'Lim Seong-han's Man' Jeong I-chan "Gave Up Everything for My First Lead Role 'Doctor Shin'" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

• TV Chosun Saturday-Sunday Drama 'Doctor Shin' Interview with Actor Jeong I-chan, who played the role of Shin Ju-shin

Actor Jeong I-chan perfectly marked his first lead role debut through Lim Seong-han's drama 'Doctor Shin'.

Recently, StarNews conducted an interview with actor Jeong I-chan at the Seoul Jongno-gu office on the 3rd, following the conclusion of the TV Chosun Saturday-Sunday drama 'Doctor Shin' (script by Lim Seong-han (Phoebe), directed by Lee Seung-hoon).

'Doctor Shin' is a medical thriller about a genius doctor who challenges the realm of God and a woman who loses her soul as her brain deteriorates overnight. It is Lim Seong-han's new work, released about three years after her 2023 concluded TV Chosun drama 'Miss Durian'.

Jeong I-chan took on the role of Shin Gyeong-oe-gwa (Director) and orphanage director Lee (President) Shin Ju-shin in the drama. As the character performing 'brain change' surgery, he anchored the center of the medical thriller and powerfully displayed his presence as a first lead role since his debut.

When asked about his feelings after the drama concluded, Jeong I-chan said, "I am grateful that viewers loved Shin Ju-shin," while also expressing a foreign investor's sentiment of gratitude. "Actually, I was worried that the character might be disliked. But as Shin Ju-shin's humanity gradually came out, it seems viewers loved her even more. It was a very surprising and grateful experience," he replied.

Having finished filming 'Doctor Shin' earlier this year, Jeong I-chan drew attention with a completely different look after cutting his long hair. He laughed, saying, "During filming, I actually grew my hair out quite a bit and even used hairpieces. Many people were surprised when I cut it."

Jeong I-chan, along with Baek Seo-ra (Momo), Ahn Woo-yeon (Ha Yong-joong), Joo Se-bin (Geum Ba-ra), and Cheon Young-min (Kim Jin-joo), were selected as 'Lim Seong-han's actors' after a long audition process.

Regarding the audition, Jeong I-chan revealed, "I was happy to learn immediately at the audition venue that I had been cast as the lead, but I pretended to be poker-faced and calm. Afterward, once I learned the drama title, character name, and the concept of 'brain change,' I truly felt a sense of pressure."

He added, "It is a work by Lim Seong-han, known for many hit dramas, and compared to her previous works, there are fewer characters and the age range is younger, so I had great concerns about whether I could do it well. At the same time, since it was my first lead role, I became ambitious. I passed the audition in March of last year, and filming began in August that year, so there was some time left. During that remaining period, I decided to give up myself and live as Shin Ju-shin herself. As I thought about becoming Shin Ju-shin completely, my worries and pressure turned into excitement," revealing his affection for the character.

In the drama, Shin Ju-shin is a doctor with overwhelming surgical skills, called the 'Hand of God.' In fact, due to her somewhat mechanical tone of voice and expressions, some even joked that she was an 'AI doctor.'

Jeong I-chan said, "In the first episode, when Shin Ju-shin is performing surgery and hears the news that Momo has collapsed, she only says '119.' Seeing that, I thought, 'Is she a machine? Is she this dry and rational?' In fact, I think the script contained expressions like 'dry,' 'cold,' and 'rational' more than 100 times."

He continued, "To study the character, I interviewed plastic surgeons, dentists, dermatologists, orthopedic surgeons, and thoracic surgeons. For the brain surgery scenes, actual doctors provided filming consultation. I think what was more important than the fact that she is a 'doctor' was the person 'Shin Ju-shin' herself," recalling his journey.

He further explained, "I persistently dug into the thought of 'Why?' Looking at Shin Ju-shin's living environment, the hospital is above The Penthouse, and below is the SECRET operating room. I thought she was a character living a colorless, gray life. Regarding her speech, since she lived with nurses who cannot speak, Park Soo (played by Park Ju-yong) and Lee Sim (played by Park Ae-rin), she might have become accustomed to talking to herself and using abrupt, cut-off speech patterns rather than exchanging conversations."

When asked about his acting chemistry with other actors, Jeong I-chan immediately answered, "They are really like family. The group chat is still noisy," and smiled.

He said, "When the actors gathered to introduce themselves, we said, 'Hello, I was born in the year 00,' but no one was surprised. My natural voice is low, so people are often surprised when I say I was born in 2000. It was strange that no one was surprised, but later other actors asked, 'Didn't you say you were born in the 90s?' which made me laugh. We were really close and relied on each other a lot. We intentionally exchanged dialogue like lines to get used to the script, and we lived like that."

How did he accept the somewhat bizarre setting where Shin Ju-shin receives the brain of her future mother-in-law, Hyeon Hwan-hee (played by Song Ji-in), transplanted into the body of her fiancée Momo, and later literally 'changes' the brains of other characters like Kim Jin-joo?

Jeong I-chan shared, "I have two pet dogs. The first one, Leon, is a 17-year-old senior dog. When I think of Leon from my childhood, I want to see him run and play one more time. I thought Shin Ju-shin might feel the same. When she sees Momo, who can do nothing, perhaps she wants her to laugh, walk, and talk one more time."

