'Married Woman Killer' Actor Mu Jin-seong: "Buy Me at the Bottom!".. Finding a Second Life After Changing His Name [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

"Those who don't know me, buy me at the bottom!"

Actor Mu Jin-seong spoke with a surprisingly confident voice. After debuting in 2013, he struggled for quite some time without much recognition and even considered quitting acting. As a last resort, he changed his stage name, and afterward, remarkably, more projects came his way and things began to go well. His birth name was 'Yeo Ui-ju'.

Mu Jin-seong was able to further introduce himself to the public through his role as Ki Young-do in this MBC Friday-Saturday drama "Married Woman Killer" (script by Kim Eun-hee, directed by Yoon Jong-ho and Kim Ji-hoon). As a clumsy genius hacker caught in a love triangle, Young-do showcased multi-faceted charm. Through this work, Mu Jin-seong returned to romantic acting for the first time in eight years, capturing viewers' attention. While his first impression may be cold and cool, he possesses a hidden tenderness and romance that will make audiences look forward to his future roles.

"Married Woman Killer" is a drama depicting the struggles of a working mom with one of the most brutal professions in the world as she fights to maintain her work-life balance. The series concluded on the 12th after its 14th episode recorded a viewership rating of 10.7%.

Han Chae-rin played the role of Ki Young-do, a sales manager at Team 3 of "Kingfisher Electronics" and a genius hacker. Young-do served as a key figure supporting Kingfisher's Yuna (played by Gong Hyo-jin) in solving cases, leveraging her exceptional hacking skills and quick judgment to gather various information and act as the team's reliable brain.

Young-do contributed to the team with outstanding hacking abilities and cool-headed judgment, while also bringing laughter with her unexpected clumsiness when interacting with colleagues. Having harbored feelings for Yuna for a long time, she revealed her awkwardness in love upon meeting Kwon Se-a (played by Lee Eun-sam). Unable to hide her affection, she drew a love triangle with Bang Sung-hoon (played by Choi Woo-seong), showing jealousy and gradually changing as she faced her emotions honestly, revealing another side of the character.

Debuting in 2013 with the MBC drama "Two Weeks," Mu Jin-seong displayed a fresh youthfulness in the film "Genre Romance" and added a carefree charm as technician Yeon Mo-yong in the Disney+ original series "Despot." In the tvN drama "Typhoon Company," he transformed into Bang Jun, a sharp-edged villain, leaving a strong impression. Recently, through Netflix's "Rat," he portrayed accountant Son Soo-hyun, creating a character with a different vibe from Ki Young-do in "Married Woman Killer."

-What are your thoughts on the conclusion of "Married Woman Killer"?

▶We filmed for about eight months, and I feel our drama delivered an important message while tackling various issues. We all shot with our full hearts, so it's very gratifying to have achieved such good records.

-"Married Woman Killer" recorded viewership ratings above 10%. As you appeared in a popular drama, do you feel your recognition has increased?

▶I am feeling my recognition these days. I didn't notice it while filming the next project, but a few days ago when I attended a movie screening, audience members called out "It's Young-do" and "It's Mu Jin-seong."

-Through your role as Young-do this time, you showcased various charms, from being a genius hacker to a love triangle romance and unexpected clumsiness. How did you prepare for the role of Young-do?

▶Since it was a character with the profession of a genius hacker, I didn't want to play it in a stereotypical way. I wanted to create a three-dimensional character, so rather than focusing on the hacker aspect, I wanted to express the inner self. I tried to show respect and professionalism toward Senior Bona, as well as the fact that she uses computers so much her body can't keep up. In love, I also aimed to appear overloaded and full of flaws. I think viewers found my lagging-like performance amusing. It wasn't easy acting while imagining scenes when Young-do looked at the monitor with nothing displayed on it. Even acting while listening to an earpiece required coordination from the staff. (Laughs)

-In what ways does the real Mu Jin-seong resemble Young-do, and in what ways are you different?

▶Like my feelings toward Senior Bona, I think I share a deep sense of care for others and a personality that cannot tolerate social injustice with the character. My MBTI is INTJ, so I am quite planned. As for travel style, I don't plan everything in advance but at least decide where to stay before going.

-You portrayed a love triangle romance with Sung-hoon with Se-a in between. How was your acting chemistry with actors Lee Eun-sam and Choi Woo-seong?

▶I liked their youthfulness. I received plenty of energy from the 20th-something actors, which created synergy for me as well, making filming enjoyable. Both of them treated me comfortably, which was nice.

-A wrap party for "Married Woman Killer" was held on the 14th of last month. What kind of conversations did you have with each other?

