Jang Dong Yoon - From "robber-catching hero" to ranks of star actors
Actor Jang Dong Yoon (27 years old) entered the ranks of trend-leading stars. After participating in catching the thief at a convenient store and suddenly embarking on the acting career, his life has completely changed. During the process of gradually feeling the excitement of acting, he met with the Mon-Tue drama "The Tale of Nokdu" (KBS 2TV) and started shining.
Jang Dong Yoon (as Nokdu) once became a hot topic for being too pretty when he disguised as a woman in the first half of the drama. He then showed off his masculine beauty through action scenes in the second half. In addition, his romantic story with Kim So Hyun (as Dong Joo) in the drama also received fervent responses and earned him great success. Thus, Jang Dong Yoon has been recognized for his acting skills and built a solid basis for a leap forward in the future. He said that catching thieves and becoming an actor seemed to be his destiny. He also demonstrated enthusiasm for acting, "Although I stepped into this field without knowing anything about it, thanks to that, I am able to feel more joy in acting."
How do you feel when the drama ends?
- I have a great affection for Nokdu, so I couldn't hold back my tears when I was about to share my feelings in the final scene. The audience also gave lots of love for this character. It's my job to perform this role but my affection for it is as much as that of the audience or the fans. Perhaps I share the same regret with everyone who doesn't want to part ways with this role.
- Have you turned into a Nokdu's fan?
- No matter what, dressing up as a woman is still a real challenge. And I really love such challenging things because they give me many opportunities to endeavor. I practiced pilates and even practiced action scenes. I also practiced horse riding and swordsmanship. To play a man disguised as a woman, I researched a lot to have an appropriate tone. I made my tone of voice different to describe the difference between Nokdu and widow Kim. I don't want to express the character in a ridiculous way, or with "over the top" gesture, voice and posture or follow a typical standard. I have tried to find a point that reconciles these details.
- You will probably feel proud of your hard work
- “When playing widow Kim, there were many humorous scenes, but at times like that, it required more imaginative and exaggerated acting that the director wanted. It seems that the more I get involved in acting, the more I think exaggeration is suitable for comedic scenes. I think Nokdu is a very unique character. I feel proud that I tried hard and worked diligently to create this character and the role, and the character also received a lot of love from the public. Perhaps I have found my direction as an actor and I also find much joy in this new genre of acting."
- What was the most interesting thing to you?
- This was the first time I performed an action scene. I suffered from muscle pain every day but this scene was very interesting. I found the joy and the secret of co-starring with others as well as how to present funny parts without overacting, or how to let viewers accept the role without feeling objectionable.
- Many tell that you look so beautiful when playing this role.
- Cross-dressing is the decisive factor in the drama "The Tale of Nokdu". I think that once we act, it's best to enable viewers to sense the character's visual charm. I hoped to hear such compliments so I felt so proud. Of course, I was worried, too. The widow Kim has many fascinating elements so I was deep in thought. I was anxious about whether Nokdu would look less attractive when moving from the end of episode 7 to episode 8.
- The first half of the drama is softly interesting but the second half contains heavy stories.
- Because I predicted that the second half of the drama would progress in that direction, I was already psychologically prepared. Before filming, I was immersed in the story and emotions of Nokdu as a male so I wanted to quickly film these scenes. But after becoming a fan of widow Kim, I felt a bit regret that there was a change in the second half of the drama.
- How was the collaboration with Kim So Hyun?
- We felt comfortable as we worked well together. In scenes where the two shed tears due to their feelings for each other, So Hyun advised me to naturally act my feelings and even asked for a proper way to help me. She also encouraged me by saying things like "It will be okay if you make me flutter a little bit more" or "You have just done very well." We tried to respect and support each other. So Hyun is younger than me but it's not too much when saying she has lived her whole life for acting. So Hyun started her acting career when she was small and I can feel clearly her experience accumulated for such a long time. While acting, she becomes a completely different person.
- How do you manage your body?
