(Continued from interview ②) Actor Park Hae-soo conveyed chemistry with Lee Heejun in "The Scarecrow" that went beyond bromance.
On the 26th at the BH Entertainment building in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, a closing interview was held with Park Hae-soo, the lead actor of ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama "The Scarecrow."
"The Scarecrow" is a crime investigation thriller set in 1988 Kangseong about a detective investigating the true perpetrator of a series of murders who forms an unexpected cooperative relationship with a man he despised.
In the drama, Park Hae-soo, who played Detective Kang Tae-Ju of Kangseong Police Station, when asked about his chemistry with Lee Heejun, who played prosecutor Cha Si-Young of the Muwon District Prosecutors' Office and had been at odds with him, said, "It was a strange experience that I could do anything in front of him like this. It's hard not to be aware of whether I'm doing well or poorly in front of a certain actor. There would be a fear that they might think something if I was wrong or did it this way, but I practiced a lot with him and we imagined this work deeply, and we even met to improvise about the character's past."
He said, "Usually actors find this difficult. It's embarrassing too. But amid that, both of us were open to doing it. I liked him so much and wanted to emulate him, so I threw myself at it. He opened everything up and we practiced tirelessly on set. So the connection we formed while acting was deeper than the relationship we originally knew, and I was grateful and enjoyed it. It isn't easy for Heejun to bring me into the role as if I were the character. He brought a lot, but without being greedy he allowed me to fully create my performance. For example, in the tunnel scene in episodes 1–2, the line 'You'll stay by my side' was delivered in a tone that made me feel as if I had heard it many times in the past. He kept acting to stimulate me. He matched expressions of smiling with the child actor too. By bringing those scenes that pulled in the nightmares again, he made it impossible for me not to act. I learned a lot through this work, and I'm glad we can act together for the rest of our lives. Thank you for loving us so much. If this work had not done well, we might not have met again," he joked.
Park Hae-soo and Lee Heejun are also labelmates, and their connection goes back to their theater troupe days, working together in several productions such as "The Legend of the Blue Sea," "Chimera," and "Bad Connection." However, there was a threat from the agency head that if this project failed, "we will never cast you together again." In response, Park Hae-soo said, "I'm relieved. If viewers like it, we can work together (again)," patting his chest and adding, "For that to happen, both of us have to be healthy. I also have to follow well and grow into a good actor so we can keep meeting. Such a good dream has come up," conveying their closeness.
In the drama, Cha Si-Young betrays Kang Tae-Ju several times, yet Kang Tae-Ju still shows attempts to trust him. Cha Si-Young also showed exceptions only for Kang Tae-Ju, revealing a complex relationship. Regarding this, Park Hae-soo explained, "What I talked about with him was that 'to be the ones who hate each other most, they must have been closest.' Two children who may have been victims of the same domestic violence would have had reasons why only the two of them could become close despite different family circumstances. Although the drama does not show much of it, there must have been reasons in the past why the two could only rely on each other. The two loneliest could become the closest, and amid that separation and living different lives, when they met again there surely would have been wishes and hopes," he explained.
He said, "Kang Tae-Ju clearly wanted to tell Cha Si-Young, 'You can change,' and also wanted to meet the Cha Si-Young he used to see. Cha Si-Young seemed to have had the desire to restore the relationship with the only friend who had been by his side in the past. Both are heartrending. They grew up well despite bad environments, but in the end things remained torn. He was the friend who soothed that, and those memories lasted long since childhood. If I truly hated Cha Si-Young, I would have dumped and avoided him, but instead I kept trying to resolve things. There is the resolution of this case, but hope for Cha Si-Young also continues to exist. I think Cha Si-Young felt that way too," and then laughed, asking, "Is that love at that level?"
Among actual viewers, the relationship between Kang Tae-Ju and Cha Si-Young has been seen as more than a simple "bromance," with some calling it an "obsessive romance." To this, Park Hae-soo laughed, "Actually, that may be why they cast the two of us. When the two are together, the picture is a little strange."
He continued, "I never thought of it as bromance and I didn't act it that way. We just talked a lot about the past—what it was like, why the two became like this, how close they were, and what they would have wanted to hear from their father. There must have been a clear common denominator. The two who never heard, 'I acknowledge you. I love you,' had no choice but to lean on each other and must have been very lonely. And to receive that recognition, they may have gradually moved apart. If Cha Si-Young had been honest from the start, Kang Tae-Ju might have stayed by his side. If, while hitting him in the past, he had said, 'My mother was in the same situation as your mother. I thought you were my brother,' he might have stayed by his side," he candidly said. (Continued to interview ④.)<
[Photo] BH Entertainment
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