A photoshoot featuring actors Hong Min-ki, Shin Soo-hyun, and Gong Do-yu from ‘Study Group’ has been released.
The magazine ‘Singles’ unveiled a photoshoot with actors Hong Min-ki, Shin Soo-hyun, and Gong Do-yu, who showcased a strong presence in the Tving original drama ‘Study Group’. In the photoshoot, the three actors captivated attention with their unique styling, deep gazes, and artistic poses, revealing a different charm from their characters in the drama.
Hong Min-ki, who plays the secretive character Park Geon-yeop with a painful backstory, expressed his thoughts on the character's resemblance to the webtoon, saying, “While the external aspects are quite similar, the personality is completely different.”
He explained, “Geon-yeop tries to fight through difficult situations, whereas I am more of a pacifist.”
When asked about the high immersion of Geon-yeop despite not having many scenes, he replied, “Geon-yeop's emotional highs and lows are not very pronounced, so I tried to express him in various ways within the range allowed for the character,” sharing his efforts in building the character.
He revealed that his dream of becoming an actor was influenced by his father, a Hong Kong movie enthusiast, stating, “The decisive moment was Korean drama. It was ‘Mr. Sunshine’. Every line and the performances of all the seniors, along with the direction, made it a truly perfect work,” explaining how he became certain about his path as an actor.
Hong Min-ki hinted at his upcoming role as Bunny's first love in the next project ‘Bunny and Brothers’, which is set to air on April 4, expressing excitement for his new transformation.
Shin Soo-hyun, who left a strong impression as Ji-woo with her girl-crush charm, recalled, “Since there were many action scenes, I went to action school every day during filming.”
She continued, “Ji-woo doesn’t hold back. She gets frustrated and suddenly accelerates, so I ended up making that impulsiveness a habit even in my daily life. Now, I need to break away from Ji-woo, but I’ve become so laid-back that people around me call me ‘Sang-ya’ (a term for someone who is easygoing). I think I got too immersed in the role.”
She shared that she went through three auditions for the role of Ji-woo, saying, “The director said I looked very confident. In fact, I was just pretending to be confident because I was so desperate. I thought that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to express Ji-woo.”
When asked about the appeal of being an actor, Shin Soo-hyun, who has had various experiences as a model and idol trainee, said, “I feel catharsis in being able to live a life I’ve never experienced while acting. This is a privilege that only actors have. It’s difficult to ponder other people's lives, but when I act in front of the camera, I feel an indescribable joy. It’s not a common experience, so every moment of acting is precious.”
Shin Soo-hyun, who revealed that she loves Park Chan-wook's film ‘Thirst’, expressed her wish, saying, “If I ever get to work with director Park Chan-wook, I would be happy to take on any role.” She added, “I don’t know if he will see this interview, but I think I should start praying from today that it reaches him,” revealing her excitement.
Gong Do-yu, who made his drama debut through ‘Study Group’, expressed, “No matter how many works I do in the future, this will be a family-like work that I won’t forget. It’s special because it’s my first start, but while filming, I felt a connection with the character in the work.”
He continued, “When I went to the filming set, everyone called me ‘Joon-i’, and at first, it felt awkward. But later, I became so immersed in Joon-i that it felt strange not to be called that. It was special because it was something I had never experienced in my life.”
Having debuted as a model, he explained how he began his journey as an actor, saying, “I only had a vague thought of wanting to try acting, but I was lucky to get an audition opportunity and was cast in the movie ‘Winter in Sokcho’, which allowed me to take my first step as an actor.”
When asked about roles he wants to challenge in the future, he replied, “I want to act in crime or noir genres like the movie ‘Ocean's Eleven’.”
When asked what kind of actor he wants to be, he expressed his strong ambition, saying, “I want to be a scene-stealer. Even if I appear for a brief moment, I want to leave a strong impression that makes people say, ‘Who is that person?’ and look me up.”
The photoshoot and candid interviews showcasing the diverse charms of ‘Study Group’ scene-stealers Hong Min-ki, Shin Soo-hyun, and Gong Do-yu can be found in the April issue of Singles and on their website.
