From comic to touching "Gangmae Gang" Seo Hyun-woo's versatile acting charm

Oct 15, 2024

photo courtesy of Disney+

Actor Seo Hyun-woo (40) is receiving enthusiastic responses from viewers by showing a pleasant transformation in the Disney+ original series 'Gangmaegang'.

Seo Hyun-woo met with Sports Chosun at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 15th and responded to the interview for the Disney+ original series 'Gangmaegang'.

Disney+ original series 'Gangmae Gang' is a comic investigative drama in which the nation's last-place violent class and the new elite class leader team up to solve the case. Seo Hyun-woo plays Jung Jung-hwan, a livelihood detective whose goal is to go thin and long in `Gangmaegang.' It expanded the acting spectrum by showing a comical aspect different from the existing serious role.

In this work, Seo Hyun-woo is receiving great response from viewers as a character who gives laughter and emotion away from the heavy role. Jung-hwan is a detective who is an ordinary breadwinner but has a strong commitment to promotion, and his struggles with his family and work cause comical and sad feelings.

In an interview, Seo said, "This was my first full-fledged attempt at the comedy genre," he said, expressing his feelings about the shooting. He realized the difficulty of acting in comedy from the time he received the script. However, he said he was able to create a more natural comedy scene through close collaboration with the director.

He added "The director gave us ideas that went beyond the script through rehearsals, and helped us a lot to challenge without hesitation in the field."

photo courtesy of Disney

The character Jung-hwan was a new and challenging role for Seo Hyun-woo. He was the first to play the role of an ordinary breadwinner and father of four, and he tried to show the authenticity that comes from acting in life" he said. In particular, Seo Hyun-woo, who has no experience in parenting, is said to have received a lot of advice on parenting from actors and staff around him. He said "I had really good chemistry with the child actors. The kids were immersed in me, treating me as a true father, and I was able to easily fall into the character as well."

In this work, Seo Hyun-woo maximized comic energy through harmony with various characters. In particular, regarding his collaboration with Kim Dong-wook and Park Ji-hwan, he emphasized cooperation with fellow actors, saying, "They were considerate of each other, exchanged ideas, and continued filming happily on the spot." Seo Hyun-woo "He is an alumnus of the same age as actor Kim Dong-wook, but he was able to act in a comfortable atmosphere thanks to his long friendship," he said. About Kim Dong-wook "I learned a lot from reading the atmosphere of the scene and adjusting the rhythm and tempo."," he added.

Seo Hyun-woo's comic performance was not just a simple laugh. He delicately portrayed the realistic hardships of the character, providing both laughter and emotion. Jung-hwan is a father who strives for his family, but Seo Hyun-woo captured the hearts of viewers with his slick acting in the scene where he kneeled down and desperately begged in front of Dong-gu (Kim Ra-on) to buy toys in the tough reality and played with children mimicking dinosaurs. In addition, his cheerful charm was released in the scene where he directly airlifted hangover soup located at a long distance to be seen by his boss.

photo courtesy of Disney+

In an interview, he also delivered his own philosophy on comedy acting. Seo Hyun-woo said "The nature of the comedy is rather blurred when I think that a comedy situation should be funny because the actor has to express the situation in a funny way. It is important to be serious and to maintain integrity in the situation." Seo Hyun-woo also said, `This film has earned me respect for the comedy genre"He said he realized the difficulty of comic acting anew.

Regarding the confidence given by 'Gangmaegang," Seo Hyun-woo said, "Through this work, I learned that I can be a little bold. I have the courage to ease my fear of crossing the line and challenge myself to a wider variety of acting." He also plans to challenge not only the comedy genre but also various genres of work, saying, `I want to challenge myself in action and compound genres in the future. I'm ready to challenge even an unconventional action scene if my physical strength allows it."

photo courtesy of Disney+

At the conclusion of the interview, Seo Hyun-woo is happy to show a new side of himself by playing Jeong-hwan in "Gangmae Gang". We're going to try various transformations in the remaining episodes, so please look forward to it," he said.

The Disney+ original series 『Gangmae Gang』 will be released every Wednesday and will provide viewers with a pleasant laugh and emotion until the end with Seo Hyun-woo, Kim Dong-wook, Park Ji-hwan, and Park Se-wan.

mj.cho@sportschosun.com

From comic to touching "Gangmae Gang" Seo Hyun-woo's versatile acting charm

K-drama