The lead stars of the highly-addictive TVING series relay stories about their latest work.
LTNS tells the story of a couple whose relationship has become estranged due to life hardships. They chase after extramarital couples to make money.
LTNS, which combines pleasant dialogue and a detailed story, has steadily gone viral and ranked first in weekly viewing among TVING originals, establishing itself as the most-viewed original content in a week.
Ahn Jae Hong expressed happiness about LTNS’s popularity.
“I hope it sparks more fire. I work hard on each work, and I am most grateful when I feel the enthusiastic response.“
In the play, Ahn Jae-hong takes on the role of Esom’s husband. They are married but a sexless couple who have been in the relationship for 7 years, and shows off his unconventional skills. He plays the role of Samuel, who despite his soft exterior, lives with anger on the inside. Even though he succeeded in getting a job at a large company, he was unable to adapt, so he quit the company and now works as a taxi driver.
Last year, he made a strong presence as the otaku Joo Ho-nam in the Netflix original series Mask Girl. At the time, due to his passionate acting, including wearing special makeup to remove hair, people asked, ‘Isn’t this a retirement work?’ Ahn Jae-hong, who joked that LTNS was his comeback work, received the response ‘Isn’t this his retirement work again?’ due to his spicy acting and explicit dialogue.
For Ahn Jae-hong, this acting transformation did not come as a burden but as an excitement.
“I wasn’t afraid. I was excited about showing a new side of myself as an actor and a new self. For Mask Girl, I had a great desire to show a character that people around me had never heard of, Joo Ho-nam. I wanted to portray an unfamiliar but vivid character who doesn’t seem to exist, but who seems to be somewhere.”
He added, “Samuel is really cliché, but I wanted to express what is invisible rather than what is visible. I thought the character of Samuel was like an onion who does not reveal his true feelings. I wanted to express the character in a variety of ways, from everyday moments to dramatic moments. I wanted to do it, and I intentionally expressed an unfamiliar appearance.”
Sharing his character preparations for Samuel, the actor revealed paying attention to how his character brings laughter and sympathy.
“I thought a lot about how I could convey this scene in a newer way and how I could evoke empathy. The viewers who see this work will laugh, but will also feel the emotion and relate to it like their own stories. I wanted to give it. I thought it was the great fun that black comedy could provide.”
Remembering her first encounter with LTNS, Esom shared why she readily accepted the role.
“I liked the words from the opening, so I read it in an instant. I don’t usually laugh out loud, but I remember reading the script while laughing. Woojin speaks without hesitation, and I thought I would like to try a comedy genre.”
Working together for the third time with Ahn Jae Hong, the actress was worried if the actor would accept the role.
“Ahn Jae-hong was my first choice as a co-star. I was curious about whether he would do it. I am a cautious person. I was worried about whether he would do it with me because we worked together previously. I was so excited when he said he would do it.“
Esom plays the role of Woo-jin, a hotelier and wife who is struck by reality and becomes fierce due to her marital relationship, which leaves her with no money, no children, and no relationship.
“I thought it was important to have the image of a married couple who had been together for five years. They had to have the feeling of a real couple even when they were just sitting still. Perhaps because we worked together on previous works, there was a feeling of comfort and relaxation.“
LTNS, which is rated ’19+’, became a hot topic with high-level dialogue and skinship that had not been seen in existing dramas. Esom laughed confessing her approach in the intimate scenes.
“We were also a team when it came to intimate scenes. I thought skinship is like an action scene, and movement and coordination are important, so I did it like that to avoid making mistakes.”
The scene in the last episode of the drama where they have a heated fight impressed the viewers. This scene, in which they have a miserable conversation in the rain in their apartment was completed over two days. It was an important scene in which the emotions that had been building up for so long exploded, and the chemistry between them shone.
“It was the first time I got caught in the rain on set, and it was an incredibly emotional scene. My physical strength was low, and I was cold. My lips turned blue. It felt like a war zone. It was a scene that Jaehong and I put a lot of effort into creating. That scene remains in my memory for a very long time. We didn’t sacrifice ourselves. I think we kept repeating the process of overcoming our limits. Although it was described as a battle scene, we filmed it intensely.“
All episodes of the 6-part series LTNS were released through TVING. International fans can watch it on Viu.
Source: joynews24
