Actor Kwon Hyuk. Provided by Makeit Studio.

Although the drama ‘In Your Radiant Season’ has ended, Sports Kyunghyang met actor Kwon Hyuk, who still has not let go of Yeon Tae-seok. Appearing at the Kyunghyang Shinmun building in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 7th, he drew attention with his tall stature, befitting a former university basketball club member. Unlike Yeon Tae-seok in the series, the Kwon Hyuk we met in person exuded a gentle, mellow air.

In MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama ‘In Your Radiant Season (abbrev. ’Channeogye‘)’, Kwon Hyuk portrayed Yeon Tae-seok, an ‘adult man’ character who had long cherished a one-sided love for Song Ha-young (played by Han Ji-hyun), earning great affection from viewers.

■ “Imagined an office romance with Song Ha-young… wished to see more of the romance”

Q. How did you portray Yeon Tae-seok, the ‘adult man’ whose suit fit was impeccable?

A. The director asked that Tae-seok come across as truly masculine and impressive, so I trained hard. There were expressions in the script describing him as big as a door, so I focused on shoulder workouts. The director wanted the dependable presence of an ‘adult man’ and the toughness of a Doberman, but I felt I did not naturally have those qualities, which made me worry a lot. In the end, my own take on Yeon Tae-seok emerged. Rather than sheer intensity, I expressed him as a warmer, softer character.

Q. Yeon Tae-seok speaks little yet is very complex. The scene where he turns down Song Ha-young’s confession seems to show that side of him well.

A. There was not much I could explicitly display while performing. The director told me it should feel truly sincere, so I worked hard on that. It took quite some time to fully understand the scene where he rejects Song Ha-young’s confession when I first read the script. If it were me, I would probably have said yes right away. After much thought, I interpreted Tae-seok as someone with a strong sense of responsibility and guilt. Rather than seeing Ha-young as a lover, he regarded her as someone he must protect for life.

Q. Do you have a most memorable romance scene? The moment in the car when he wipes Song Ha-young’s tears also drew attention.

A. The final scene where Tae-seok confesses to Ha-young remains the most vivid for me. Personally, I wished he would confess earlier and move things along sooner. When filming the scene in the car where he wipes her tears, it was snowing heavily outside and very cold, but because it was the first moment his feelings truly showed, I felt very nervous and fluttery too.

Q. What do you think about reactions that there were not many romance scenes with Song Ha-young?

A. I felt the same. I wanted to show more varied sides of them together. I even imagined by myself scenes of them secretly dating at work, getting found out by the team, or being playful in the break room. The writer did say it would be nice if Ha-young and Tae-seok were a couple that begins as the drama ends, and I think that actually left a deeper afterglow.

Q. Any memorable episodes from the set, and how was the chemistry with Han Ji-hyun?

A. There is a scene where Ha-young misunderstands and says, I like you too, and I struggled not to laugh. Ji-hyun looked at me so adorably while delivering the line that it was hard to keep a straight face. She is a very skilled and charming actor, and I received a lot of help throughout filming. I usually arrive having imagined many possibilities from the script, but on set none of that matters. Ji-hyun shows things I never even thought of, which inspired me a lot.

Q. Have you felt any changes since ‘Channeogye’ ended?

A. I feel it when many messages arrive via social media. Recently, while taking a neighborhood walk, a mother called out, Oh my, Mr. Tae-seok, which really surprised me. At that moment, I thought, many people truly love this character, and I felt very relieved.

Actor Kwon Hyuk. Provided by Makeit Studio.

■ “After playing Yeon Tae-seok, I went from F to T… the character I cherish most”

Q. You must feel very attached to Yeon Tae-seok. You even said your MBTI changed.

A. That is right. I think Yeon Tae-seok is someone I can learn a great deal from. He has a strong sense of responsibility to protect those precious to him, and he is a serious person who can hold his feelings for a long time. I used to be INFP, but after playing him I became INTP. My T came out around 60, and since my F tendency used to be much stronger, it felt quite surprising.

Q. You began acting at 28, which is relatively late. Any advantages to that?

A. Before acting, I worked many part-time jobs. The longest was at a movie theater, which I liked because I could watch films for free. I also worked at a cafe and delivered milk, and I even went to a company interview once. After gaining those varied experiences and starting acting in my late twenties, I felt sure that I do this because I truly love it. If I had started in my teens, I might have quit quickly.

Q. You said you enjoy films, comics, and novels, and that you have read the manga ‘Slam Dunk’ more than ten times.

A. I was in a university basketball club. It was interesting that Yeon Tae-seok was also written as being in a basketball club. In college clubs, the manga ‘Slam Dunk’ is basically required reading, so they told us to read it. Of course, I had read it before. As for films, I like Shutter Island. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, and it made me want to play a character like that someday. The narrative structure is solid, so you will find it very engaging.

Q. What genres do you want to try next, and how do you want to be remembered as an actor?

A. I definitely want to do a period drama. I also want to try a heartrending melodrama or action as a bodyguard-like figure. Someday I even want to play a villain who gets called trash. Going forward, I want to keep enjoying this work and show many different sides of myself.

Q. A word to Yeon Tae-seok’s fans.

A. Tae-seok is spending each day doting on Ha-young and living very happily, so I hope everyone is happy too.