Actor Jung Yi-chan shared his impressions of working with writer Im Sung-han.
Recently, at the OSEN office in Mapo District, Seoul, a series-ending interview was held with Jung Yi-chan, the lead actor of the TV CHOSUN weekend drama 'Doctor Shin.'
'Doctor Shin' is a medical thriller drama about a genius doctor who challenges the realm of gods and a woman whose brain suddenly fails and who is losing her soul.
Jung Yi-chan, who played Shin Ju-shin, head of the neurosurgery department at Nua Hospital and an authority on brain surgery, recalled when asked about his first meeting with writer Im Sung-han, "The first time I saw the writer was at the final audition. I opened the door and walked in, and even though it was the first time meeting, I immediately thought, 'That's the writer.' She had an incredible aura and charisma. Even without saying anything, an aura emanated strongly. So honestly, when I was first cast I thought she might be a very frightening person, but she was not that at all."
He said, "Of course she has charisma, but she takes care of us tremendously. She is very giving because she has a lot of affection. She personally considered the menu and sent a meal truck to the set for us to eat, and when we practiced she kept buying things. Gelato appears a lot in the writer's works, so she bought the same gelato and said, 'Let's eat one before we start.' She also brought bread or ice cream wrapped from bakeries, and if someone was sick she would buy meat. She said she would buy something delicious if rehearsals went well, and she actually bought so much. And she contacts the actors freely. If I text with a question, she calls right away, and there have often been times when we talked on the phone for over two hours in the middle of the night."
He continued, "She talks to us a lot about health too. She told me to gain some weight, so I actually gained weight, and when she heard that I had eaten seven to eight eggs because I had to eat protein, she called. 'Eating seven to eight yolks is bad for your body, why would you do that,' 'you should do it wisely and healthily,' she said. She is tsundere. She takes care of people so much that you might not even realize she is tsundere, and she has a lot of affection," and added, "The writer is very lively. She might seem scary, but she is fresh and bright. Her tone is also lively. Of course she can be charismatic. When the direction is off or she needs to point something out, she says it clearly."
When asked what directing he received from writer Im Sung-han about the character, Jung Yi-chan said, "She really wanted me to live as Ju-shin. The writer always said that Ju-shin is above everyone. It's not arrogance or belittling others, but as if we are looking at ants because he is already so far above that he looks down on others. So he is polite and greets people, but when greeting those higher than him he does not avert his eyes. She told me those details and told me not to exert force."
He said, "The writer even typed things and sent them to me separately. It was a lock screen, and she emphasized many things like, 'Look down on the other person while always not exerting force. Just as people who have reached mastery in any field are not exerting force, relax and look down at the other person with a leisurely gaze.' And she wanted me to remove all my original kindness even though my voice resonates and has pitch variation," and added, "She didn't say she cast me because of my voice, but the director once said that he thought the writer liked the cold impression my face gives and my voice."
He went on, "Although she often uses rookie actors, I am very grateful that she cast me in the title role. I appreciate being given this opportunity. Because of the subject matter, there was a lot of attention from the start, so I think there were certainly many voices of worry and concern. Nevertheless, the writer and the director never once doubted me. They always gave me the belief and expression that 'Shin Ju-shin is Jung Yi-chan,' so I think that's why I was able to portray Ju-shin fully until the end," he said, expressing his gratitude. (Interview part 2 to follow.)<
[Photo] OSEN reporter Choi Kyu-han
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