Byeon Woo-seok says being part of hit K-drama ‘Lovely Runner’ is one of his ‘greatest achievements’
Eight years into his acting career, South Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok was thinking of exploring a different genre for his next project. But after reading the script of Lovely Runner, the 32-year-old actor knew that he should give another romantic comedy series a shot.
“I had actually wanted to do a different kind of role. But when I read the Lovely Runner script, I fell in love with the character. I could totally relate to it,” he told local media through an interpreter during a press conference on Friday, June 21.
Little did Byeon know that this would be the project that would catapult him into global fame.
Lovely Runner, which premiered in April, revolves around a devoted fan (portrayed by Kim Hye-yeon) who time-traveled into the past to save her favorite singer (played by Byeon) from dying. The series broke records for its domestic viewership ratings and also gained popularity worldwide – having been included in the top 10 shows across international streaming platforms such as Viu.
“While we were filming Lovely Runner, I didn’t expect this grand success. But of course, I always had hoped that the people watching the series would like this project,” he said, adding that he appreciates the “overwhelming love” shown to his character in the show.
“I’m very grateful that you all remember me and appreciate me as Sun-jae of Lovely Runner. I think as an actor, it’s one of our greatest achievements that our character is well-loved.”
Byeon, who made his debut as an actor in 2016, has also starred in the film 20th Century Girl and series Strong Girl Nam-soon and Record of Youth. While he considers all of his previous projects to be “precious” to him, the actor emphasized that playing the lead role in the Lovely Runner series has led his career to greater heights.
“I’m still not able to get along with the sudden popularity. Everything itself, my day-to-day (experience) has been a big surprise,” he said. The actor, who is visiting the Philippines for the first time, shared that he was “thrilled and excited” after seeing a lot of his fans welcome him at the airport.
“That was amazing and amusing on my end,” he shared. “The fact that I’m also doing this press conference in front of you is also a dream come true,” he told Filipino reporters, whom he personally handed out flowers to during the event.
The press conference was held a day before the actor’s Summer Letter in Manila fan meeting at the New Frontier Theater on Saturday, June 22. Both the press conference and fan meeting are organized by concert promoter PULP Live World.
When asked about building his chemistry with his co-stars, Byeon said that there’s no secret as to how they establish their good relationship: “There’s no personal approach on how I connect with them, but it’s just coming from the hard work and love towards what we do.”
He also attributed it to meeting good actresses in the projects he’s participated in. “They love what they’re doing, and our love for whatever we’re doing makes us effective together,” he said.
As for what his next project would be, Byeon shared that the role or genre won’t matter as much as long as the story speaks to his heart upon reading the script. He also added that he won’t feel pressured with the success of Lovely Runner as long as his supporters promise to continue their support for his works.
“In the future, in my next acting projects, I’d appreciate and love it if you also fall in love with the characters that [I’m portraying],” he said. For the meantime, Byeon shared that he’ll do his best to repay the support from his fans by spending time with them through his Summer Letter fan meeting tour.
“I wish they would go home with good memories, and they appreciate the time I spent with them,” he said. – Rappler.com