(Following Interview①) While he formed a special bond with his on-screen mother Kim Hye-ja through ‘Country Diary’ during his childhood, he built a connection with his on-screen father Son Seok-koo during his break from acting.
Ryu Deok-hwan shared, “After getting married, I took a break from acting and thought about trying something I wanted to do, so I opened a café. Kang Han-na, who is a junior from school, wanted to greet me and came to the café with Son Seok-koo,” recounting their first meeting. He continued, “During the filming of ‘The Outlaws 2’, he kept showing me the edited version and asking, ‘Isn’t it cool?’ At that moment, I thought, ‘What a strange actor,’” he laughed.
He also said, “He was different from the image I had in mind. I thought he would be heavy and serious, but he was actually light and feather-like. He would send compliments about himself all the time,” he joked.
As a director, Son Seok-koo was also an actor Ryu Deok-hwan admired.
“I’ve been watching the works Son Seok-koo has appeared in, and he really acts well. I felt that a good actor who performs in a way that hasn’t been seen in our country has emerged. I wanted to act together someday. As a director, Son Seok-koo was the actor I longed for. Watching him made me think, ‘I want to act comfortably on set like that while maximizing my own strengths.’”
Ryu Deok-hwan took a brief hiatus after getting married. When asked about the reason for his break, he said, “It’s because of my wife,” showing his affectionate side.
“We dated for a long time. My wife waited for me while I was in the military, and she chose to marry me despite my shortcomings. I thought about what I could do for my wife and decided to spend time with her. Since my wife doesn’t drink well, I quit drinking for two years and spent all my time with her. I also thought about what kind of job I could do while commuting, and I started a café that I had wanted to try, running it for two years and living a routine life.”
Half a year after Ryu Deok-hwan opened the café, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
He said, “Living as a small business owner taught me a lot. I used to think, ‘If I earn 2 to 3 million won a month and make a living, I would be happy,’ but I realized it was really tough. When the moment came when monthly sales dropped, I had many thoughts, and I learned a lot about life through my relationships with part-time workers.” He continued, “Now, I feel like I want to return to acting, my hometown.”
Thanks to these life experiences, his affection for acting deepened.
“I thought a lot about acting, and I also wondered if being an actor could bring me happiness. I was happy even during my break. As time passed, I felt a desire to ‘go back’ and ‘want to act.’ People feel the most satisfaction when they do what they are good at. I realized that I’m not as good at making coffee as I thought, and I can’t direct like Bong Joon-ho or Kim Seok-yoon. Ultimately, I have a lot more I want to do as an actor. Watching the play ‘Waiting for Godot’ by Shin Gu, I reflected, ‘Why did I try to erase the image of being an actor that I had built up all this time?’ I will continue to do well as long as I have the support of those who cheer for Ryu Deok-hwan.”
Many fans are waiting for a sequel to Ryu Deok-hwan’s representative work, the OCN drama ‘God’s Quiz’. When asked about plans for a sequel, he said, “It will be difficult to have a sequel to ‘God’s Quiz’ now,” causing disappointment.
“While doing the last season, I felt, ‘It’s now difficult.’ The lines were hard, and it couldn’t just end with the names of diseases anymore. The last season already dealt with AI, so it became more complicated. It was hard for Ryu Deok-hwan, who is not a genius, to play the role of Han Jin-woo, who is a genius. I had to put in a lot of effort because I’m not good at memorizing. Also, the character Han Jin-woo needs to be lively, but I’ve become an uncle now. I feel like I left when the applause was still going. The last was ‘Reboot’, but it just starts again and ends. Haha.”
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