▶We filmed for quite a long time, and the broadcast came first. The initial response to the broadcast was so good that the atmosphere was warm and friendly. Many people were separated into different teams and couldn't see each other, so it was strange to see faces we usually saw on TV in person at the scene.

-You acted out a one-sided love for Senior Gong Hyo-jin in the drama. What was your impression of meeting actress Gong Hyo-jin on set?

▶I had always dreamed of acting with Senior Gong Hyo-jin sincerely, so I was happy to work together in this project. On the first day of filming, I felt both excited and nervous; coincidentally, that scene showed Young-do falling for Senior Bona, which matched the situation of my first meeting with Senior Hyo-jin. Although she appeared cool, she often encouraged us with words like "You worked hard," "Fighting," and "You did well," just like Senior Bona would. Just by looking at her eyes, she is lovely. She isn't called "Gong-blee" for nothing. Thanks to that, I was able to film comfortably.

-What do you think is the reason both the original work and the drama version of "Married Woman Killer" were successful?

▶I think it's because it tackled social issues. It resolved things we imagined in a satisfying way.

-Are there any memorable viewer reactions or adjectives that stand out to you?

▶I tend to look for everything. I was watching closely. (Laughs) Because of the great interest, I felt a strong sense of responsibility toward my acting. Seeing the reaction "The actor with the highest synchronization rate with the webtoon original" gave me a lot of strength. It also felt like being recognized, which was nice.

-What kind of work will "Married Woman Killer" remain for you?

▶I think it allowed more people to learn about the name Mu Jin-seong and myself. While I have taken on many significant roles in the past, this time I showed a different dimension from my previous roles. It has been eight years since I last took on a romantic role, and I would like to present "Mu Jin-seong-style romance" again in the future.

-You have faced many ups and downs and played many difficult roles. In fact, even in "Married Woman Killer," the romance didn't come to fruition.

▶I've heard that my face has both a kind side and another side. I appear serious yet playful, and somehow mysterious. That's probably why I have played so many such roles.

-You changed your name from your birth name 'Yeo Ui-ju' to the stage name 'Mu Jin-seong.' Some people even said you should have kept the more unique name 'Yeo Ui-ju.' Do you feel there was an effect from changing your name?

▶I changed my name around 2017. Coincidentally, I had a break at that time, so I thought a lot and even questioned whether I should continue as an actor. At that point, encouraged by a friend, I changed my name with the mindset of starting anew. Since then, things have gone well for me. I didn't legally change my birth name, so at home and among close friends, they still call me by my original name. My father, who originally gave me my birth name, wasn't upset about the stage name change and instead encouraged me to do well with the new name.

-Did you see the effect of changing your name? You were also noted as a "star worth looking forward to" when you appeared on Hong Seok-cheon's "Jewelry Box" in January last year.

▶Seok-cheon is an older brother I already knew well. At the time, since the drama "Typhoon Company" was doing well, he invited me. He told me, "If you keep working quietly, many people will eventually recognize you someday. I picked you, so it's just a matter of timing; my judgment has never been wrong." When appearing on YouTube, I wasn't particularly nervous. Perhaps because I served as the vice president during elementary and middle school, I was used to doing things in front of people.

-How did you try to overcome your slump?

▶Since it was mentally difficult, I wanted to make my body work harder, so I hiked and exercised every day. I hiked for a year without missing a single day. As a result, both my body and mind became healthier. After that, things seemed to go well. Previously, I only whipped myself, but when I turned inward to ask what I truly wanted, I could see those around me and felt gratitude. I wanted to work steadily on projects without breaks, but every day was unstable. So I grew tired and anxious.

-How did you start acting?

▶In my second year of high school, when deciding on my career path, I watched a play and saw the curtain call. I thought, "Actors can receive applause from unspecified crowds and draw out tears." I realized it was a wonderful profession that receives so much applause, so I attended an acting academy. I went for one month first, but then I wanted to act even more. These days, many people are recognizing me, and on one hand, I want to show more as an actor. I feel anxious thinking this good momentum won't last forever, but I also feel grateful.

-How would you introduce actor Mu Jin-seong to the public?

▶He is an actor who is building depth in his heart every year. For those who don't know me, I want to let them know my existence through future works. Those who don't know me, buy me at the bottom!

-What are Mu Jin-seong's hobbies or personal interests?

▶I hope that whenever I turn on the news every day, only happy articles appear. A world where "Kingfisher" is not needed. Even in comments, people summon "Kingfisher." Since there is so much interest, I think I am now more immersed in "acting."

-You have been active for 13 years since your debut. What kind of actor do you want to become in the future?

▶These days, many people use virtual casting. I want to hear the words "It has to be Mu Jin-seong." I want to become an actor who is anticipated and intriguing.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.