Jo Hyun Jae

In August of this year, at the height of his popularity, Jo Hyun Jae entered the army. Prior to his enlistment, he spoke passionately about his life and his acting; everything from Seo Dong Yo (Ballad of Suh Dong) to The Guard Post (GP506) and Three Daddies with One Mommy!

We met with actor Jo Hyun Jae just before he entered the army. To be told that you’re even better looking in person than on the screen is not the kind of praise an actor wants to hear. But in fact, there’s an inner beauty radiating from Jo Hyun Jae that just can’t be captured on a TV or movie screen. During the interview, Jo Hyun Jae kept repeating, “I’m just like everybody else,” but there are few actors whose melancholy eyes can pierce the heart like his. Some people say that he tends to be taciturn so he’s hard to interview. But it is precisely for that reason that the feelings he does occasionally reveal resonate in our hearts.

Q. It’s very nice to see you again. I don’t think we’ve met since your last KBOOM interview.
A. That’s right. I think it was in the fall, wasn’t it? There was a cool wind blowing that day, so it was very pleasant. Today’s a bit hot.

Q. What season do you like best?
A. My favorite is spring. It’s a good time to go for walks and I can concentrate on my reading as well. I like it because when I wake up in the morning it’s just the right temperature, so I can start the day feeling good. It’s good for exercising too. When you move a lot, you sweat just the right amount. But I don’t hate summer. There are a lot of things that you can only do in the summertime. Every season has its good points.

Q. What sort of things can you only enjoy in the summer?
A. Swimming in the ocean and the cool ocean breeze. And a cold beer. I went to Japan recently for a fan meeting, and drinking beer there on a summer’s night was fantastic. In any case, Japanese beer is delicious.

Q. It’s hot today so this talk about beer is making me thirsty (laughs)! Do you drink a lot?
A. Not a lot. I only drink a little when I’m feeling good. Usually I like to have a bit of red wine or champagne, but when it’s hot, it makes me want to drink icy beer that’s cold enough to numb my tongue. It makes me feel like the fatigue is flying away. I don’t drink so much that I would get drunk. As soon as I think that I’ve had a little too much, I start to get sleepy.

Q. I heard that there were really a lot of people at the fan meeting in Japan.
A. We had the meetings in Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya, and there were a lot more people there than I had imagined. I think more people came out because I’m entering the army soon.

Q. What did you feel when you saw all of those fans?
A. I felt a great sense of responsibility. At first, honestly, I felt pressure too. I was thinking, “What should I do? I don’t want to disappoint them . . . .” But if I’m thinking that I’m having a hard time, the fans will pick up on that. So I decided not to think that way. My fans are giving me a lot of love, so if I turn that into a minus, then I’m losing out (laughs).

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(Photos courtesy of CarpeDiem)

Seo Dong Yo depicts the dramatic life and love of Seo Dong, prince of Baekje, as he struggles against fate to establish his ideal kingdom. Based on the legends that have grown up around the venerable Korean folk song “Seo Dong Yo,” this drama might be described as a Korean version of Romeo and Juliet. It raised Jo Hyun Jae’s name recognition, and he grew as an actor in tandem with his starring role.

Q. Seo Dong Yo seems to have been a very significant role for you. It was a drama with a unique setting and content that also made you a star. But how do you feel about it personally?
A. I was 26 when we filmed Seo Dong Yo, and the simple fact of playing the lead in a major historical drama series at such a young age was a fresh challenge for me. It was fortunate that the director Lee Byung Hoon, famous for his work on Dae Jang Geum knew and liked me, so I had the chance to play the part. It took a lot of hard work, but it was an opportunity to seriously study the style of acting required for historical drama, and I think I was able to develop into an actor suited to such roles.

Q. I imagine it was not easy to decide to perform in such a major historical drama. What was the biggest reason making you agree to play the part?
A. I did wonder about whether appearing in a long-running historical drama at such a young age might be pretty difficult for me. But the director had shown an interest in me for some time before that, and he said to me “It will probably be tough, but let’s both give it our best shot!” It was my faith in the director that convinced me. Also, I was interested in Seo Dong as a character and his rise from the ranks, through a lot of adversity and challenges, to become the king of his country, a figure respected by all. I was attracted to the idea of playing such a splendid role.

Q. Was there anything you paid particular attention to in playing the role of a king?
A. I consulted a lot with the director on how to get the proper tone for historical drama in my delivery of my lines. As a character, Seo Dong must neither be too weak nor too strong; the part requires that he preserve his equanimity. I worked to show viewers that outstanding aspect of his personality.

Q. The first half of Seo Dong Yo has a lot of action scenes in it. Did you do anything special to prepare for them?
A. I went to action school and did a lot of practicing. A lot of my scenes were done without any stand-ins. There were a number of scenes on horseback, but there wasn’t enough time in the schedule for me to really learn how to ride. So I had to learn on the job, and though I got up on the horse right away, he had different ideas about where we were going (Laughs).

Q. I am told that you got along so well with Ryu Jin, who played Sataek Giroo, and Lee Chang Hoon, who played Mok Rasoo, that you were called the Three Brothers. I heard you even wore the same hats.
A. Other people were jealous of the fact that Lee Chang Hoon gave hats as a present to Ryu Jin and me and nobody else. It seems sort of silly, thinking back on it. At the time I was so busy I didn’t have time to buy clothes or shoes. Every day I just wore sweats and that hat. I hardly even had time to go home and take a shower before I had to be back at the set.

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