"I felt sorry for Si-jun, and I thought, 'I used to be like that,' and I hoped he wouldn't get hurt too much. Separately, I also wanted to give him some keys, saying, 'Try this.'
Lee Jun-young (29), who played the role of Hong Si-jun, a self-proclaimed genius but an unknown composer in Netflix's new series 'Melomovie' (written by Lee Na-eun, directed by Oh Chung-hwan), said, "I wanted to meet a character where I could express my emotions, and many around me said they could see me in it, which made me feel good."
Hong Si-jun is a character who, after receiving a sudden breakup notice from his girlfriend Son Joo-ah (played by Jeon So-ni) on their 7th anniversary, reunites with her as a composer and screenwriter after five years. Lee Jun-young received praise for portraying the chemistry and delicate emotions of their reunion. Above all, his performance in this work seemed different. Thanks to his relaxed acting, it felt more realistic.
Recently, during a meeting in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Lee Jun-young said, "I always received feedback asking why I was putting in so much effort, but this time I really wanted to relax and act as I normally do."
"Of course, I aimed to keep the flavor of the lines and endings while making it as natural as possible. I was a fan of actor Choi Woo-shik, and watching his natural acting made me want to try that kind of expression. We quickly became close while working together, and I think a comfortable, playful side came out. While filming, I thought, 'There are definitely couples like this' and 'Wow, this is really realistic.'
"I tend to choose characters that have emotions I've felt at least once in my life," he revealed, saying that he overlapped his past self with the character 'Hong Si-jun.'
"Having consistently pursued music, I had desires for success and self-criticism, and it resembled my past self a lot. When I created songs during my idol days and submitted them to the company, it was always 'X.' I thought, 'What’s the problem?' and 'Do I not have this creative talent?' Even though I thought that, I think I created more out of stubbornness in the beginning. I couldn't sleep back then. When I read the script, I found myself dominated by those emotions. That's why I was more drawn to Si-jun."
Lee Jun-young sees 'Hong Si-jun' as "someone clumsy in love." "I thought Son Joo-ah (Jeon So-ni) was the first and last person he met," he said, introducing him as "someone who pretends to be strong and carefree on the outside but is a sensitive friend." He added, "The only point I empathized with the character was the feeling of being ghosted and the desire for success in music and the sense of defeat that came with it," reflecting, "In reality, my stubbornness, not giving up, and holding on even when things don't go well were similar."
‘Hong Si-jun’ reunites with his 7-year girlfriend Son Joo-ah after five years but ultimately realizes they cannot be together and completely parts ways.
Lee Jun-young said, "It's a 'good ending.' I think they parted beautifully," adding, "I felt that recognizing one's current self is a better way than trying to maintain love by making efforts again."
"Joo-ah always took care of and adjusted to Si-jun, and I think he took it for granted. It's a case of losing something precious due to familiarity. From Lee Jun-young's perspective, it was very frustrating. While filming, I even discussed whether Joo-ah was bad or if Si-jun was lacking. Especially at the udon restaurant... it was really not good."
Regarding his acting chemistry with Jeon So-ni, Lee Jun-young said, "There is a bit of an age gap, but it broke down that wall," adding, "She is a smart and lively actress, and I felt she was pure and kind." He also shared a behind-the-scenes moment, saying, "In some scenes, our interpretations were a bit different, but I thought it wouldn't be bad to go with it. Since they hadn't seen each other for five years, it felt like the situation was fitting."
"I really liked the warmth in every moment. I played a bit of a villain, which wasn't me (laughs), but it felt healing. It felt like winter was passing and spring was coming. It was very comfortable, both mentally and emotionally. The people I worked with said, 'You can be still too,' 'I like seeing you do emotional acting,' and 'Stop fighting and go out,' and I think that was nice."
Lee Jun-young joined the group U-KISS in 2014 and debuted as an actor in 2017 through 'The Revenge of Buam-dong.' He won the Rookie Award at the 'MBC 2018 Acting Awards' for 'Goodbye to Goodbye' and has built his filmography through various works such as 'Mr. Period,' 'Good Casting,' 'Convenience Store Saet-byul,' 'Please Don't Meet That Man,' 'Imitation,' 'I'll Be Your Night,' and 'One Day, One Night.' In 2021, he played a deserter in the Netflix series 'D.P.' and portrayed intense villain characters in the Netflix series 'Mask Girl' and the film 'Brave Citizen.'
Despite being cast in multiple projects, he said, "I have a very high standard for myself." He once considered quitting acting but said, "I couldn't think of anything else to do. I really liked the phrase 'I support you from afar,' which made me feel a sense of responsibility, so I gritted my teeth and endured."
"There was a line in 'Melomovie' that comforted me. It was, 'Before others tell me to quit, I should know my place and quit,' and it made me emotional. It felt like I was looking at my past self. In the past, I wanted to succeed too much and wanted to do well, but now I want to maintain my current state. I realized not long ago how precious and grateful this is... What I hope for now is to continue like this without any incidents. I want to say that I did well for not causing any trouble in the 11 years since my debut."
Lee Jun-young is set to release three upcoming projects after 'Melomovie,' including Netflix's 'Socks and Sandals,' 'Weak Hero Class 2,' and KBS2's drama '24-Hour Health Club.' He is also expected to enlist in the military next year, at the latest, as he approaches thirty.
"I want to go quickly, but I’ve come to the threshold of thirty while being grateful that many people are looking for me. If it were up to me, I should have been in the military since last year. I’m curious about what kind of world it will be. The young men in their twenties in South Korea are experiencing another society before me. I think I will have grown in many ways after coming back from the military, and that will definitely help my acting career."
