Moon Seung-yu, Shedding Pressure and Impatience to Dive into 'Dive Into You' [★FULL Interview]

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• Interview with actor Moon Seung-yu, who played Seo Ye-rang in the Disney+ and Channel A drama 'Dive Into You'

Actor Moon Seung-yu, who made his lead debut with 'Dive Into You,' shared his convictions about acting.

Moon recently spoke in an interview to mark the finale of the Disney+ and Channel A drama 'Dive Into You,' held at StarNews headquarters in Seollin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, sharing various stories about the work.

The drama 'Dive Into You,' which concluded on the 1st, tells the story of top actress Yoon Ha-na (played by Kim Ji-yeon), whose soul is swapped with her twin brother Yoon Ha-ru (played by Jang Se-hyuk) due to a certain accident, as she travels back in time and struggles to prevent the death of her first love.

Moon played Seo Ye-rang, the representative of Yoon Ha-na's agency, Yerang Entertainment, and the lover of Yoon Ha-ru. In particular, he heightened viewer immersion by expressing the representative's resolve, the loneliness of a relationship where one person struggles alone, and the solitude felt when being alone through diverse acting.

When asked about his thoughts on the finale, Moon wittily replied, "I am grateful to the viewers who ran alongside us through the numerous events in the drama. I hope those who have not yet seen it will definitely watch it. You will surely have no regrets. How about trying a 'jipmeok' (watching and eating)? You will probably be completely hooked."

Moon, who had been steadily expanding his acting spectrum by appearing in dramas such as 'Dreaming of Love,' 'Golden Spoon,' 'My Heart Beats,' 'Flower That Blooms at Night,' and 'Wedding Impossible' since 2018, found a turning point with the MBC drama 'The Tyrant's Chef,' which gained explosive popularity last September. Since then, he has been solidifying his position by consistently participating in major works such as 'Space Marry Me,' 'Married Woman Killer,' and 'Dive Into You.'

Taking on his first lead role with 'Dive Into You,' Moon revealed his mindset toward the work: "I thought I had to perform a role different from the impactful supporting roles I have shown so far. I focused on blending well into the drama while maintaining good relationships with each character."

How was the chemistry with co-stars Kim Ji-yeon (Yoon Ha-na), Park Seo-ham (Jung Woo-jae), and Jang Se-hyuk (Yoon Ha-ru)? Moon recalled, "The director told us, 'You guys need to get close.' The atmosphere was very different from the start. As the director said, when we got close among ourselves, we could communicate much more comfortably in terms of acting. It wasn't just a casual remark; the actors really had a good relationship."

He added, "It was the same with the staff, including the director and screenwriter. When the actors offered opinions, they would accept them immediately, so there were many script revisions. I was truly grateful that they listened to all of our doubts and questions, making it a pleasant set."

Earlier, Director So Jae-hyun, who directed the series, drew attention by stating at the production press conference, "I decided to cast Moon Seung-yu right away during the meeting." Regarding this, Moon revealed, "Even though I had gone through auditions and no actor had been confirmed yet, they held a meeting with me. I think the director felt that I resembled the image he was looking for in the role of Ye-rang. At that time, I was filming 'Married Woman Killer,' so my hair was dyed red. When it was decided that I would be cast in 'Dive Into You,' I was so surprised that I actually asked back, 'Am I really going to appear?'"

In the drama, Ye-rang also misunderstands and suffers silently when she sees Ha-ru, her lover whose soul has been swapped with Ha-na's, acting unfamiliar or avoiding physical contact. What did Moon feel while appearing in a fantasy work that combines genre elements such as time slips and body swaps?

Moon said, "It has been a long time since 'Golden Spoon' that I have done a fantasy drama, and it was really fun." He continued, "The script came out in two parts at a time. I remember the actors reading it together and saying, 'What is this, what is this?' It is not predictable, and you never know where it will go; I think that is the charm of the fantasy genre."

So, how will Moon remember 'Dive Into You' as a work with specific meaning? He stated, "If my previous works were acting activities where I tried to show 'actor Moon Seung-yu,' I think 'Dive Into You' was a work that gave me at least some eyes to see and encompass the entire set."

He also said, "As a lead actor on set, I feel like I have gained eyes to see how to take care of the staff and what each of them is responsible for. Previously, I was busy just doing my part, but through this work, I could exist on set 'as an actor.' If before I was like a trainee, this time it was a precious experience of being someone who is active in society," revealing his special affection for 'Dive Into You' more than anyone else.

He then expressed gratitude to Director So Jae-hyun: "I had a meal with the director a few days ago. He said, 'There is something I really want to tell (Moon) Seung-yu,' and added, 'It would be good if you took on a lead role in your next work, but there is no need to feel disappointed or regretful even if you become a supporting actor. You have learned a lot, and I have the eyes to see it. You will do well someday. I hope you can trust that.' Hearing the director say that gave me a lot of strength."

Moon participated in three consecutive works after 'The Tyrant's Chef.' Was there any pressure after finishing the big hit 'The Tyrant's Chef'? Also, what does he consider his strengths as an actor?

Regarding this, Moon candidly stated, "Even if people have strong likes and dislikes about me, I want to be firmly imprinted on those who like me. In addition, although my face does not fit typical beauty standards, I think it is a face that gets imprinted once seen, and I believe that is one of my strengths. Above all, seeing directors who worked with me in previous works come back to find me makes me think that if I can be a 'like' for those people, isn't that half a success?"

He continued, "It would be a lie to say I didn't feel pressure after 'The Tyrant's Chef.'" He added, "However, what affected me more than the pressure was pride. If someone asks if I am an 'abisu' (a term for actors who get roles due to popularity rather than skill), I jokingly reply, 'I am an abisu.' Even when going to auditions, I became less nervous than before."

He added, "As I decided to put aside impatience and act, I feel like my eyes for viewing works have also broadened."

He also shared his thoughts on playing the role of Seo Ye-rang with complex emotions. Pointing out the difference, Moon said, "The characters in my previous works often had goal-oriented aspects filled with the desire to do well for themselves, but Ye-rang is an altruistic character." He continued, "Ye-rang took care of others and neglected herself, becoming lonely. As a result, I found myself thinking a lot about the altruistic love and heart that Ye-rang possesses."

The conclusion he reached while pondering 'altruistic love' was simply to 'love' co-stars Kim Ji-yeon, Park Seo-ham (Jung Woo-jae), and Jang Se-hyuk as they were.

Moon showed humility by saying, "Just as Ye-rang loves the characters in the drama, I decided to love my co-actors. To me, (Kim) Ji-yeon unnie is really pretty, lovable, and precious. The same goes for the male actors. They all look handsome and cool. Since everything about Ye-rang was clearly written in the script, I just needed to use that good foundation as a standard to love the actors and act well."

He also poured out sincere affection for his co-stars: "Ji-yeon unnie likes 'mali' (soft things), so I picked something she would like and gave it to her as a gift. I also gifted poetry collections that each of the actors, including Ji-yeon unnie, might enjoy reading, and wrote handwritten letters. Because I love them, I naturally wanted to do those things. I realized that even an individual named Moon Seung-yu becomes infinitely altruistic in front of people he likes."

Of course, he also put in a lot of effort on the external side. He revealed, "Since what is shown externally also plays an important role, I offered many opinions and paid close attention to makeup and costumes. I also lost weight. I heard that I would look better if I lost some weight, and when filming ended, I had naturally lost 6kg."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original