Lee Jehoon, "Exemplary Taxi 3" that even challenged girl group dance..Following Season 2, thank you for "Another Grand Prize" [Interview 1]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Lee Je-hoon personally expressed his feelings about the end of "Model Taxi 3."

Lee Je-hoon met with Star News on the 19th at a cafe in Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, after an interview on SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Model Taxi 3" (played by Oh Sang-ho, directed by Kang Bo-seung).

"Model Taxi 3" is a private revenge agency in which the mysterious taxi company Rainbow Transportation and taxi driver Kim Do-ki (Lee Je-hoon) complete revenge on behalf of the victim. Season 1, which aired in 2021, had the highest viewership of 16% (hereinafter referred to as Nielsen Korea's national standard), and season 2, which aired in 2023, had the highest viewership of 21%, followed by a third season thanks to its popularity. Season 3 ended on the 10th with a peak viewership of 14.2%.

Lee Je-hoon won the Best Male Performance in Genre and Fantasy at the '2021 SBS Acting Awards' through 'Model Taxi 1', and won the Grand Prize at the '2023 SBS Acting Awards' through 'Model Taxi 2'. He won another grand prize at the "2025 SBS Acting Awards" through "Model Taxi 3," making "Model Taxi" his signature work.

-How do you feel about ending "Model Taxi 3"?

▶I watched the drama almost every week as a viewer, but it seems that it has been less than 10 days since I finished. I feel like I'm finally done. Now, I don't watch dramas every Friday and Saturday, so I feel empty.

-At the end of last year, he won the grand prize at the 2015 SBS Acting Awards. After Season 2, we won another Grand Prize.

Even if I didn't win the ▶ Award, many viewers loved it until the second half, so it would not have been much different at the city hall. When choosing a work, I don't seem to be conscious of receiving an award. It seems that how many people have seen this work on record affects the year-end awards ceremony. I didn't think about the grand prize at all at the production presentation, but thank you for your love.

-In the final episode of "Model Taxi 3," Yoo Sun-ah (played by Jeon Son-ni) drew a plot by Colonel Kim Tae-won (played by Kim Jin-wook) to bomb his unit, send it to the North Korean critical line, explode it, and cover it up on the North Korean side, and a martial law plot surrounding it. This scene is an ending that compares the moment of emergency martial law and the end of the former Yoon Suk Yeol regime.

▶As this story was created from a fictional story, I wondered how Kim Do-ki would be better played in that situation. It's hard for me to even dare say the message about the episode, but I think I've talked about what risks will arise when power is not under control and how important citizens' choices and solidarity are in that situation. When this series was filmed last year, a big thing happened in Korea the year before last, and although such a situation can be interpreted from their own perspective in 2025, it seems that the writer's thoughts on that part are contained in the "model taxi." I tried to be honest about what I felt while monitoring not only in Korea but also around the world.

-There were also some political criticisms of the scene dealing with martial law.

▶I think everyone's interpretation of the work may be different. I respect every opinion. I think season 3 can also receive another evaluation later.

-Didn't you feel pressured about continuing to lead the character while acting until season 3.

▶I don't think there's any character I can take out now.(Laughs) I thought I should learn acting a lot, and after the shooting, I had time to empty myself. I keep thinking about how to show a new look.

-There are also expectations for the production of 'model taxi' season 4.

▶Many people left their opinions on season 4, so I was very happy and encouraged. I wonder if the "rainbow transportation" people don't want us to break up now. I also want to meet again, but no specific discussions have been made yet. I'm also in a position to wait as a viewer.

-It was also impressive that actor Jang Na-ra appeared as a villain in the girl group episode.

▶ Villain plays a big role in the 'model taxi'. The episode will continue in this format in season 3, and I thought that the actor who plays Villain would be a big part, and the degree to which this drama is loved will vary depending on who plays the character. When Jang Na-ra said she would appear in the idol episode, she didn't show me the villain until now, so I thought it would be fun to do it while being surprised. The scene where I met Jang Na-ra on the rooftop is the most intense scene of season 3. In the third and fourth parts, actor Yoon Si-yoon appeared and acted as a villain, and I also became an example for challenging such a vicious role.

-Again, Kim Do-ki showed various characters. I tried girl group dance, too.

▶There were a lot of secondary characters, and I was worried about what differences and spectra I would show. I thought about how the bold attempt would be accepted by viewers, but I thought people would definitely cheer for Kim Do-ki's performance. I was able to move with a large stride. In the idol episode, I think the writer thought I could use my past and dance at the fan meeting. I melted the episodes between the actual managers, and I thought, "I have to do this." It seemed that people could see the dark side of the K-pop industry with a sense of problem. While practicing for a month, I prepared while crying while doing body movements that I had never used.(Laughs) It was a setting that didn't exist before, but the director of the filming told me, "I heard that there are cases like this when the manager stands on stage instead." I thought I should enjoy it because I can't avoid it, and I thought I should do it properly if I'm going.

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*This content was translated by AI.