- When I was filming the show "Explanation for Grandma" (MBC), I gained weight, compared to that time, I lost 3kg now. In scenes that revealing my body like at the end of episode 5, I couldn't let the audience see a skinny body so I struggled to adjust that. I have a very strict management of body fat. Normally, when I am actively exercising, I still maintain a fat percentage of about 7%, but this time I cut it down to 3 ~ 4%. Because my skeleton is not large, I can only practice to have a slim but solid figure (Laugh). That is what the director wants.
- Don't you want to display your masculine appeal a little bit more?
- During the drama shooting, I wanted to build up my muscles to show striking differences between widow Kim and Nokdu. However, I couldn't do that since the director didn't allow me to do so. I was afraid that my muscles would grow so I didn't go to the gym and only did Pilates instead to strengthen my inner muscles and core. I also practiced contemporary dance, which I got to learn while joining the drama "Just Dance". It was a great help to stretch muscles and develop flexibility. I also walked a lot. I intended to go to appointments around Seoul on foot. I even walked for 5 hours. Walking was good for my mental health, too.
- What other film genres do you want to try?
- There are some genres making me feel new and interesting. These are action and comedy. I also felt the vibes of a historical drama. I'm planning to challenge myself with the genre that I have never tried while promoting strong points I gained through acting experience in rom-com dramas or romantic, lovely, gentle works that I joined before. If saying that in the past time, I have been confined to a certain limitation, now, I will try to balance everything.
- Making a debut via news on catching a robber, your life has now completely changed. If you can get back to that time, you would still catch that robber, wouldn't you?
- I am inherently the type who cared about other people's things, so I couldn't stand as I see that scene. Ever since I was a child, I have had a righteous heart. So if I see that incident, of course, I will still be willing to lend a hand.
- Have you ever been criticized for your acting in the past?
When thinking about it now, I find that becoming an actor after catching a robber was a fate. It's not easy to step into a world that I had no idea about. I didn't even know what I had to work hard for. I thought a lot about basic questions like 'What should I do?,' 'What would I try for?'. It's no coincidence that I became an actor, so I sought answers for myself, attempted from nothing, and enjoyed happiness in acting.
- Did you study in an acting school?
- I dropped out of that school after only a month. I felt that the education curriculum at the acting school didn't suit me so I mostly learned from my colleagues. The place that helped me the most was the filming set. There is no better place to learn acting than the filming set. As an actor, I grasp the issue and realize how to do it well. Since then, I have been more confident in the path I want to follow. I always develop, improve myself, and have never declined. As things get more interesting, my ambition is also heightened. I have found joy. It feels totally different from when starting things in a hurried way. And in the future, it will surely be even more different.
- It seems you are enjoying these new challenges.
- I'm quite daring and likes challenges. I think the acting path is very suitable for me because I'm the type of person who thinks positively and tries hard to the end. I once thought it was a new world that I absolutely could not enter, the world they lived in. I started and wondered if I could do it, but maybe I could choose it because I was more daring than others.
- What is the reason you chose a one-member-management company?
- When leaving the former management agency, I received many invitations, but I established a one-member management company and is running with my former company's manager. He has become an inseparable companion to me. The legal side is the same. (Laughter) I'm a director and also an actor in DongYi Company. I know the fans call me "Director Jang" and that has become widely known. The two of us started up with empty hands. Even now, we don't have an office. I am satisfied with this system because the work is the same, it is easy to understand and to focus on my career.
- You have become much more famous, but nothing seems to change?
- I don't know why I have to change. I think that changing because of gaining such things as popularity, money, and fame is just an excuse. I have changed from university student Jang Dong Yoon to me of the present, and I have realized that it doesn't matter if people don't change. Therefore, saying that we need to change is just an excuse. This is my value.
- Don't you have the ambition to win prizes at year-end awards ceremonies?
- I'm emptying my mind. As an actor, this is the stage that I want to do something right."
Reporter Hwang So Young hwang.soyoung@jtbc.co.kr
Photo = DongYi Company