[STARCAST] Star X Star Q&A: stars ask and Taec-yeon answers

2PM drew attention upon their debut in 2008. Just like other idol stars, 2PM advanced into new areas as an individual and as a team. When it comes to acting, it was Taec-yeon who explored the new area. Taec-yeon, who debuted as an actor through the drama series ‘Cinderella’s Sister’ in 2010, appeared in ‘Dream High’(2011), and took a lead role in ‘Who Are You’ in 2013. He built his acting career from the bottom up and positioned himself as an ‘Actor-dol’. His stable acting in ‘Who Are You’ showed his great potential as an actor. Now, he is knocking on the door of the film world through the film ‘Marriage Blue’ to be released on November 21. He played a lover of Lee Yeon-hee in a 7-year relationship. How will he show the emotion of a man in the long and dull relationship?  The one clear thing is that he will show something different from what he showed in his previous dramas. The stars’ questions are related to such achievement of Taec-yeon. They asked about how cleverly he made it both as an actor and as a singer. 

Lee Yeon-hee is the co-star of Taec-yeon in his first film. In ‘Marriage Blue’, Taec-yeon and Lee Yeon-hee are lovers of a 7-year relationship. The two showed off their beautiful visual at Busan International Film Festival. They raised a sense of expectations for how they will look together in the film. 

Q. What is the difference between acting and singing? What is challenging? How do you feel when you act?  

Taec-yeon: I think that I become very nervous since I do not have much experience yet. On stage, as a singer, I want to learn how to enjoy the moment naturally as soon as possible.

Director Hong Ji-yeong of ‘Marriage Blue’ is a director who led Taec-yeon to the film world. She asked two questions as a director who has a special affection for Taec-yeon.

Q. What is your no.1 complex that others do not recognize?  

Taec-yeon: I am not a shy guy, but, either as an actor or a singer, I tend to become nervous when I have a female counterpart. That is why I have regrets that I could have done it better when I check my acting or performance on a monitor. 

Q. What will a 40-year-old Ok Taec-yeon be doing?

Taec-yeon: A 40-year-old Ok Taec-yeon would probably be a head of a household. I think that I will be enjoying doing a job that I can have fun with instead of always being busy with tight schedules.  

So Yi-hyeon was his counterpart in tvN’s drama series ‘Who Are You’, which depicts the process of the two cops Ok Taec-yeon and So Yi-hyeon becoming lovers while how finding out how So Yi-hyeon (Yang Shi-on)’s dead boyfriend Kim Jae-wook (Lee Hyeong-jun) died in relation to corruption police. Most of all, the teamwork of Taec-yeon and So Yi-hyeon was critical. Their teamwork was somewhat awkward at first, but it grew stable episode after episode. As a result, positive reviews and responses flooded in. Particularly, Taec-yeon showed his special affection for the drama by saying, “People will call this drama the first work where I took a lead role.”

Q. What was challenging most during filming? Which one was more fun between a drama and a film?

Taec-yeon: Both of them were fun. If I have to pick one, I just have regrets that I could not do well enough in the film because I had many schedules during its filming.

Kim Jae-wook also worked with him in tvN’s drama series ‘Who Are You’. Kim Jae-wook played the dead ex-boyfriend of So Yi-hyeon. Taec-yeon and So Yi-hyeon showed fresh romance while Kim Jae-wook and So Yi-hyeon were old lovers. The two different romantic relationships were shown in the drama by the two actors in a balanced way.

Q. Taec-yeon, you have been busy filming the drama and the film. If you can go on a vacation right now, what do you want to do?

Taec-yeon: I want to go traveling abroad with my family.  

Baek Ji-young, who released many hit songs, sang ‘Candy in My Ear’ with Taec-yeon. They put up an unplanned stage at this year’s Busan International Film Festival.
 

 Q. You showed excellent acting as Cha Geon-woo in the drama series ‘Who Are You’. You are not successful both as a singer and as an actor. What is the beauty of a singer and an actor? What new role do you want to take in the future?

Taec-yeon: I think that there is still a long way to go both as a singer and as an actor. I always think that I learn new things. There are many things to learn. They may be a new song or a new role. 

Seo Woo appeared in ‘Cinderella’s Sister’ where Taec-yeon debuted as an actor. The drama focused on the four actors Mun Keung-yeong, Cheon Jeong-myeong, Seo Woo, and Taec-yeon. In the drama that shed light on Cinderella’s sister instead of Cinderella, Seo Woo played the only daughter Gu Hyo-seon of ‘Daeseong Alcohol Brewery’ and Taec-yeon played Han Jeong-woo, a nice guy who loves the main actress Mun Keung-yeong. 

Q. I am envious of Taec-yeon in that he is always energetic despite busy schedules in and out of the nation. Do you have a special way of taking care of your body?

Taec-yeon: It is important to feel interested in a job. I think that it is important to do your work based on your own passion and determination without being conscious of what others think.  

Lee Joon is a member of the idol group MBLAQ. The two are close to each other. In a recent interview with TenAsia called Lee Joon’s Self-exploring Qeustions, Lee Joon picked several idol stars that he is close to. Taec-yeon was one of them.

Q. When you do bulk-up exercises, what do you eat? How many hours do you work out?  

Taec-yeon: It is important to eat anything when you do bulk-up exercises. I work out for two or three hours a day. You should eat food of high calories. The point is to eat high-calorie food and protein in 30 minutes after working out.

Most of the stars asked about how he can be good both at acting and singing. In addition, ahead of his debut as a film actor, they asked about the difference between a film and a drama. It is a question that is frequently asked to actors. It demonstrates that Taec-yeon is considered as an actor as well. Most of all, they asked about the secret behind keeping a healthy body in busy schedules. It was revealed that his muscular body shown on stage was the result of his relentless effort. Taec-yeon shared a goal to be successful both as a singer and as an actor. 2PM’s hard worker Taec-yeon seems to be able to achieve the goal.

Written by Hwang Seong-wun (TenAsia)

Edited by Park Su-jeong (TenAsia)

Photographs from Gu Hye-jeong (TenAsia), Paeng Hyeon-jun (TenAsia), TenAsia DB, SBS, Eonnine Marketing Firm