Jeong I-chan expressed the meaning of the work 'Doctor Shin' to him, saying, "Shin Ju-shin is a character I will keep for a lifetime. 'Doctor Shin' itself and the actors I worked with seem like people I will have for a lifetime. I really wanted to live as Shin Ju-shin. During the final filming, the sea was truly beautiful, and I think it will remain as a precious work that reminds me of my original intention in the future."

Why did Lim Seong-han cast Jeong I-chan as the lead? Regarding this, Jeong I-chan revealed, "The writer later said she felt like she was giving me the role. Through the director, I heard that she liked the cold-blooded look my face gave off, the cold feeling, and my voice."

He also opened up about the 'brain change' setting. In the drama, Shin Ju-shin feels both madness and obsession regarding brain surgery, as well as a sense of guilt.

Jeong I-chan said, "The writer guided the direction a lot. Shin Ju-shin's lack of emotion gradually comes out later, doesn't it? At first, the writer wanted her to be emotionless, and I wanted to continue living as Shin Ju-shin. It seems she wanted me to not let go of the thread of concentration. At first, it was too difficult, so I even talked on the phone with the writer for over two hours in the early morning. The term 'brain change' sounds radical, but ultimately, Shin Ju-shin feels guilt and regret through Geum Ba-ra (played by Joo Se-bin). So, when Shin Ju-shin dies, she dies thinking of Geum Ba-ra," he explained.

He continued, "What the writer wanted was for viewers not to know what Shin Ju-shin is thinking. Such a cold character suddenly becomes strangely obsessed with a child and gets angry later on. Even when dealing with that woman, I had to give subtle and delicate differences. I tried to focus on that 'one spoon's difference.'"

What advice did he receive from Lim Seong-han? When asked, Jeong I-chan answered with a laugh, "The writer disappeared." Lim Seong-han changed her phone number.

Jeong I-chan shared, "I usually contacted the writer often. Even when finishing filming on the set, if I sent photos, she would encourage me, saying 'Good job.' She usually replies very quickly and even calls, but from a certain day on, she stopped replying. The director told me, 'The writer always changes her number after finishing a work, so don't worry about it.' I was actually disappointed and regretful, but when I heard the news that she would appear on a live broadcast, I was truly happy."

Lim Seong-han appeared on comedian YouTuber Eom Eun-hyang's YouTube channel via phone connection, drawing attention. At that time, Lim Seong-han explained that she builds closeness by having actors call her 'unnie' or 'sister,' and also shared an anecdote that Jeong I-chan, amidst a heavy atmosphere, said "I'm leaving, unnie," causing laughter.

Regarding the situation at the time, Jeong I-chan recalled, "The actors were really being scolded by the writer. I tend to leave things behind. After being scolded that time, I left a small script in the practice room. When I went back into the practice room to get the script and came out, I thought I should greet her again. So I said 'I'm leaving, unnie,' and it seems the writer found it funny. I learned that she laughed at my appearance by watching the live broadcast," while showing an awkward smile.

He added, "Lim Seong-han looks cold, but in reality, she is small in stature and very affectionate. If any actor seems unwell, she calls immediately. She never lets anything go by without listening. When she heard that I eat 7 to 8 eggs a day due to weight issues, she immediately called and said, 'You shouldn't eat so many egg yolks.' She is a warm-hearted person," expressing his gratitude toward Lim Seong-han.

'Doctor Shin' was a hot topic every day due to its unique subtitles and dialogue. In serious scenes, the characters' inner thoughts were processed as subtitles, or non-standard expressions like 'I was desperate,' 'I too,' and 'I wanted to see you' created numerous memes.

Regarding this, Jeong I-chan revealed, "When I first saw the subtitle 'Me?' appear in the blind date scene between Shin Ju-shin and Momo (played by Baek Seo-ra), I was surprised and thought 'Wow' myself. I thought it would have an impact."

While the buzz was tremendous, there was regret regarding the ratings. According to Nielsen Korea, 'Doctor Shin' started with a 1.4% rating in the first episode. Although it showed some momentum later, it delivered poor results compared to Lim Seong-han's other dramas.

Jeong I-chan said, "It's understandable to feel regret since all of the writer's previous works had high ratings, but separately from that, I am grateful for the immense support and love. It was touching to see viewers repeating the lines. I am also grateful to those who have been with us from the first episode."

Jeong I-chan, who announced a successful lead debut with 'Doctor Shin,' has previously appeared in dramas such as 'Oasis' and 'Fantasy Romance.' Having stamped his reputation with weighty acting, what kind of actor does he want to become in the future?

Jeong I-chan expressed his acting ambition, saying, "I thought the journey of finding the doctor Shin Ju-shin in his mid-30s was a process of finding myself. Wasn't Shin Ju-shin a character who was very restrained? In the future, I want to try romantic comedies and historical dramas as well."

He added, "I was often fascinated by senior actors who could speak with just their eyes even in moments without lines. Through 'Doctor Shin,' I also wanted to speak to viewers that way. When people think of actor Jeong I-chan, I want to be known as 'an actor with great eyes,' and I will continue to act hard in the future," solidifying his determination.

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*This content was translated by AI.