(continuing from interview ②) actor Kang Hoon expressed an appetite for the romantic comedy genre.
On the afternoon of the 9th at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, a closing interview was held with lead actor Kang Hoon of the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama My Bias, My Boss.
The series that ended on the 8th, My Bias, My Boss, is an office coming‑of‑age romance about new employee Nam Da‑reum, who becomes the "my bias" employee while trying to meet his "bias." In the work, Kang Hoon played Kang Ha‑gi, the CEO of the fashion platform Appello.
When asked how he felt about finishing the project, Kang Hoon said, "This was my first time doing a rom‑com, and it was also my first time leading a project, so the feelings are fresh. I am very grateful that many people liked and loved it, so I feel good that we were able to wrap it up well."
Asked whether he felt pressure as his first rom‑com lead, he confessed, "Of course I thought I should feel pressure. But I also thought it shouldn't show on set, so I treated it as a pleasant pressure. I actually filmed more comfortably than on other sets."
Kang Hoon explained how he came to appear in My Bias, My Boss: "The script came to me while I was filming another drama. I told my company I wanted to try a rom‑com. Among several scripts I read, My Bias, My Boss was the most fun. I thought it was the drama that could best show the rom‑com genre I wanted to try. I thought it was quaint and cute and that I could express it well, and the Ha‑gi character was drawn attractively, so I chose it."
When asked why he wanted to try rom‑coms, he said, "I think the present is the youngest and most beautiful time, so to show a pretty face and pretty days, nothing beats a rom‑com. If I do a genre where I can carry the story from start to finish, I thought I could confidently do rom‑coms. I think viewers watch rom‑coms more for the comedy than for being confident in romance. Although the drama hasn't come out yet, I filmed a work called "Hot Goodbye" (Asura: The City of Madness), where I appear as a comedian. I learned to do comedy in a fun way, and I thought it would be good to use that in the next drama, so I felt confident that I could show comedy."
He also conveyed a thirst for leading roles. Kang Hoon said, "I always felt thirsty. In other works I often adjusted to someone else's narrative, so I was thirsty, but this time there were scenes where I led and went with my flow, so it felt like that thirst was quenched. It made me happy to be able to be the lead, fall in love slowly, and plan and act from episode 1 through 12. I thought, 'So this is why being the lead is happy.'"
When asked to rate his first rom‑com lead performance, Kang Hoon said, "In the moment I think I did well, but after it's over I always have regrets. Still, I think I achieved some of what I wanted to express, and I believe there's still so much potential. I'd give it about 70 points. I tried to express 100%, but when I watched up to episode 12 later it felt like about 70 points. I did my best but I wasn't at ease. I thought, 'I read the script a lot but I should have read it even more until it was worn out.' Because I'm not used to being the lead, I regret not having made certain expressions from certain angles, and that became a deduction."
After finishing My Bias, My Boss, Kang Hoon is currently filming the tvN drama "Suseonggung Milhoerok." Suseonggung Milhoerok is a romantic fusion historical drama about court lady Un‑yeong, who secretly learns the written language before the creation of Hangul, and Crown Prince Hyang, who is mesmerized by her writing; they write each other's hearts in a language the world has never seen. Asked whether his experience on My Bias, My Boss is helping him in the next work, Kang Hoon explained, "Since the current project is a historical drama, I think there are certainly parts where I can make changes. But whether in the past or now, love is the same, so there are many aspects I can carry over. I learned a lot on this set and have brought many parts that I want to amplify and am filming them."
When asked which genres he wants to challenge next, he said, "Like actress Kim Hye Jun, I want to do a lot of genre works, but I can't confidently say I do them well now. I want to do a lot of romance while I'm at my prettiest and youngest. I think as I get older I will be able to do more genre pieces. I always try to get better at what I'm already best at, so right now I want to do many genres I can do well. So although I'm not confident, I still want to do a lot of rom‑coms and romance."
When asked about his strengths in the romance genre, he said, "I think sometimes I really looked like I loved Nam Da‑reum. I think aspects we don't usually see were captured on camera, and that acted as an advantage." About his monolid eye, he said, "I used to think it was a complex, but it gives different impressions from different angles, so I think it's an advantage. Now it's no longer a complex."
Kang Hoon emphasized about his upcoming works, "I see it as a process of achieving goals, and I don't think being someone who can just say 'I worked hard' is acceptable now. I have to do well to maintain this position, so these are works I tried my best on to really do well." He continued, "Suseonggung Milhoerok is ongoing, but it's a drama I'm trying to do better than My Bias, My Boss, and Hot Goodbye was filmed before My Bias, My Boss so it has a different feel. I wasn't afraid of ruining myself; I'll be very unrestrained. You can see how I did my best and performed well. Because it's a work where I tried to choose something that could show a different side and is fun to read, you can look forward to it."
He added, "It's been a long time since we've had such a big reaction. I'm grateful that you loved and liked it so much. I receive many letters and notes via social media, and every time I read them I think I made the right choice with this project. It was a hot summer, but because people enjoyed it I feel like I helped make their summer at least a bit cooler, and I'm glad. I'm grateful that you loved Kang Ha‑gi so much, but I hope you'll look forward to and love me in the future as well."
[photo] Anpio
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