'First Man' Park Geon-il: "Long-standing bond with Ham Eun-jeong dating back to their days as members of Cosmics and T-ARA, with many mutual acquaintances... jointly prepared for the wedding guest seating" [Interview ③]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Park Geon-il shared his reflections on reuniting with Ham Eun-jeong in "First Man," having known her since her early days as a singer.

Recently, Park Geon-il sat down for an interview with StarNews regarding the MBC daily drama "First Man" (directed by Kang Tae-heum, written by Seo Hyun-joo, and produced by Ahn Jin-young).

"First Man" is a drama depicting the fatal confrontation between a woman who lives another person's life to seek revenge and a woman who steals another's life for desire. It is part of writer Seo Hyun-joo's "Number Series," following "Second Husband" and "Third Marriage." Director Kang Tae-heum, known for "Kindly Mr. Sunju," "Third Marriage," and "The Witch's Game," joined forces for this project.

In the drama, Park Geon-il plays Kang Jun-ho, a head chef at a Michelin three-star restaurant. After meeting Oh Jang-mi, he experiences his first time loving someone wholeheartedly in his life. Kang Jun-ho becomes consumed by jealousy upon learning that his half-brother, Kang Baek-ho (played by Yoon Seon-woo), also loves Oh Jang-mi. He later discovers that Chae Hwa-young (played by Oh Hyun-kyung), the owner of Dream Hotel where he works, is his biological mother, causing him great distress. In the end, Kang Jun-ho sacrifices himself by jumping into a car driven by Chae Hwa-young, who was attempting to kill Oh Jang-mi, thereby protecting her and losing his life.

Park Geon-il revealed that he and Ham Eun-jeong have had a long-standing connection since their respective days as members of the groups Cosmics and T-ARA, when they were both under the same agency. When asked about reuniting with actress Ham Eun-jeong in this production, Park said, "It was fascinating that after filming Ham Eun-jeong's YouTube video last year, I was cast in 'First Man.' When I later told Eun-jeong about it, she said, 'I'm so glad for you.' During filming, Eun-jeong would often advise me on my role, saying things like, 'It would be more charming if you did it this way,' and took good care of me. However, since we had to film romantic scenes together, I noticed she seemed a bit awkward," he added with a smile.

Park Geon-il also shared behind-the-scenes details about attending Ham Eun-jeong's wedding last November, which was directed by Kim Byung-woo. He said, "Eun-jeong gave me her wedding invitation before filming 'First Man.' Since many of my acquaintances — including singers and industry professionals — were attending her wedding, I knew a lot of people there. So Eun-jeong even helped arrange the guest seating alongside me as we prepared for the event."

When asked about his acting chemistry with co-stars Oh Hyun-kyung and Yoon Seon-woo in this drama, he said, "I met Senior Oh Hyun-kyung for the first time while filming this drama. She is such a veteran that I was truly impressed. I kept thinking, 'How can she be so cool?' Even when things were tough, she led the set with cheerfulness and showed great sincerity in her acting. She always studied the script diligently and only offered kind words." He also expressed gratitude toward Yoon Seon-woo, saying, "Seon-woo is someone who takes acting very seriously. I received a lot of help and advice from him."

How will "First Man" be remembered for Park Geon-il? He replied, "For me, this is my first leading role on a major channel, so it will surely remain a memorable and grateful project. The chemistry among the actors and staff was excellent, which led to the formation of a fishing group that I plan to join. We even held three farewell parties, and I attended all of them."

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*This content was translated by AI.