"I didn't want to disappoint you." Kim Eui-sung sends his old friend 'model taxi' [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

• SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Exemplary Taxi 3' interview with actor Kim Eui-sung as Jang Sung-chul

Actor Kim Eui-sung safely sent off the "model taxi" that finished the three seasons with hot love.

Kim Eui-sung recently held a round interview at a cafe in Gangnam-gu, Seoul to commemorate the end of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Model Taxi 3" (written by Oh Sang-ho/directed by Kang Bo-seung).

"Exemplary Taxi 3" is a private revenge act in which the mysterious taxi company Rainbow Transportation and taxi driver Kim Do-ki complete revenge on behalf of the wrongful victim, based on the webtoon of the same name, and was loved a lot as season 1 of 2021 and season 2 of 2023 aired.

The "exemplary taxi" series, which received great love every season, swept the rankings of domestic and international box office indicators, proving the power of the "Super IP Seasonal System." Taxi driver Kim Do-ki (Lee Je-hoon) established himself as a more powerful dark hero, and the end of the villains was even more disastrous. In particular, in "Model Taxi 3", a more three-dimensional story line was established by revealing the past narrative of Jang Sung-chul, or CEO Jang, played by Kim Eui-sung.

When asked how he felt about finishing the three seasons over a five-year period, Kim Eui-sung said, "From the beginning, I felt strongly that (viewers) were cheering for this drama, not just liking it or not liking it. "Thanks to this, I think all the members had a very big emotional experience," he said.

He said, "I feel like I'm being loved too much compared to doing it. When I have to be separated from my long-term lover due to circumstances, I feel like saying, "I hope this is not the last time," he said, expressing his affection for the "model taxi."

"Model Taxi 3", which returned again, proved its popularity by breaking its own highest ratings in each episode. In response, Kim Eui-sung said, "It's like a miracle. How can you support me like this?" he repeatedly expressed surprise.

Of course, it lasted for three seasons, and there were also hardships. Kim Eui-sung said, "In season 1, if (villains) were put in an underground prison, other concerns arose as the prison disappeared from season 2. There was also talk of uninhabited islands. It feels like you are being punished without hesitation in season three. I thought I shouldn't hesitate because I'm not compromising on a certain level. In fact, I cheered for the writer when I saw him do it boldly," he confessed.

Kim Eui-sung, who accompanied the "model taxi" series from 2021 to 2026, said, "It is a drama that started in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic," adding, "Since it was a very dark story, at first, I wondered if the viewers would accept it easily." "I didn't think it would be a drama that could receive support and support during three seasons in about five years," he said.

"There was a lot of criticism when the first episode of season 1 was aired. It was an episode of a school violence victim for adolescents with developmental disabilities, and despite the criticism, I was personally confident (about the drama). In the second episode, there is a content that gives back to the perpetrators of the school violence, and the so-called public opinion has changed 180 degrees since then," he recalled at the time of the first broadcast of season 1.

The difference between "Exemplary Taxi" and other dramas is that each episode features an actor with a guest character. Kim Eui-sung said, "As a host, rainbow transportation members should be able to treat guests and film in a good environment. At first, we were all new, so if we were a little busy digesting it, now we seem to be doing well as the owner," he boasted of his teamwork.

"In that sense, I think, 'You've grown a lot.' Some actors think it's not easy in this floor environment that the five Rainbow Transportation members were able to continue the drama for five years, although it was only seen in the first season. So I'm proud of those of us who were able to do it together," he said, expressing his affection for key members such as Lee Je-hoon, Pyo Ye-jin, Bae Yoo-ram, and Jang Hyuk-jin, who worked together last time.

To the viewers, "Thank you for your amazing support in various countries. I can't let go of the feeling that I shouldn't let you down. I want to be an actor who does not disappoint at any time, both as an actor and in life. I want to live well," he said.

Kim Eui-sung has drawn attention whenever the new season is released. In fact, there were doubts that Jang, played by Kim Eui-sung, was a villain who would betray Kim Do-ki, that is, a black screen. It is one of the jokes created by Kim Eui-sung's impressive villain in some works.

"I'm so happy," said Kim Eui-sung, the person in charge of "Black Mask Story," adding, "[Viewers] must be busy digesting only the main character's narrative, but I'm grateful for your interest in me, whether it's a black screen or not, and I'm also grateful that I was in charge of a small fun of watching this drama."

"I really want to betray you someday," he said, drawing laughter.

Regarding the drama, which was a complete "virtue," he said, "It's image washing. It was a very good work to wash the image," he said, causing another round of laughter.

What was his time with Lee Je-hoon, who lived as Kim Do-ki over the past three seasons. Regarding Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung said, "He is the person who doesn't change the most, the person who doesn't make mistakes," adding, "I thought I wouldn't quit because of Lee Je-hoon." He is like a pillar of faith," he said, expressing deep trust.

He also said, "(Lee Je-hoon) raised a problem with the production team once and established discipline. Seeing him say, "Let's all be responsible," I thought, "I should be careful, too." The sense of responsibility was clearly different," he said, giving Lee Je-hoon a smile by using extreme honorifics.

Since his debut as a member of the Han River theater company in 1987, Kim Eui-sung has been continuing his "hard work" through the films "Robby," "Alien+Inside," "Spring of Seoul," "Expensive Song," "Extreme Job," "Expensive Job," "Expensive Job," "Expression," "Golden Slumber," "Golden Slumber," "Steel King," "Train to Busan," "Insiders," "Black Priests," " Assassination," "Kwansang," "Nobody's Daughter Haewon," "Namyeong-dong 1985," "Bukchon Direction," "Architect.

Asked about the secret of his hard work, he said, "It is the most precious and desired thing to be able to work steadily and meet colleagues without resting a lot in difficult times like now. Thankfully, we are so grateful to those in the industry who continue to visit us that we do not know what to say."

On the other hand, in terms of age and physical strength, "I'm aging at a scary rate. I feel like I'm in a state where I can't even take it out now. The past five years of filming the "Model Taxi" series have been "This year must be the best year as an actor," "I should live as slowly as possible," and "Huh? It was a time where I lived thinking, 'This year is also good?'

"Of course, there are some regrets. The importance of the role does not decrease, but the exposure time becomes shorter. When I was filming, I thought 'Gaggy', but when I go deeper and think about it, I wonder if there is a way to ask, 'You're good at this, so please show it to me.' "As an actor, I want to play roles with ups and downs, not just showing the results," he said, expressing his honest desire.

Kim Eui-sung, who was born on December 17, 1965, posted a simple picture of his 60th birthday on social media on his birthday last year, expressing his feelings on his birthday, saying, "I will live the rest of my life harmless, free, and fun."

Kim Eui-sung said, "I want to live safely. Even if you breathe, there can be situations that harm people sometimes, so it seems that it becomes harmless only when you are always careful and actively consider others. I want to live with more of those efforts," he said.

Kim Eui-sung, who has already been in his 40th year since his debut, said, "I don't think I've made achievements for a long time as an actor." It's a 'thank you' for surviving a long time, and I don't think I've done much to look back on something. He showed a humble attitude, saying, "I have a sense of pride that I endured well to some extent."

Regarding the so-called "multiple actor" who constantly works in art and meets the public, he said, "I didn't just achieve it," but added, "Of course, there are times when I think shamelessly. What I thought was great was that I decided to act again after a 10-year hiatus. I was very humble, and I think I did a good job of killing a lot of seedlings and becoming a "person who can work together" to people around me.

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*This content was translated by AI.