Actor Lee Je-hoon said he practiced dancing for his 'idol manager' sub-character.
On the morning of the 19th at a café in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, SBS's Friday-Saturday drama Taxi Driver 3 (directed by Kang Bo-seung | written by Oh Sang-ho | produced by Studio S, Group Eight, BN Entertainment) held Lee Je-hoon's end-of-series interview.
Through Taxi Driver 3, Lee Je-hoon played Kim Do-gi, delivering stories with a scale upgraded from seasons 1 and 2 and a more spectacle-driven narrative, serving as the central pillar of Rainbow Transport. In particular, he returned this season with an even more realistic sub-character, increasing immersion.
When asked about memorable sub-characters that day, Lee Je-hoon opened up, "I felt a heavy burden from the very start of the episode. There were many sub-characters shown in seasons 1 and 2, and I worried about what differences and spectrum I could show compared with those sub-characters, and that challenge continued from the first episode." He added, "It was a bold attempt for me. I was worried about how viewers would receive it, but nevertheless I trusted the viewers' belief and support in the performance."
Lee Je-hoon said, "There were external aspects of the character that were burdensome, but there were also Japanese and English lines. In episodes 3 and 4 there are external changes, but there are character aspects that I had never tried before that stand out, and I worried about how people would view those parts," adding, "I think I carried it out with the belief that if I enjoyed what I characterized and set up, it would come across as entertaining to viewers."
He went on to speculate, "In the idol episode, the writer probably dug into my past and saw videos of actor Lee Je-hoon dancing at fan meetings or in front of people, and thought they should use that, didn't they?"
He then confessed, "There is an anecdote about an actual manager who was in charge of idols, and the writer captured and incorporated that. It was a considerable burden, and I thought, 'So this is what must be done.' In some ways, there are dark aspects to look at in the K-pop industry, and while it's good that those are used as entertaining elements, this is an episode that can make people aware of issues, so it was a challenge and I think it may be an episode that will not be shown again."
When praised that his dance skills were considerable, he recalled, "If I had started earlier I might have shown better dance moves, but it was certainly hard. I learned firsthand that girl group choreography is difficult and that not just anyone can be an idol," and, "I practiced for almost a month. Practicing twice a week, I had to learn and express body movements I had never used before, and that took time. I practiced while crying."
Looking back on the idol manager episode, Lee Je-hoon said, "Originally, there was no setting in the episode where the manager danced. But the cinematographer showed me a video of a manager who danced at a stage rehearsal and said, 'There is this; it would be funny if Do-gi did it,' and I was startled."
Lee Je-hoon confessed, "I thought Do-gi's image wasn't clear but it would be fun. When the writer wrote it, I felt what was meant to come had come, and since I couldn't avoid it I decided to enjoy it. I approached it with the mindset of doing it properly if I was going to do it."
Combined with these efforts, when season 3 ended and requests for a rush into season 4 came in, Lee Je-hoon said, "Many people left comments in real time or posted clips on YouTube about season 4, so I was very glad and encouraged. I think, including myself, the people of Rainbow Transport probably don't want to part. We want to meet again, and that feeling is strong, but there have been no concrete discussions conveyed. I'm also in the position of a viewer waiting."
[Photo] Provided by Companion
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