"I'm not a serious person": Choi Jin Hyuk Comments He Is Different from His On-Screen Characters

Choi Jin Hyuk sat for a drama interview for the first time in ten years for Miss Night and Day.

In the K-drama, Choi Jin Hyuk played the role of Gye Ji Woong, a prosecutor who appears cold on the outside but harbors a painful past. Talking about the drama, he said, "I didn't expect it to fail, but it received even more love than I anticipated. The chemistry and rapport among the actors were so good that it seems to have drawn in the viewers."

Read on to know more about what Choi Jin Hyuk expressed:

This is your first interview after the end of a drama in 10 years since The Heirs.

I was planning to do one after Tunnel but couldn't because it overlapped with my overseas schedule. Since Devilish Joy, I haven't taken a single day off and have been working on projects continuously. With three projects a year, it wasn't easy to conduct interviews. It feels very new to be doing an interview after 10 years. I'm really glad that I did this drama. It's a valuable and good work. If there are good projects in the future, I plan to keep working without a break. I'm always grateful that my fans support me no matter what I do, and I feel that I need to repay their trust and support.

Miss Night and Day was broadcast worldwide through Netflix. Do you feel the global popularity increasing?

My Instagram followers increased by about 60,000 to 70,000 after the broadcast. Originally, the comments on my posts were mostly in Korean, English, or Japanese, but recently there are many in Arabic. Seeing this, I realize that there are more international fans now. I anticipated that this drama, being bright and of the fantasy genre, would be popular overseas.

Do you have any memorable reactions [from viewers]?

The best response was that people found it fun. I liked hearing that characters like Mi Jin and Im Sun seemed one and the same, and personally, I enjoyed hearing that ‘The Gye Ji Woong trio is so funny.’ We also felt a lot of that on set. The staff also said that it was best when the three of us were together. I hoped the viewers would have the same feeling, and it seems they did.

Some have said that Gye Ji Woong had less screen time compared to Im Sun and Mi Jin. Your thoughts.

In a way, Gye Ji Woong is a supporting character to Mi Jin and Im Sun. ... Since Mi Jin and Im Sun's story was the main focus, if I had acted [in a way that made me] stand out, it might have disrupted the viewers’ immersion. Gye Ji Woong is cynical. He needed to strike a balance, neither too heavy nor too light. I thought maintaining the tone was my role in the drama. I am firmly against acting to stand out. I prepared by thoroughly reading the script from start to finish.

What aspects of Gye Ji Woong did you focus on while acting?

When portraying Gye Ji Woong, I didn't want to act as if I was doing something great just because he's a prosecutor. I tried to be simple. In fact, pretending to be cool doesn't make you cool but when you're naturally cool without pretending to be. So I approached the character naturally.

Your synergy with Yoon Byung Hee in the drama was also an element of fun.

When I act with Byung Hee, there are times when we can't act because we both laugh so much. There is a scene where I shout and he falls, but during the actual shoot, I shouted differently than in the rehearsal, and he was so startled. I couldn't hold back my laughter, so if you look closely at the full shot, you can see me smiling slightly. We had such good chemistry that there were many times when we gave absurd ad-libs and we both burst out laughing.

Your co-stars Jung Eun Ji and Lee Jung Eun played the same role. Your thoughts.

At first, it was interesting but also challenging. But as I met them during the day and night, and saw how well they handled their parts, they began to look like one and the same. ... Sometimes, they made similar gestures, which made me think they truly did a great job working hard.

How did you spend your time after KBS 2TV's Zombie Detective?

After Zombie Detective, I thought I needed time to think about acting. It was a period when I revisited my thoughts on acting and my original intentions. I also began to think about the people who were important to me and how I should treat them well. I gave a lot of thought to my attitude towards participating in projects and how I interact with people. Then I started acting again with MBC's Numbers, and then Miss Night and Day. Miss Night and Day is a blessing for me.

You have often played legal professionals, both in Miss Night and Day and other projects. Why do you think that is? Are you not interested in trying new types of characters?

After doing Pride and Prejudice, where I fitted well into the role, I ended up taking on many prosecutor or lawyer roles. I've often been told I seem cold and intimidating if I don't speak. That might have had some influence. But, I don't choose projects based solely on the profession of the character. If the opportunity arises, I would definitely like to play a proper villain role or explore the noir genre.

Was there a reason you showed your personal life on My Little Old Boy?

I had received the offer three years before I made the appearance. At first, I wondered why they wanted me. I am not a very fun person. But because I kept taking on serious roles, I wanted to show that I am not like that [in real life]. I wanted to show that I am not a serious person, but rather someone with wit and flaws, and that I am a person with many weaknesses. Since my acting is related to the roles I play, I thought it might help in shedding my serious image [in real life].

Should we take what we saw on the show as real?

My mother and I don't like lying, so you can consider what was shown on the show to be real. My mother had noticed that I had been deceived, and she didn't know about the girlfriend part. On the show, she did say things like, 'My son must have been going through a hard time.' I believe she was sincere. Sometimes, she gets frustrated with me and says things, but I think it's all out of affection.

What are your thoughts on approaching forty years of age?

My friends are actually in their 40s. But I was born earlier [than them], so I'm not forty yet, but I already think of myself as forty. When we were young, the number 40 seemed like an age when you could be considered an old man, but now it's just where I am. I don't have a strong feeling about the number itself. However, I think that I should act maturely because of my age and not be ashamed.

What are your future plans?

I think I'll go for a fan meeting overseas. I want to go on vacation. I've never had a proper vacation. I usually just stay at home when I have time off, so I'm thinking it might be nice to actually go on a proper vacation and rest. I used to be restless in the past, but I've become more of a homebody over the past 4 or 5 years. I like being alone without being bothered.

Are there any genres or characters you want to try playing?

No actor would give up on a project's commercial success. Since actors typically work with the expectation of success, it's not easy to take on a role with the intention of completely disregarding its commercial potential. I would like to try roles that I haven't explored before, such as in the noir genre. Movies tend to be deeper, while Netflix series often offer a broader range of expression. I'd also like to try a reality-based project. I have also been considering theater. Scheduling conflicts with other projects made it difficult, and the fear of making mistakes made me hesitant. But now I think I should give it a try. I want to take on the challenge.

How would you like to be described as an actor?

It's a bit abstract, but I would like to be known as 'a good actor.' While working on this project, I felt how much the overall atmosphere of a work can be influenced by one person. At the center of it all were the director and the staff, but there was also Lee Jung Eun sunbae [senior]. Seeing her, I realized how my own attitude towards approaching a project should change.

How will Miss Night and Day be remembered by you?

It's a very precious work. Even though I thought it would be fun before even starting, it was even better because I got to work with actors I admire. The staff were also wonderful people. On days without shooting, we would hang out together. While the success of the drama is important, the fact that I worked on this project itself holds significance for me.

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