[20150627] Nam Joo Hyuk – Starnews Interview

Apparently, Nam Joo Hyuk had a bunch of interviews these past few days. I don’t think they were translated, but let me know if you’d like to have a roundup, but here’s his Starnews interview meanwhile… And there are spoilers about the ending.

– How do you feel now that “Who Are You – School 2015” is over?

▶ First of all, there are many things I’m sad about. I still feel like I have to go to the set, like I have to go to school. And there’s also the fact that I could have shown better acting, so I’m sad I can’t do it. I think I didn’t act out properly the emotional scenes in particular.

– Han Yi An and Lee Eun Bi end up together in “Who Are You – School 2015”. Some viewers said she should have been with Gong Tae Kwang (Yook Sung Jae). I’m curious to hear your opinion about that.

▶ I’m also regretful/not satisfied with the ending. Han Yi An used to like Go Eun Byul and he started having feelings for her twin sister Lee Eun Bi. I only thought of Eun Bi as Eun Byul’s little sister I’m protecting. I didn’t know it would turn into love. To be honest, I hoped he’d end up with Eun Byul.

– There was a love square between Go Eun Byul, Lee Eun Bi, Han Yi An and Gong Tae Kwang. Have the three of you ever talked about how it would end?

▶ Yook Sung Jae (Gong Tae Kwang) never talked about the ending. The only thing he said was “please let me go study abroad”. Kim So Hyun also never talked about how our love line would end.

– How would you describe Kim So Hyun’s and Yook Sung Jae’s charm?

▶ Sung Jae has a bright personality and he’s always full of energy. He really brightened up the atmosphere on the set. With me. That’s why the director called us the “dumb duo”. So Hyun played 2 characters and her acting was really good. When we were acting together, she felt like a nuna because she was like an adult. Once the camera was off, she was nothing but a teenage girl. She was like a little sister. If the opportunity comes, I hope to work with her again.

– I wonder how you worked with Yook Sung Jae who was the other end of the love triangle you formed with Kim So Hyun. Do you still contact each other now that filming is over?

▶ It was nice working together. We still contact each other. I’m also in contact with So Hyun through (text) messages. Although they’re both busy with theit activities, they still contact me. I’m thankful.

– Yook Sung Jae who didn’t end up having a love line with Kim So Hyun recently started filming MBC “We Got Married”. Aren’t you jealous?

I saw him recently in “We Got Married” by chance. I’m not jealous. Joy, Sung Jae’s virtual wife, said her group Red Velvet liked me, but I think Sung Jae will do well, so I was happy for him.

– Is there a scene from “Who Are You – School 2015” that you particularly remember?

▶ The scene I remember the most is the scene in episode 4. I’m exchanging text messages with So Hyun while we’re in the bus. Many female viewers said this scene made their hearts flutter. My female friends really liked it too.

– What about Kang So Young (Jo Soo Hyang) who bullies Go Eun Byul and Go Eun Bi in the drama? I wonder if she was different once the cameras were off.

▶ Jo Soo Hyang-nuna was an angel-like nuna because when you meet her in real life, she’s just extremely sweet. She has this charm to make people comfortable. However, when she’s acting, when she transformed into Kang So Young, she gave me goosebumps. Right before shooting her scenes, she just talked and laughed, but when it was time to shoot, she put on this vicious expression and it was scary.

– With this drama, you played a cute and sweet loveline. Was it possible because you experienced something like this during your school days?

▶ I had a girlfriend in my third year of middle school. We broke up during my second year of high school. When I was with her, we went to school together. It was similar to the scenes you see in the drama. I woke up early in the morning and went to her house and then we’d ride the bus together to go to school. I was an innocent boy in a way different from my perspective. I did think about those times, but when I was acting, I only thought about Eun Byul and Eun Bi. And right now I can’t date.

– Do you think there’s something different about your entourage’s reaction or something different about yourself since “Who Are You – School 2015”?

▶ First of all, my acting is still lacking, but I think I improved a little. And I have more fans. Some people pointed out my character and said I wasn’t good, but fans supported me then and said “don’t criticize him”. This gave me strength and I promised to myself not to worry about the character and to just focus on showing good acting.

– The early episodes of “Who Are You – School 2015” recorded ratings between 4% and 5%. As the male lead character, didn’t you feel any kind of pressure?

▶ My acting is still not perfect and “School 2013” was so amazing that I think we (Kim So Hyun, Nam Joo Hyuk, Yook Sung Jae) lowered our expectations. It was a relief to see that the ratings went up as time went by. I think that’s why we managed to end filming with a smile.

– So you never felt any burden about the viewer ratings?

▶ I can’t say I didn’t feel any pressure. However, my biggest concern was how to portray Han Yi An, how not to break the plot flow. “Is my acting good?”, this was the thought that gave me pressure.

– “Who Are You – School 2015” allowed you to make yourself known, but there are still many people who don’t know about you, so how would you describe yourself as an actor?

▶ During filming, the director called me a rookie actor rough on the edges. He said “if you keep working with good people, if you keep acting, then you’ll be reborn into a good actor”. His advice to me was “you have the ability as an actor. And actors in their 20’s have no limit, so just work hard”. That’s why I want to become an actor with no limit. I think the ratings didn’t go up either because there were low expectations about me this time around. Thankfully, I received attention once the broadcast was over, so I must work hard. No matter where, no matter what I’m going against, I will not collapse.

– What will “actor Nam Joo Hyuk” do from now on?

▶ I want to hear the words “he’s a good actor, his acting is good”. Right now, the words I want to hear the most are “an actor with overflowing potential”. I’m still a rookie, so I want to show that I have the potential to improve. I will work hard to become an actor that people will pay attention to.

Starnews
Translation: @thesunnytown – thesunnytown.wordpress.com