INTERVIEW Actor Jung Hae-in takes on challenge with film and reality show

Heartthrob actor Jung Hae-in took on the role of a rebellious teenager in new comedy film “Start-Up,” a change from his usual image of a sweet boyfriend figure dramas. Courtesy of FNC Entertainment

By Lee Gyu-lee

This year has been full for heartthrob actor Jung Hae-in, starring in TV series “One Spring Night” and film “Tune in for Love,” and winning multiple awards.

As the year comes to an end, he decided to wrap the year on a different note, breaking out of his comfort zone to challenge himself with new comedy film “Start-Up” and reality show “Jung Hae-in's Walking Report.”

Known for his roles as a sweet, romantic boyfriend figure in melodramas, the 32-year-old actor took on the part of a rebellious teenager in the film.

“I had so much fun. I am very curious about things I haven't experienced, so this was very exciting,” he said in the interview with The Korea Times, Thursday, at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul.

Jung plays 18-year-old Sang-pill who lives alone with his grandmother. He has no interest in studying or going to school but finds joy in hanging out with his drop-out best friend Taek-il (Park Jung-min) smoking and drinking.

Lured by the quick cash the job offered him, Sang-pill gets himself deep into the money lending business to make living and take care of his elderly grandmother.

The actor revealed that the troublemaking teenage character was not hard to relate to at all. “In fact, it was too relatable,” he noted, adding that he saw Sang-pill as just a cute teenager when he first read the script.

“He's not in a good situation, so he's overly enthusiastic and ends up getting ahead of himself,” he said. “And he ends up making a mistake because of this enthusiasm.”

Actor Jung Hae-in./ Courtesy of FNC Entertainment

To portray the young character, he used a higher pitch when speaking and studied teenage-like gestures and the way they walk. He also noted that he believed Sang-pill would not look natural when smoking and drinking. “He gets led astray as he tries to find a sense of belonging. He just copies what his friend does, so I thought there should be sense of awkwardness in the way he smokes or drinks,” he said.

Although he had lots of fun with the addition to his repertoire, he noted that he still is concerned about how audiences will respond to his new character. “I have this image that I've been showing. So although I hope people enjoy seeing me in a different role, I'm also worried they might feel awkward.”

Nonetheless, he expressed that he hopes to continue to play a diverse range of characters. “I didn't intentionally try to get out of my 'image'….but I want people to think 'Jung Hae-in can act in that kind of role.' It would allow me to take on roles in a variety of genres,” he said. “Even if it might come to be a failure, I'm going to keep trying.”

Along with the role in a comedy film, he revealed his personal life with the reality show “Jung Hae-in's Walking Report,” which has been on air since last month. The show captures him on his trip to New York City with tours that he came up with on his own.

“How I'm shown on the program is about 90 percent accurate to my real personality,” he noted. “For acting, I know how I'll be seen but it was different to observe myself through the show. It was a bit embarrassing to see myself talking nonsense and laughing the way I did that time.”

One of the plans for his trip included a visit to an acting class at Pace University. Sitting-in during the class, he said he was shocked to see how the students interacted, freely exchanging feedback with each other. As a former acting student himself, he said it was a nice surprise that is different from classes in Korea.

As the film tells a story of unsteady teenagers, clueless about their future, he recalled his time of uncertainty when he was training to become an actor.

“Reality hit hard when I was in college, failing in auditions and living without the certainty of a job,” he said “A lot of people who are getting ready to step into the real world, would have this kind of uncertainty and concerns about their future. But whatever that would be, I want to encourage them to try without fearing failure.”

Based on Jo Geum-san's web comic of the same name, the film "Start-Up" follows two rebellious teenagers Taek-il and Sang-pill who try to figure out their future. Trying out different things on their own, they learn the responsibilities and realities of becoming an adult.

The film “Start-Up” is scheduled to hit local theaters Dec. 18.