Actor Ryu Seung-beom (44), who has become a father, showed his affection for family.
The Coupang Play series 'Family Planning', which premieres on the 29th, tells the story of a mother with a special ability to edit memories at will, who joins forces with her family to bring hell to the villains. Ryu Seung-beom plays Cheol-hee, the husband of Young-soo (played by Bae Doona) and the father of Ji-hoon (played by Roman) and Ji-woo (played by Lee Soo-hyun), who are not his biological children.
Ryu Seung-beom debuted in the 2000 film 'Die or Bad'. He has appeared in films such as 'Conduct Zero', 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance', 'Arahan', 'The Fist of Legend', and 'The Last Stand'. He married a 10-year-younger painter from Slovakia in 2020 and welcomed a daughter that same year.
On the release day of 'Family Planning', Ryu Seung-beom met at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. After 9 years, he returned to the interview scene and said, "I am not someone who pursues mystique. I pursue naturalness. I haven't been active much, so during some periods, I haven't been seen much in Korea. I am a natural person," he joked.
Regarding his first role as a father, he said, "I was happy to be able to play a dad role," adding, "Since I became a father and started a family, my perspective has expanded. In the past, I didn't receive offers for father roles, and stories about family were similar. Even during the Disney series 'Moving', my character wasn't a father, but I was drawn to the themes of paternal and maternal love, which ultimately relate to family. I felt that my thoughts had expanded. I think it's a good aspect of being an actor and a human."
He also described his character, saying, "Fathers will understand the meaning of being a dad. So will mothers. He is a character who is similar to me, trying to be a good dad rather than a mature one. He is a dad who wants to be ordinary while struggling invisibly. As the drama progresses, Cheol-hee loves Young-soo wholeheartedly and tries to protect his family because of her, which resonates with me. He is a character who loves his wife dearly."
How was the couple dynamic with Bae Doona? Ryu Seung-beom said, "I am very grateful and happy that my partner is Bae Doona. I personally respect and like her as an actress. So, acting as a couple was comfortable. Because I have affection and respect for her, there was no hesitation in acting and communicating. We were able to talk comfortably and openly without any filters."
He continued, "Bae Doona has a charm. Her acting and her interpretation of the work are incredibly insightful. I focus on emotions when I act. I think about why I have this emotion. I approach it from a human perspective, while Bae Doona has a deep insight into the work. When we talk on set, I feel embarrassed. It feels like looking down from another world, and she paints a big picture. She is truly on another level," he expressed affectionately.
Ryu Seung-beom also talked about the changes he experienced after starting a family.
He said, "Currently, I go back and forth between Slovakia and Korea. As an international couple, it's difficult to have a home in just one place. When we were filming 'Family Planning', we lived together, but now that we have a child's schedule, we adjust to that," adding, "Previously, my wife and I traveled freely. We loved to travel and had a sense of adventure, but after the child was born, it feels like we are finding our roots. In the past, I felt like I was soaring upwards, but now it feels like I'm going downwards. Having a child has made me think about family. Before having a child, my focus was more on partnership and the meaning of love. But after having a child, it feels like we are a team, a unit."
What kind of dad is he in reality? He said, "I am doing my best. I want to be a good dad and a good husband. I am a flawed person, and there are many things I can't do, but I try my best. I know I can't do everything, so I apologize for that, but I do my best. I spend time with my child and take care of them. When I work, my wife helps me. The reason I can work is because I trust my wife. She is a good wife and mother. I have faith in her. I was filming a scene where I had to fight, and I couldn't go home. I wandered around Garosu-gil before going home. I didn't want to bring that energy home."
Regarding the meaning of family, he said, "It is absolute," adding, "In difficult moments, whether on set or personally, if I close my eyes and think of my child or my beloved wife, that is enough. It's hard to be away from my family for two weeks. The first two weeks of freedom are nice. It's precious to immerse myself in work and new things and have personal time. But after two weeks, I start to miss them. It's been over two weeks since I last saw my family. So, I miss them very much," conveying his heartfelt feelings.
He continued, "My daughter is the one who opened the path for me. She opens new paths. Before I had a child, I lived for my own enjoyment. I did things that I thought were good. I was a curious person, wondering what would be fun, and I lived to satisfy my personal desires and ambitions. After my child was born, my desires naturally subsided, and I came to this place. Upon reflection, my daughter has opened the way for me."
Thanks to his wife and daughter, Ryu Seung-beom feels he has expanded as an actor and as a person, and he expressed a desire to work on projects that his child can watch.
“This is just the beginning. I am spending the golden time of my life right now. So, I am very grateful. It's not because I am doing well. I am so thankful that I am being careful about how I spend this time. Now, I want to act well as an actor. I feel a sense of responsibility, and I approach my work as a profession, and I am having a good time with my team.”
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
