"It was a work that made me feel sad to part with good people, so I only felt regret that it was ending."
Cha Hak-yeon (35), a member of the group VIXX and an actor, returned to the small screen with the MBC Friday-Saturday drama 'Labor Attorney Nomujin' after two years.
'Labor Attorney Nomujin' is a comic fantasy action drama that depicts the chaotic problem-solving journey of a labor attorney who can see ghosts. Cha Hak-yeon, who played the role of YouTuber Go Gyeon-woo, met with Maeil Business Star Today for a wrap-up interview at a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul on the 2nd.
When asked about his feelings on the conclusion, Cha Hak-yeon said, "Many actors say they feel 'bittersweet.' But I only felt regret and sadness that it was ending. Around the time we were filming the last episode, I told Jung Kyung-ho, 'It's really sad to part with good people. I feel choked up.' It was a happy set that left a lot of regrets, and it was a good work," he expressed his affection.
The show ended with expectations and lingering feelings for a season 2. Regarding this, he explained, "There hasn't been any concrete news about season 2. But we did talk about running together if it happens. The writer ended it with an open ending. There hasn't been a specific decision about season 2 yet."
What made Cha Hak-yeon choose this project? He said, "Actually, when I first met director Im Soon-rye, we only talked about dogs. I have a dog I love, and it's my friend's dog named 'Deok-bae.' I love that dog so much that I sometimes bring him over, and we talked about that for about two hours before we got to the project," which made everyone laugh.
Did director Im see the 'Gyeon-woo' character within that personal story? Cha Hak-yeon explained, "I think she felt that I matched the character. It seems she already thought of me as Gyeon-woo. I found the script so interesting that I decided to join."
What aspects of Gyeon-woo are similar to Cha Hak-yeon? "In my opinion, the synchronization rate is 0%," he said, drawing attention.
"I think there are almost no similarities. I believe the character I played has a synchronization rate of nearly 0%, but viewers say I resemble him. So I thought, 'I have this side to me.' The writer said, 'I was happy that the Gyeon-woo I envisioned came out as it is.' Thanks to that, I was very grateful and could act with confidence."
Gyeon-woo is a so-called 'attention-seeking YouTuber' who attracts people's interest by telling provocative stories. It seems that Cha Hak-yeon, who thought there was no synchronization at all, had to put in a lot of effort to portray Gyeon-woo.
He said, "I really researched a lot. I originally didn't watch much YouTube, but when I looked it up, I found that each YouTuber has very different characters. It seems that rather than having common characteristics, viewers tend to watch what they prefer," he shared his analysis.
He also caught attention by saying, "I set up my own internet broadcasting space at home."
"I wanted to create my own Gyeon-woo. Saying 'Hello, OO' was really difficult. I turned red while practicing. I had done a lot of SNS live broadcasts with fans, but that was different. In that case, there are conversation subjects who are fans, but Gyeon-woo has to forcefully distribute information to an unspecified number of people. I made a small internet broadcasting space at home and practiced a lot. I also filmed myself with my phone while going around, like YouTubers do. After practicing, I wasn't embarrassed on set."
Cha Hak-yeon also changed his speech for the Gyeon-woo character. He explained, "He is someone who has to distribute information. So, since there are many lines, I thought that if I used my own voice, the viewers might fall asleep. I tried to raise my tone and speak quickly. I also tried to give it some highs and lows."
Cha Hak-yeon also paid attention to Gyeon-woo's external appearance. "I wanted Gyeon-woo to be funky. I challenged myself a lot in terms of outfits, hair, and makeup. Thanks to the staff, I think it turned out funky as I wanted," he said, adding, "In fact, there isn't a single piece of clothing like Gyeon-woo's in my closet. Wearing such clothes gave me confidence. I acted relying on my external appearance as well," he laughed.
Although he had a question mark about the synchronization rate between himself and Gyeon-woo, people around him, including director Im, were confident about the synchronization between the two. In particular, Jung Kyung-ho, one of the 'Mujins' trio, said, "That's you."
"While watching my portrayal of Gyeon-woo, Jung Kyung-ho said, 'That's you.' That felt like encouragement, as if he was saying I did well. It seems that it's not a side of me that I completely lack. He also said, 'You make this expression? You use this tone? That's ridiculous.' He appreciated those ridiculous parts. I felt like I acted while being loved. That's why I felt even more regretful about the ending."
Jung Kyung-ho as Nomujin, Seol In-ah as Na Hee-joo, and Cha Hak-yeon as Go Gyeon-woo. How was the chemistry among the Mujins trio? Cha Hak-yeon expressed deep affection and satisfaction, saying, "I want to give 100 points to the chemistry of Mujins." He added, "The synergy when the three of us were together was so good. I learned that acting while relying on and helping each other is what it's all about."
What kind of senior was Jung Kyung-ho on set? Cha Hak-yeon said, "He is the best senior."
"To me, Jung Kyung-ho is 'the best senior.' After the drama ended, he called me and said, 'I think you played a big role in this drama. Thank you,' which was very warm. It was actually the first time I heard such words after a drama ended. Also, the most pleasant thing he said was, 'I want to create this scene like this, can you help me?' It felt like he recognized me as an actor and acknowledged me as a colleague. Thanks to that, I felt a greater sense of responsibility. He was a true leader who guided me."
In the drama, there was a love line between Gyeon-woo and Na Hee-joo. Cha Hak-yeon mentioned Seol In-ah, who played Na Hee-joo, saying, "Aren't we too different? Seol In-ah is active, and I stay at home. But when we meet, we laugh a lot and have fun talking. However, later, I can't remember what we talked about at all. Upon reflection, it turns out we were both just saying what we wanted to say. We weren't really the type to listen to each other."
He added, "Gyeon-woo and Hee-joo are also people who prioritize expressing their own opinions rather than listening to each other. Thanks to that, the real chemistry came through. There were many ad-libs, and what was broadcast on TV was one of the 10 performances we created."
The lines could have easily sounded cheesy, but he delivered them with a natural charm. He said, "It was possible because Seol In-ah played Hee-joo," adding, "That's the power of Seol In-ah. Any line feels cute. I think viewers initially frowned at the lines but then smiled."
He continued, "People call us the Gyeon-joo couple. It seems that Seol In-ah carries a dog around, which seems to be true," he said playfully. (Continued in Interview ②)
