"I don't know about the ratings, but I expected it to receive good reviews."
Recently, Lee Jin-wook conducted an interview with Maeil Business Star Today at the BH Entertainment headquarters in Gangnam, Seoul, to mark the end of the JTBC weekend drama 'Esquire: Lawyers Who Dream of Being Lawyers' (hereafter 'Esquire').
Lee Jin-wook played the role of partner lawyer Yoon Seok-hoon in the 'Esquire', which ended on the 7th, delivering a remarkable performance.
With the final episode breaking the highest ratings record, achieving a high rating of 9.1% (Nielsen Korea, based on paid households), Lee Jin-wook humbly stated, "I couldn't have predicted the popularity."
He continued, "It's hard to predict which works will become popular. I expected to hear good reviews, but I didn't know about the ratings. The script was well-crafted, and each episode was good. It’s a work that makes viewers think, so I expected good reviews."
What made him choose the work 'Esquire' and the character Yoon Seok-hoon? Lee Jin-wook explained, "First of all, I liked the script. It made me think in a good way. I thought it contained many aspects that could help in life."
He added, "Human beings cannot leave out social life. Understanding others is important. It’s a drama that broadens that perspective," and "It shows the process of resolving various extreme lawsuits, making viewers look at and think from multiple angles."
Lee Jin-wook showcased specialized acting for the lawyer role, from vocalization to sharp insights. Some have reacted by suggesting he must have played a lawyer before. Lee Jin-wook laughed, "I guess they think I might have played a lawyer before."
"Since it’s a courtroom battle, the most challenging part was delivering the lines accurately. There were many long sentences and unfamiliar words, and especially if even one particle was wrong, the meaning changed, making memorization a struggle. The lines had to be delivered accurately. It was hard to get them to stick in my mouth. Normally, I don’t use perfect sentences when I speak, so they stick, but memorizing perfect sentences with perfect words and particles was difficult and terrifying, to the point of giving me nightmares."
Although the lines were difficult, unlike the serious and emotionally deep roles he had played in the past, Yoon Seok-hoon was a more ordinary character, which made it more comfortable. Lee Jin-wook said, "Previously, I had taken on overly serious roles. I expressed emotions deeply and intensely, but it was comfortable to take on an ordinary role after a long time. This time, the character wasn’t someone who wanted to kill someone or was suffering from revenge or trauma. In a past aptitude test, being a lawyer came out as my top aptitude. But in reality, it’s a profession I couldn’t achieve. So, I liked it."
He also added, "I wanted to portray Yoon Seok-hoon as someone with clear preferences and standards, someone who expresses himself without hesitation. I focused on making sure he could reach conclusions when asked for answers."
The filming set was reportedly very cheerful. Lee Jin-wook said, "Once laughter spreads, just making eye contact makes you laugh. There were many NGs not from the lines but from laughter," and jokingly added, "The funniest person among us was me. I made everyone laugh a lot."
Did he have any specific references? Lee Jin-wook explained, "From American dramas, 'Suits'. I referenced the main character Harvey a lot." He also paid attention to his costume. Lee Jin-wook said, "Wearing a suit gives a certain stereotype or prejudice, right? When you wear a suit in a good way, something changes. Both the psychology and attitude change, and that helped."
Since the drama flowed mainly through episodes, Yoon Seok-hoon's narrative was not very prominent. However, the shocking story of his ex-wife remarrying his close friend caught attention. Regarding this, Lee Jin-wook said, "What the person accepting it feels is right," leaving the judgment to the viewers.
He added, "Since it’s the story of the parties involved, it’s not something for others to comment on, but in my case, it doesn’t matter," and "Even if the timing overlaps, even if it’s considered cheating, marrying a friend itself is not a big problem." He continued, "The topic of a child being miscarried is a sensitive issue. That’s entirely the story of the parties involved."
How was the chemistry with his juniors? Lee Jin-wook said about Jung Chae-yeon, who played Kang Hyo-min, "Since we know each other well and are close, there was no problem with our chemistry," adding, "She’s a company junior, so I had a lot of affection for her, and I was grateful that she followed along well. Although there’s an age difference, we were close due to being from the same company."
He continued, "I was worried because she didn’t have much experience, but on the first day of script reading, all those concerns disappeared. Her voice tone was great, and what she brought was good. She did much better than I did. There was no need to worry, and I had nothing to help with," praising her.
He also shared, "Acting is not something you can learn from someone. When I was younger, I asked seniors a few questions, but now I understand why they answered that way. There’s no formula for acting," and "Rather than teaching or advising my juniors about acting itself, I think I can talk about attitude, posture, and mindset on set. Acting is something the actor has to figure out on their own, and I try to make efforts so that my juniors can act comfortably."
Regarding Lee Hak-joo, who played the role of assistant lawyer Lee Jin-woo, he said, "He’s a very smart and warm-hearted friend, so our chemistry matched really well. If Yoon Seok-hoon is the type to push, Jin-woo is the type to comfort, and both are needed in any gathering. He’s a wonderful actor who fills in my shortcomings well," and added, "The romance with Heo Min-jung (played by Jeon Hye-bin) was also very nice to see."
About Kim Kang-min, who played the rookie lawyer Ji Guk-hyun, he expressed, "He’s really funny. He was the mood maker during filming. He acts well and talks a lot," showing his affection.
Lee Jin-wook also mentioned, "Since I’ve been acting for a long time, I have some know-how. I can jump straight into filming after chatting with my juniors, but they aren’t used to that timing and chemistry, so they got scolded a few times. I didn’t mean to, but I feel sorry for making it chaotic," while also playfully teasing his juniors, saying, "I shouldn’t be talking, but it’s fun."
Did he like the ending? There were opinions that it was disappointing that the main characters' love lines did not appear, as well as opinions that it was good for that reason. Lee Jin-wook said, "I liked the ending," and expressed, "I look forward to season 2. I really want to do it."
He also revealed, "Originally, there was a love line between Yoon Seok-hoon and Kang Hyo-min in the script. However, it felt like the strengths of the drama were being diluted, so we adjusted the level through discussions," drawing attention.
Finally, when asked about his concerns as an actor, Lee Jin-wook said, "I love playing, but I have to work. Unfortunately, the works an actor can do are predetermined for a lifetime. It’s hard to do more than one work a year. Characters that are story-driven can only do one work a year. I think I should do it while I can."
He added, "This year, I plan to focus on movies. I will start filming another project from October. Nowadays, since everything is pre-produced, my next project has also been decided early," expressing his intention to keep working hard.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
