(continuing from interview②) actor Kwak Dong- yeon expressed his affection for Love in the Moonlight.
On the morning of the 24th at a café in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an interview was held with Kwak Dong- yeon, the lead actor of the Netflix original series East Palace.
Released on the 17th, East Palace is the story of Gucheon (Nam Joo-hyuk), who has the ability to traverse the world of ghosts (鬼), and court lady Saenggang (Roh Yoon-seo), who harbors secrets, who answer the king's (Cho Seung-woo) summons and uncover the curse lodged in the East Palace. In the work, Kwak Dong- yeon appeared as the crown prince and delivered a passionate performance.
Asked about his feelings for filming a historical drama about 10 years after the 2016 KBS2 drama Love in the Moonlight aired, Kwak Dong- yeon said, "When we filmed Love in the Moonlight, there were no labor laws, so we filmed through the night. At that time there was also that romance. Probably the most memorable thing compared with my last historical drama is that conditions have gradually improved and we were able to shoot more comfortably."
At the time it was common to edit and broadcast almost live as filming progressed, whereas now that preproduction is common, there were times he forgot what he had filmed. Kwak Dong- yeon laughed, "I actually forgot (that we had filmed a project), so when someone asked, 'Is there anything coming out?' I said, 'No.' I did my best on set, but because I was working on other projects and was overseas, I had forgotten."
He added, "So I think there is an advantage. After letting go of a work and then watching the broadcast, I feel less lingering attachment or regret. When something you filmed last week airs, you find yourself blaming, 'I should have done this then.' But once the work is finished and then it airs, that feeling seems diminished."
In particular, because Love in the Moonlight recorded a peak rating of 23.3% and was widely loved, a variety show featuring the lead actors is being prepared to mark the 10th anniversary. With Kwak Dong- yeon scheduled to enlist next month on the 25th, when asked whether he would participate in the 10th anniversary variety show he laughed and said, "I'm trying to participate as much as possible and we're continuing to coordinate. As you know, a more important duty has been assigned to me."
He also shared behind-the-scenes about the 10th anniversary variety show. Kwak Dong- yeon said, "At first, honestly, it was an idea proposed by hyung Bogum on the day we all gathered after a long time. 'It's the 10th anniversary so it would be nice to leave something behind,' and that conversation started this. As you mentioned, the five of us (Park Bo Gum, Kim You Jung, Jinyoung, Chae Soo-bin, Kwak Dong- yeon), director Kim Seong-yoon, and the head of makeup were such a close-knit group that the talk progressed out of affection for the work."
He said, "Love in the Moonlight is also a special work for me. 'Now I can tell you,' but at that time a military summons had come. It's been 10 years so it shouldn't matter, but there was such a system then. 'Sanggeun reservist' meant commuting from home. It was chosen by random draw and I was selected. So just as I was about to enlist, the Love in the Moonlight offer came up and I thought, 'I should do this work,' so I postponed my enlistment and joined Love in the Moonlight. I don't regret it. It was always decisive. Even now."
Asked whether his recent move to The Black Label, where Park Bo Gum belongs, was influenced by the friendship built since Love in the Moonlight, he replied, "Actually, that's not really the case. When changing companies, of course I had a database of the way an actor like Park Bo Gum works, but I also personally knew actor Lee Jong-won. Seeing two close actors working, I judged there could be synergy if we worked together." He added with a laugh that when asked whether he felt the synergy, "By the time I was about to feel the synergy, I had to go to the military." (to be continued in interview④)
[photo] The Black Label
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