Jang Yo-hun, Unshaken by the Success of 'True Education': "Fame? It Could Be My Last" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I want to live as an actor and a person who radiates positivity so that I can continue acting in the future."

Actor Jang Yo-hun left a powerful impression through 'True Education.' Amidst a flood of attention, he remained calm, stating, "Fame could be my last," and did not let himself get carried away. Not taking his current opportunities for granted, he was calmly preparing his next steps with the goal of becoming a long-lasting actor.

Recently, StarNews conducted an interview with Jang Yo-hun at its Seoul Jongno-gu headquarters, where he starred in the Netflix original series 'True Education' (script by Lee Nam-kyu, directed by Hong Jong-chan).

Unveiled on the 5th last year, 'True Education' depicts the efforts of the School Authority Protection Bureau to restore collapsed educational authority. It received a fiery response immediately after its release, topping global charts in first place.

Jang Yo-hun, who played Min Ji-woong, a juvenile offender at the center of youth crime and drug trafficking in the series, acting as one of the most memorable villains, admitted that he has felt the reactions from those around him due to the work's box office success.

Jang Yo-hun said, "Recently, I've been going to many auditions for new works, and people tell me they enjoyed 'True Education.' Others who met me have also reacted by saying, 'You don't look bad in real life,' as he smiled. However, he added, "I'm not sure if there has been a change in me personally. I was excited but now I feel slightly calmer." He continued, "Still, if it's a positive change, industry professionals notice. They contact me asking about my schedule, and I'm having some strange experiences," explaining the changed temperature around him.

At 33 years old (born in 1993), it was not an easy challenge for him to portray a 14-year-old juvenile offender. After going through fierce auditions, he secured a spot in the casting lineup. Recalling that time, he said, "The director saw many actors and seemed to think it would be difficult to cast a minor, so I think he was looking for an adult actor who looked young." He added, "The director kept saying my eyes stayed on his mind. He even told me, 'Your eyes are rolling.' I thought that was good as an actor," revealing the secret to how he could melt into the character.

To embody the appearance and emotions of a boy as an adult actor, Jang Yo-hun focused on controlling the character's external tension and energy flow. He explained, "Age is something you can't control, so I tried to focus on energy. Due to the nature of being a boy, I tried to appear small. I paid attention to energy, body shape, and energy."

Additionally, Jang Yo-hun made efforts to maintain an objective perspective so as not to blur the essence of the character who committed evil acts in the series. He explained, "Min Ji-woong is a perpetrator with no room for excuses. The director also said he would not defend this perpetrator. I thought about what emotional line Min Ji-woong had and why he went so far, focusing on energy flow."

He even found the only common point between his own past and the role to inject vitality into the character. Jang Yo-hun said, "Energy comes from body shape. I think when I was young, I was scattered and restless. That's the only intersection with this friend." He continued, "As we age, we might live restlessly and cleverly but eventually calm down, right? I tried to bring that back up again. I tried to walk like a bouncing ball while making funny jokes and playing around."

This was different from the way he had expressed characters in independent films or on stage until now. Jang Yo-hun stated, "In independent films, theater, and music videos, I often played roles of minorities or victims. Roles where I was bullied, beaten by perpetrators, or queer roles. At that time, I focused a lot on emotions and tried to empathize." He added, "But with Min Ji-woong, I approached it physically. Instead of trying to empathize and understand, I thought more about the tension or position this friend needed to show in this work."

To achieve perfect immersion, Jang Yo-hun dug up even small memories to find connections with the character in the series. He said, "I tried to find common ground with me. I tried to recall memories of being scattered when I was young, getting angry while playing games," but also drew a clear boundary with Min Ji-woong by saying, "Still, I had good adults around me during those moments."

His passion for the work even led him to actually shave his head. Mentioning the scene of shaving his head upon entering a juvenile detention center, he smiled wryly, saying, "It was very different from shaving your head stylishly like Won Bin in 'The Man'." Jang Yo-hun shared, "There are many works where you cut your hair, but not many where you shave it completely. So I thought it would be fun to have a scene where I shave my head. That's why I readily shaved my real hair. But some people thought it was CG."

He also vividly conveyed the tense atmosphere of the detention center filming site. He confessed, "The actors I met then looked fierce and even had tattoos. They were putting their arms around each other, and in reality, they were really scary. In scenes where I had to act scared, my expression came out without me trying." He added, "Also, in the scene where Workshop Leader Kim Soo-kyum (played by Kim Gyun-ha) stabs with a toothbrush, even though I knew it was fake, I was scared that something might go wrong and get stabbed."

In particular, the shocking scene where he urinates on himself due to Kim Soo-kyum's threats in the series was completed through his active proposal. Jang Yo-hun revealed the behind-the-scenes story, saying, "That scene wasn't in the script; I proposed the idea."

The bond with fellow actors on set was exceptional. Jang Yo-hun mentioned actors Im Hyun-mook, Yoon Tae-sik, and Choi Hyeon-jun, who breathed together as delinquent youths in the series, saying, "Except for one episode, we filmed all episodes together. When working on the project, none of us had companies, so we traveled by car and subway together, stayed in hotels, and became very close." He also showed their strong loyalty by adding, "We even planned to meet up today."

He also expressed deep respect for senior actor Kim Mu-yeol, who was a reliable pillar on set. Jang Yo-hun said, "Senior Kim Mu-yeol let me do everything I wanted to do. He would tell the director about my ideas or what I wanted to do. I thought I wanted to become an actor like that." He marveled, "He was too handsome, used his body well, and had everything. With such acting skills and attitude toward life, I realized why he keeps getting called." He continued, "Senior Pyo Ji-hoon and Senior Jin Ki-ju also helped me constantly from the side. Since I haven't been in commercial media for long, they gave me many good words," never forgetting his gratitude.

Although he left a strong impression on the public through 'True Education,' Jang Yo-hun is calmly preparing for his next step without being swept away by the sudden attention.

Regarding the sudden fame, he said, "Honestly, I think I have mixed feelings about becoming known," and confessed, "Opportunities for auditions and works have arisen, but with them comes a sense of responsibility." He added, "Becoming famous doesn't happen just because you want to. This is something I can't control." He revealed his strong inner resolve by saying, "So I'll just do one thing at a time faithfully and try everything I can. I'll try to enjoy it."

Jang Yo-hun said, "Actually, I think there will be more to show in the future. So whether it's commercial media, independent films, or theater, I will show them all." He calmly added, "I think fame could be my last. For such opportunities to come, the drama must do well. Moreover, I only took on one episode of the entire work. The fact that such an opportunity came is really rare."

Rather than focusing on the size of the role, he seeks the essence of acting. He said, "I have no greed for weight. I want to be an actor who makes an impact or goes in the right direction in good works. Because I have ambition, I will challenge commercial media, but I want to become an actor who is not ashamed rather than a famous one."

Jang Yo-hun reflected on the milestone this work left for him and the life values he wants to uphold going forward. He said, "Actually, through 'True Education,' I was noticed for the first time, but I will continue on my own path. I want to be a long-lasting actor." He vowed, "I want to become an actor who gives good influence, like Senior Kim Mu-yeol showed on set. I think I'm becoming more responsible."

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*This content was translated by AI.