[Jang Se-hyeok (Part 1) I Saw] A Newcomer Who Made Even Fate His Own

Played the role of judo gold medalist Yoon Ha-ru in 'Dive Into You'Selected after overcoming a 120:1 competition rate... "I want to become a better actor."Actor Jang Se-hyuk met with reporters at the building in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, recently, and talked about the Disney+ and Channel A weekend drama 'Dive Into You'. /Secret ENTWhat does an unrefined star look like? The entertainment industry has many stars who receive public attention, and many media outlets follow them. Even when an interview is scheduled, it is rare to have a one-on-one meeting. As many media reporters conduct interviews together, the content is similar. It's even common for photos and videos to be produced and distributed by the agency. Even in this reality, conveys the pure impression seen through the eyes of a reporter without any processing. (Editor's Note)[THE FACT|Reporter Choi Soo-bin] There is a saying that coincidences, when they pile up, become destiny. Judo, which he started as a hobby, and cooking, which he learned as a child by watching over his shoulder, became a solid foundation for Jang Se-hyuk to meet 'Dive Into You'. However, it was Jang Se-hyuk himself who ultimately turned that coincidence into destiny. It is natural to be curious about what Jang Se-hyuk's next 'destiny' will be, as he has proven his infinite potential as an actor from his first leading role.Jang Se-hyuk recently held an interview to commemorate the finale of the Disney+ and Channel A weekend drama 'Dive Into You' (written by Kim Bo-geum and Lee Eon, directed by So Jae-hyun) with reporters at the building in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Playing the role of Yoon Ha-ru, he shared various stories related to the work.'Dive Into You' is a first-love rescue romance about twin siblings Yoon Ha-na (played by Kim Ji-yeon) and Yoon Ha-ru (played by Jang Se-hyuk) who travel back in time to save Jung Woo-jae (played by Seo Ham Park) after discovering they can go back to the past through an old camcorder. It concluded on the 1st with a total of 12 episodes.Yoon Ha-ru, played by Jang Se-hyuk, is the world's No. 1 judo gold medalist and Yoon Ha-na's twin brother. He is loved by fans for his outstanding skills and appearance, but he becomes a playful, ordinary brother when he is with Yoon Ha-na. In addition, with the setting that their souls are swapped each time they travel to the past, Jang Se-hyuk had to play not only Yoon Ha-ru but also Yoon Ha-na who entered his body.As such, Yoon Ha-ru was not a character that could be easily portrayed. He had to express the emotions of different characters within the complex settings of time travel and soul swapping, and depict a life that changed according to the changes in the past. In addition, a wide range of acting was required, including action as a national judo player, romance as a long-term couple, and comedy. Above all, as his first leading role since his debut, Jang Se-hyuk must have felt considerable pressure.However, in 'Dive Into You,' which unveiled its story, the actor who particularly caught the eye was Jang Se-hyuk. Earlier, this reporter highlighted his performance in the article [TF Focus] 'Dive Into You' Jang Se-hyuk, the Emergence of a Noteworthy Newcomer. His stable acting, which was hard to believe was his first leading role, anchored the drama, and after the soul swap, he revealed his presence by portraying completely different characters with the same face.Jang Se-hyuk led the drama as Yoon Ha-ru, a judo gold medalist. /Screen captureThat's why the reporter was more eager than anyone else to interview Jang Se-hyuk. And the Jang Se-hyuk he finally met showed why he was chosen for the role of Yoon Ha-ru after overcoming a '120:1' competition rate throughout the one-hour interview. The more I listened to his story, the more I felt that Yoon Ha-ru might have been a character that only Jang Se-hyuk could complete.Jang Se-hyuk's connection with 'Dive Into You' began with an audition. He recalled, "The audition process was long. It wasn't decided after just one audition. Since the role was a bit big, I didn't think I would get it at first." He added, "I approached it with the mindset that I would gain a lot of experience by showing my best.""As a rookie actor, many people must have been worried. So, when I got the role, rather than feeling happy and thinking 'I did it,' I felt more worried and nervous about the upcoming filming. I thought I had to persuade them as Yoon Ha-ru to give them confidence on set."Jang Se-hyuk, who worried about how to prove his given role rather than enjoying the joy of his first leading role. Among them, the biggest challenge was the soul swap. Jang Se-hyuk confessed, "In the part where the souls swap, I had to act as my younger sister, Yoon Ha-na, so I worried a lot about how to make the viewers immerse themselves.""When Yoon Ha-na's soul entered, I had to show actions and emotions that were different from my usual self, something I had never experienced before. Of course, I still have shortcomings, but it was very difficult. So, I asked Ji-yeon a lot and paid close attention." He added, "We recorded our voices and listened to each other, and we did a lot of readings before filming."Simply imitating feminine behavior would not have been enough to fully portray the character of Yoon Ha-na. Jang Se-hyuk constantly exchanged opinions with Kim Ji-yeon on set, narrowing the gap between the characters they portrayed. He recalled, "As we analyzed it together, I felt reassured, like we were really acting together, not just me acting alone.""I tried to study by watching Ji-yeon's previous works, but instead of focusing on her acting habits or behaviors, I thought about finding Yoon Ha-na's habits as perceived by her. So, I asked a lot of questions on set and tried to learn and gain from watching her act."Jang Se-hyuk said, "The director told me, 'It's fortunate that it's you playing Ha-ru again,' which was the greatest comfort." /Screen captureAs important as the soul swap was the task of convincingly portraying the character as a national judo player. Jang Se-hyuk increased the realism of the character by performing difficult judo techniques and chase scenes himself without a stunt double.Jang Se-hyuk explained, "I've been close to sports since I was young. When I became an adult, I found weightlifting boring, so I thought about what new activity I could do, and that's when I started judo." He continued, "I kept training at a judo gym, and then I got an audition, and it was for a judo character.""I even wore the judo uniform I had worn the day before to the audition. I usually recorded judo videos for record-keeping, and I didn't know they would be helpful for the audition, so I recorded them. I showed them that too. I also thought that people who practice judo might watch this work, so I tried my best to be accurate. I even taught Seo-ham what I knew."The setting where Yoon Ha-ru becomes a chef after changing the past was not unfamiliar to Jang Se-hyuk either. He said, "My father cooks, so I learned how to chop vegetables by watching him as a child." He added, "It was a great experience to encounter various professions in a new work.""I was really lucky. The director entrusted me, a complete rookie, with a big role. I don't want to lose that gratitude and want to become a better actor, a skilled actor, and work with the director on another project."Jang Se-hyuk's sincerity reached the director as well. He said, "The director told me, 'It's fortunate that it's you playing Ha-ru,' and that was the best compliment for me." He added, "Even after filming, he told me, 'It's fortunate that it's you playing Ha-ru again,' and I was truly grateful.""From the beginning of filming, I approached it with the mindset that I had to persuade the viewers and give them confidence that I could play the character of Yoon Ha-ru. Hearing those words was the greatest comfort and compliment to me. It felt like all my efforts were rewarded. However, I also felt sorry that I could have shown even better acting."For some, it might have been a satisfactory result. However, even in the face of the highest praise, Jang Se-hyuk first recalled his regret that he "could have done better." This shows how sincere he was about acting and how precious he considered the opportunity given to him. Therefore, Yoon Ha-ru in 'Dive Into You' became a character that only Jang Se-hyuk could complete. [My View of 'Jang Se-hyuk' (Part 2)] Another Dream of a Boy Who Achieved His Dreamsubin7134@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]