'The Absolute Value of Romance' Cha Hak-yeon: "I learned a lot from Kim Hyang-gi.. Is it a BL genre? Not much different." [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with actor Cha Hak-yeon, who plays the role of Ga Soo-woo in Coupang Play's series 'The Absolute Value of Romance'

Actor Cha Hak-yeon shared his thoughts on acting alongside Kim Hyang-gi in 'The Absolute Value of Romance'.

On the morning of the 11th, an interview with actor Cha Hak-yeon for Coupang Play's series 'The Absolute Value of Romance' (script by Lee Min-ju, directed by Lee Tae-gon and Kim Jun-hyeong) was held at a café in Palpan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

'The Absolute Value of Romance' is a high school comedy series in which high school student Yeo Ui-ju (played by Kim Hyang-gi), who writes romance novels featuring handsome male teachers, encounters unexpected moments with them in real life and becomes the protagonist of a tumultuous school life. Cha Hak-yeon plays Ga Soo-woo, a mathematics teacher known as a Mensa member with an IQ of 156 and a math genius.

On this day, Cha Hak-yeon stated, "When I first read the script, I felt the scent of youth strongly and wanted to share that experience. It also felt like reliving my school days. I chose the work because I wanted to convey youth well. It was also the work where I laughed the most on set. It felt like reliving my school days once again."

He continued, "Kim Hyang-gi's comedy acting was so fun. The staff also laughed along without hesitation; the atmosphere was so good that we even had NGs because of the laughter. Although it was Kim Hyang-gi's first time doing comedy, she did a great job."

In 'The Absolute Value of Romance', high school student Yeo Ui-ju transforms into a web novel author of BL stories at night. Cha Hak-yeon displayed diverse charm within the web novel.

Regarding this, Cha Hak-yeon expressed satisfaction, saying, "The director explained the direction very well. The director often asked, 'Is this okay?' Still, I am happy that many people enjoyed it."

He explained, "It was a challenge in terms of visuals. We prepared 50 outfits each with the stylist and did fittings. There were even scenes where we attached hairpieces. There was a process of refining things a lot with the director, and the set was not confined. The character within the play within the play seemed to have free movement, so I took on the challenge."

Cha Hak-yeon took on a BL-themed role for the second time after 'The Killer Who Lives Next Door' with 'The Absolute Value of Romance'. He said, "I thought 'The Absolute Value of Romance' was more of a romance than a BL. During principal photography, there were many times I couldn't hold back laughter. The director probably laughed a lot on purpose during rehearsals. Ironically, not holding back laughter was the know-how to hold back laughter. I think I was the one who couldn't hold back laughter the most on set," he said while laughing.

He added, "To be honest, I don't think BL-themed works are significantly different from other works. I tried to understand and act naturally."

How was the acting chemistry with Kim Hyang-gi? Cha Hak-yeon said, "(Kim Hyang-gi) is not an acting veteran, right? I was so sorry because I laughed too much. Kim Hyang-gi would bring small snacks and share them. With those small things, we naturally started conversations, and that atmosphere continued. Watching her stand like an upright tree, I learned a lot. Some staff members even called her 'teacher.' I felt the strength of (Kim Hyang-gi), who has acted for a long time. I learned a lot by seeing her exert energy in every scene," expressing his gratitude toward Kim Hyang-gi.

He also said, "Kim Hyang-gi's appearance, which did not waver in any phenomenon, was impressive. I tend to react to even small things, but watching Kim Hyang-gi remain unshaken, I learned a lot. We might become light if we try to be funny just for fun, but Kim Hyang-gi's concentration was extraordinary once filming started. I was also able to film well by relying on that."

Cha Hak-yeon also mentioned his acting chemistry with Kim Jae-hyun (as Noda Ju), Son Jeong-hyeok (as Jeong Gi-jeon), and Kim Dong-gyu (as Yoon Dong-ju). Cha Hak-yeon said, "Except for Kim Jae-hyun, all of us had MBTI as I (introverted). Kim Jae-hyun was like a vitamin. Whenever I was about to slump, he would lift me up endlessly. It seems we had a well-balanced relationship," expressing his affection for his colleagues.

He recalled the filming days, saying, "When I received direction for the play within the play, I was told, 'Please give impactful and even more exaggerated acting, acting without limits.' The other actors who appeared with me also felt, 'Do they really go that far?' There were also many scenes filled entirely with ad-libs."

Cha Hak-yeon took on the role of a teacher in 'The Absolute Value of Romance'. Regarding this, he said, "It was difficult to memorize math formulas, but I tried to memorize them. I memorized them very hard without any tricks. I memorized the formulas first and then tried to master the lines. I watched many lectures. Instead of imitating a specific lecturer, I tried to find the unique characteristics of the character Ga Soo-woo. There were also many items. There was chalk that scattered a lot of dust and also the opposite type of chalk. I ordered a lot through Coupang and have them." This elicited laughter.

Cha Hak-yeon said, "I have a room at home made for acting. Before starting a work, I decorate that space to fit the role. I just organized that space two days ago. I once acted there while sitting my elementary school nephew. The nephew seemed to have been troubled, saying 'I don't know,' so I bought him something delicious," expressing his affection for the role.

What efforts did Cha Hak-yeon make to portray Ga Soo-woo, who does not show emotions? Cha Hak-yeon said, "I practiced inversion a lot. I spent about a month changing my speech pattern. Even in daily conversations with friends, I spoke that way, so I was sometimes told, 'Why do you speak so rudely?' The director explained the role by saying, 'I want her to be so impenetrable that you might wonder, "Why is she like this?"' So I thought the same way and acted by relying on the on-set atmosphere," he joked.

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*This content was translated by AI.