Meet the guy playing lead role opposite Red Velvet's Irene in 'Double Patty'
Shin Seung-ho / Courtesy of King Kong by Starship
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Shin Seung-ho may not sound familiar to many viewers, but his works are. Since debuting as actor in 2017, he has built up an impressive acting career by appearing mostly in teen romance series, such as web drama, “A-teen,” JTBC's “Moments of 18” and Netflix's “Love Alarm.”
The football player-turned-actor has finally landed his first lead movie role opposite Bae Joo-hyun, better known by her stage name, Irene, of girl band Red Velvet, in the coming-of-age drama, “Double Patty.”
In the film, Shin stars as Kang Woo-ram, a gifted ssireum (Korean traditional wrestling) athlete who goes through a slump, while Irene plays the role of aspiring anchorwoman Lee Hyun-ji, who juggles multiple part-time jobs to achieve her dream.
The two get along when Kang becomes a frequent customer of the burger restaurant where Lee works the night shift. The two share late-night snacks together and support each other in their dreams.
“When it came to conditioning my body for the role, I tried to train and eat, like professional ssireum athletes. As a result I was able to reduce my body fat and increase my muscle mass. It was an exhausting process, but I enjoyed making that transformation,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times via Google Meet, Tuesday.
The ascending actor confessed that he was able to relate to Kang's character because he was a former student-athlete.
“I played football for 11 years before I quit and shifted my career to modeling and acting. So I know exactly how it feels to be on the verge of giving up on one's dreams and switching gears. The film reminded me of my own growing pains,” he said.
A scene from “Double Patty” / Courtesy of KT Seezn
Shin revealed he had started acting classes in 2017, and initially, he was embarrassed about watching himself act onscreen. “It may sound contradictory, but acting was awkward and fun at the same time. I had cringe moments, but I realized eventually that this is what I want,” he said.
On acting opposite Bae, Shin said, “I was already cast when I heard that Irene had been cast as my partner. I thought it was a fresh mix because it was our first experience acting in a film.”
He added, “We would rehearse together and talk though the scenes in detail. We would keep working to create better scenes together. I think we seem to have good onscreen chemistry.”
The 26-year-old actor shared his bucket list ideas for his 20s. “Two things that immediately came to mind are traveling to Europe and going to a film festival,” he said.
Shin went on to say that he wishes to star in films of diverse genres, including action and noir, and roles like a dark hero. He has been tipped to star in the Netflix original series “D.P.” (Deserter Pursuit).
The series, adapted from the webtoon of the same title, will tell the story of Jun-ho (Jung Hae-in) and his encounters with AWOL soldiers, along with his struggles to keep his moral compass, as he decides the fate of the confused young men. While the exact character is unknown, Shin will play the AWOL soldier in the show helmed by director Han Jun-hee, who is known for his 2015 action crime film “Coin Locker Girl.”
“Double Patty” hits local theaters, Feb. 17.