Actor Chae Jong Hyeop conveyed his serious contemplation about taking on the project and his affection for the character through In Your Radiant Season.
The new MBC Friday-Saturday drama In Your Radiant Season, scheduled to premiere on Feb. 20 at 9:50 p.m., (planned by Namgung Seong-woo, written by Jo Seong-hee, directed by Jeong Sang-hee and Kim Young-jae, produced by Pan Entertainment) is a work that depicts an unpredictable "radiant" romance in which Chung, a man who lives every day like an exciting summer vacation, and Ran, a woman who has locked herself in winter, meet as if by fate and awaken frozen time.
In the drama, Chae Jong Hyeop plays Sun Woo-chan, an animator belonging to Can Animation Studio. Sun Woo-chan is a "born-to-be happy man" who carries bright and positive energy, but behind that he is a figure who holds pain and wounds. When Sun Woo-chan meets Song Ha-ran (Lee Sung-kyoung) again after seven years, he confronts unimaginable secrets and faces a new phase in his life.
Regarding why he chose In Your Radiant Season, Chae Jong Hyeop recalled his first encounter with the project, saying, "First, the logline caught my attention. The phrase 'What season is your life passing through now?' made me fall into deep thought." He added, "Not only the overall story but also the point that the past and present change into contrasting forms due to a particular trigger, and that love, people and growth are contained in that process, also appealed to me," expressing deep empathy for the work.
About the Sun Woo-chan character, Chae Jong Hyeop explained, "He looks bright on the outside, but behind that he is a person who has pain and wounds," and said, "He grows through the experiences he went through and felt, and furthermore has a benevolent charm that tries to help others." He added that while he feels excitement as an actor to be able to portray such a character, he is also cautious about whether he can express the character delicately, revealing a serious attitude toward the work.
When asked what he focuses on most during filming, Chae Jong Hyeop said, "On the surface they may look like polar opposites, but I concentrated on naturally narrowing the gap between them," and said, "Rather than a person with two selves, I tried to portray a realistic image in which wounds hidden suddenly emerge from a bright daily life."
Defining the Sun Woo-chan character with three keywords—"summer vacation, free-spirited, pine tree"—Chae Jong Hyeop said, "Chan gives a sense of excitement, lives joyfully like a summer vacation, but sometimes has a childlike freedom. Also, he is a person who, like a pine tree, has a solidity whose color does not change through the four seasons."
On the chemistry with the actors he works with, Chae Jong Hyeop said, "The rapport and chemistry with the actors are very good," and said, "Lee Sung-kyoung embraces the atmosphere on set and, once filming begins, immediately immerses herself in Ha-ran and acts. Thanks to that, I naturally become immersed as the co-actor. The seniors not only during filming but also lead the set's atmosphere warmly, and I learn a lot from how they treat the staff, feeling positive energy," conveying the on-set atmosphere.
Finally, Chae Jong Hyeop mentioned "memory" and "characters" as points of interest for watching In Your Radiant Season and asked for viewers' anticipation, saying, "I hope you think of these two keywords and immerse yourselves together."
Meanwhile, the new MBC Friday-Saturday drama In Your Radiant Season, in which you can see Chae Jong Hyeop's romance filled with excitement and growth, will premiere on Feb. 20 at 9:50 p.m.
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