"I Put Everything on the Line": Song Kang, Who Just Discharged from the Military, and Lee Jun-young, in School Uniforms, Star in 'Four Hands' [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Actors Song Kang and Lee Jun-young are rewriting the coming-of-age story of youth with 'Four Hands'.

On the afternoon of the 25th, an online production conference for tvN's new Saturday-Sunday drama 'Four Hands' (script by Shin Yi-won) was held, attended by director Park Hyun-seok and actors Song Kang, Lee Jun-young, and Jang Gyu-ri. The event was pre-recorded in July due to Lee Jun-young's military enlistment schedule.

Director Park opened the session by saying, "I feel happy and pleased to introduce a work we made with good actors who worked hard," before highlighting 'Four Hands' unique point: "Of course, it is that the actors are outstanding."

He continued, "While there have been music dramas before, I don't think there has ever been a drama like ours that encompasses music, youth, and growth. The term 'Four Hands' refers to two people playing one piano, and I felt it was fitting for depicting the journey of two characters, so I chose it as the title."

'Four Hands' is a drama about the friendship, love, competition, and growth of young people who meet at an arts high school filled only with musical geniuses. It has drawn attention as Song Kang's first return role after his discharge in October last year and Lee Jun-young's final leading role before his military enlistment.

In 'Four Hands', Song Kang plays pianist Kang Bi-o, who has followed an elite path; Lee Jun-young plays rookie Choi Jeong-yo, who rose like a comet; and Jang Gyu-ri plays violist Hong Jae-in, who recognized the two's genius talents better than anyone else.

Returning to 'Four Hands' after his discharge, Song Kang stated, "I took piano lessons for several months as a baseline, but since I couldn't take classes during filming, I prepared by watching piano videos from teachers. Also, to express the character's emotions, I communicated extensively with the director."

Lee Jun-young enlisted in the Army on July 21 last year and is fulfilling his military obligation. In the pre-recorded video, Lee Jun-young joked, "I must be training hard right now. Please take care of me," eliciting laughter.

Regarding the impression he wants to leave with 'Four Hands', his final leading role before enlistment, Lee Jun-young said, "I want to show that 'this kind of person is possible.' Since the public tends to remember me with a strong impression, I hope they see this character as surprisingly very Pyongyang Naengmyeon-like and full of diverse emotions. I don't know if I did well, but I gave my all. I can say I put everything on the line."

So, what descriptor does Lee Jun-young want to gain through 'Four Hands'? When asked, he joked, "I haven't thought about descriptors. Instead, I focused a lot on skin care because I look older than other actors. There are parts that effort can't fix. I approached it with the mindset of just acting hard."

Jang Gyu-ri transformed into Hong Jae-in, a violist with exceptional musical sensibility. Regarding her character, Jang Gyu-ri expressed affection: "I think viewers will smile when they see the character Jae-in. She is a friend who gives her all to anyone she opens her heart to and loves once, so that was a part of her I wanted to emulate."

Director Park has demonstrated his ability to navigate diverse genres through previous works such as 'Thieves: The Sound of the Blade', 'Hometown', 'Stranger 2', 'Tunnel Girls', 'Love in the Moonlight', and 'Spy'. Regarding this, he revealed confidence: "Music genre dramas were also unfamiliar and difficult for me. However, thanks to actors and others who provided musical help, I was able to do a challenging yet enjoyable job."

He also mentioned the reason for casting the three actors. Director Park said, "The synchronization between the actors and their roles is really high. The chemistry among the three was good, and we could share deeply about the work. Just seeing the three of them laughing and chatting on set made me feel content," expressing his affection for Song Kang, Lee Jun-young, and Jang Gyu-ri.

Song Kang also recalled the filming period: "(After discharge) It was my first script reading in a long time, so I was nervous enough to shake my hands, but Lee Jun-young handled it so well. From then on, I suddenly felt stable and filmed very comfortably. I received great acting help from Jang Gyu-ri as well, so I was able to finish filming very happily," conveying his gratitude to Lee Jun-young and Jang Gyu-ri.

He also shared behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Song Kang said, "Every moment with Lee Jun-young was good, but the scenes where we play the piano on one chair were funny, warm, yet uncomfortable. (Lee Jun-young) isn't small in size."

In response, Lee Jun-young wittily retorted, "It was really uncomfortable. Song Kang is in great shape. Whenever we filmed together, he always came after working out," eliciting laughter.

Through 'Four Hands', the actors express two periods of time—ages 17 and 27—in their acting. Regarding this, Song Kang revealed, "Bi-o at 17 was a boy who knew nothing but rain and piano, craving only his grandfather's attention, but he faces new competition after meeting Jeong-yo. Jeong-yo is the one who breaks Bi-o's mold. At 27, everything becomes deeper for Bi-o."

On this point, Lee Jun-young joked, "First, I want to thank Director Park and the production company for giving me the opportunity to graduate from wearing a school uniform," before holding back on how the narrative changes, saying it is a secret, thereby heightening anticipation.

He also spoke about the instrument practice process. Lee Jun-young explained, "I didn't know how to play the piano well, so I memorized the entire piece. I made an effort to check moments that required acting, and Director Park even memorized the whole piece himself, giving precise instructions by measure when directing. I received great help."

Jang Gyu-ri, who had to handle the viola, shared her struggles: "I learned violin when I was young, so I thought the viola would be easy, but reading sheet music and hand spacing were different, which actually confused me. The most difficult part was using my body naturally while playing the instrument. We filmed videos with the teacher as if dancing to exchange feedback and practice."

Finally, they shared viewing points. Lee Jun-young said, "I hope viewers watch it with the thought of listening to one piece and savoring it. The viewing points are Song Kang's handsomeness, Director Park's cold yet delicate direction, Jang Gyu-ri's lively appearance, and her dazzling playing skills," proudly adding that he elicited laughter.

Song Kang said, "All the actors, including the three leads, have emotional arcs. How about if viewers pay attention to the piano and viola performances throughout?"

Director Park stated, "I really want to talk about the actors. The actors' looks are truly good, and the production team captured them beautifully, so I feel like we are looking at a beautiful picture book," showing strong confidence.

Meanwhile, 'Four Hands' will premiere on the 29th at 9:10 p.m.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original