sung and actors Choi Jin-hyuk, Oh Yeon-seo, Hong Jong Hyun and Kim Dasom attended the press conference and spoke.
Positively Yours, based on the web novel of the same name, is a reverse-run romantic comedy about a one-night escape between two people who vowed there would be no marriage in this life.
In the work, Hong Jong Hyun plays Cha Min-wook, an assistant manager in the sales team at Tae Hanju Liquor and a male friend who is like a soulmate that Hwi-won turns to for advice whenever she is struggling. After leaving a strong impression with intense acting in his previous work, he said, I had been craving bright, fun genres after my last project, and when a good opportunity came up I joined. I had briefly shot with the director in the past. I had such good memories from then that I was happy to film.
When asked what charm he would show in this work, he said, Basically Min-wook is very kind, considerate, reliable, and someone who takes good care of you when he is beside you — a friend with a warm heart. That setup itself stands in stark contrast to the character I played in my previous work, so acting on set with that information wasn't particularly difficult. I think the reason is the co-actors helped me. It had been a while since I laughed and acted warmly on set, so I filmed in a good mood.
Originally actor Yoon Ji-on had been cast as Cha Min-wook and had begun filming, but after reports of a drunk driving arrest and his subsequent departure, Hong Jong Hyun was brought in mid-production and scenes were reshot. When asked whether he felt any pressure about that, Hong Jong Hyun admitted, It would be a lie to say I felt no pressure. I did feel pressure. They had already rehearsed together, so I wondered if I could fit in. I worried whether I would only be a burden. Actually, I'm fortunate that I had briefly filmed with the director and senior Oh Yeon-seo in the past. The parts weren't large, but that day I met the two of them for the first time. I liked the feeling on set then. It stayed with me personally, and I thought if time allowed and there was a chance later, I would like to work with the two of them.
He added, I wondered whether it would be greedy of me to want this in this situation, but after meeting the director and talking, the conclusion was it was worth trying. I judged that if I worked with these people, I could do it. All I could do was prepare hard within the allowed time. When I arrived on set, everyone helped me. From the staff to Choi Jin-hyuk hyung, who said, Thank you for making a difficult decision. Because of the thoughtful care in case I might be nervous or not adapt, I was able to do better than I had prepared.
Director Kim Jin-sung also said, There was an unexpected variable, but I thought let's turn it into an opportunity, and added, In the past I told Hong Jong Hyun and Oh Yeon-seo when we filmed together that I wanted to shoot a romance with the two of them. I thought it was a chance sent from above, so I made what might have been an unreasonable request. I thought it would be good to work together amid memories and crisis. They accepted well, and now it has become a turn of fate, producing better quality in a better environment.
Meanwhile, Positively Yours will premiere on the 17th at 10:30 p.m.
[Photo] OSEN reporter Lee Dae-sun
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