(continuing from interview ②) Ryu Hae-joon of "Scarecrow" revealed he had a creepy experience watching Jung Moon-seong's portrayal of the "real culprit" in the story.
Recently, an end-of-series interview with Ryu Hae-joon, the lead actor of the ENA Monday-Tuesday drama "Scarecrow," was held at OSEN's office in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo District, Seoul.
"Scarecrow" is a crime investigation thriller set in 1988 Gangseong in which a detective investigating the real perpetrator of a series of murders unexpectedly forms a cooperative relationship with a man he despised, and it unfolds as they work together.
When asked whether he knew the identity of the real culprit in the story, Ryu Hae-joon said, "I didn't know until the early to mid episodes. They didn't tell us. Since it's a police role, I think they tried to create an environment where we could immerse ourselves as much as possible. The director deliberately arranged it that way, so at first we were so curious that everyone kept asking, 'Who is it? Do you know?' and 'I don't know either. Do you?' while continuing the investigation," he said.
Until the middle of the series, the face of the real culprit, Lee Yong-woo, did not appear, sparking many speculations about his identity. Later, revealed only in episode 7, the real culprit turned out to be none other than Lee Ki-hwan (played by Jung Moon-seong).
When asked if he guessed the real culprit, Ryu Hae-joon, who admitted, "I was wrong," said, "I really expected a harsh/strict person. But I couldn't pinpoint a single person. I would think, 'Is it this person?' and then when I read the next script I'd think, 'Maybe not.' It kept changing just like the viewers' reactions," he said.
Asked about his reaction when he learned the real culprit's identity, he said, "It was so creepy. The day after finding out that senior Moon-seong was the real culprit, our shoots overlapped. I greeted him, 'Hello, senior,' and he cheerfully said, 'You're here, Dae-ho?' I remember his costume exactly. With a bowl cut and wearing overalls, he looked so scary. Now that I knew he was the real culprit, he looked completely different," he said.
He said, "All the actors' roles had large ranges of change and moments that demanded intense focus. So everyone was unsure and it was difficult to figure out how to create those moments and take those points. The seniors discussed a lot during readings and with the director, and I did as well. Because of that, I was very curious how senior Jung Moon-seong would take the tone. But I was truly impressed. I watched the senior act and was like, 'Ugh.' I was very surprised," adding, "It was horrific and creepy. As expected, the seniors' craft is remarkable," he exclaimed. (continues in interview ④)
[Photo] OSEN reporter Park Joonhyung
[OSEN]