Suho returned with a more mature appearance after being discharged from military service. It has been three years since the seasonal drama How Are U Bread.
Working director Kim Seok-yoon, whom he had longed to meet, through the JTBC weekend drama Behind Your Touch, Suho showed his special affection by declaring, “Anytime it’s a love call from Director Kim, it’s OK.”
Debuted as the leader of the group EXO in 2012, this year marks the 11th anniversary of his debut. He has steadily walked his own path by working as both a singer and an actor. Standing in front of the camera for the first time in a long time, he overcame the pressure and ignited his passion.
Thanks to that, he was able to steadily play the role of Kim Seon-woo, a mysterious and handsome convenience store part-time worker, until the very end. He, who protected and sacrificed himself for his loved ones, played an essential role in the drama.
In a media interview, Suho responds to questions about working on his latest drama.
Sharing his thoughts about the series wrap-up, Suho expressed how the project is meaningful to him.
“I think it’s a work that helped me grow a lot as a person, Kim Jun-myeon. I want to leave it in my filmography for the rest of my life. I think there was a lot of pressure as it was my first work after being discharged from military service. I think I worked hard to prepare as a singer and actor during my military service, so I think I had the desire to ‘show everyone how hard I worked.”
Recalling his initial feelings about the drama before it aired, he really wanted to do it even without reading the script. However, when he realized his role, he also had moments of contemplation if he could pull off the character of Kim Seon-woo well
“I thought, because there were a lot of comedy scenes, I was worried that people would say. I was a little scared. I was worried for various reasons before it aired. Once I came out, I heard a lot of good things about the director, so I felt grateful to Director Kim. I actually contacted him and said, ‘I’m grateful that you chose me, but I’m so grateful that you made Seon-woo look good.'”
On His Special Affection For Director Kim
Acknowledging his admiration for Behind Your Touch director, Suho confessed he was already a fan of the director. He adds how he enjoyed The Light In Your Eyes and My Liberation Notes, and that his works suit his preferences well.
“Director Kim’s works have a realistic yet fictional aspect. Because of that, people fell in love with the stories even more.“
Remembering the director’s reason for casting him at the production presentation to be because of his white and handsome face, he also relays how they share a similar way of working meticulously.
When asked if he already knew the fate of his character, he confessed how Director Kim told him that he could be a criminal or not so he had to prepare his acting on that premise. Later, before the first filming, the director told Suho that he was not the culprit.
He also conveys his appreciation to the director and desire to work with him again in the future.
“I gained self-confidence that I can keep doing what I’ve been doing. If the director calls me, I’m willing to organize all my schedules and participate. Director Kim is the director of my life. I respect him as a person and I really like him.”
On Playing The Role of Seon-woo
Talking about the impact of Seon-woo’s death, Suho admitted to having monitored the viewers’ pulse.
“I monitor portal sites and Twitter, and before that, I think netizens were talking about Suho a lot. Seon-woo came up as a real-time search term on Twitter. I thought I had to die in the play for people to recognize my role.”
Conveying the difficult part of acting his role, he asked the director if he looking unlikely to be the culprit would be more believable.
“I thought I should look like a criminal and act in a way that makes a suspicious expression, but I tried to find the purpose of the character Kim Seon-woo’s actions and do that. That’s why some scenes were filmed twice, one version being a criminal and one version not being a criminal.”
On Working With Senior Actors In The Series
When asked about his relationship with the real culprit in the drama, Suho has kind words for Park Hyuk Kwon.
“Senior Park Hyuk-kwon was the mood maker. He made a lot of pranks and jokes, so as Kim Seon-woo, it could be said that he liked the shaman, but as Su-ho, he seemed like a very close older brother.”
Sharing he has watched Lee Min Ki since his All In days, he expressed gratitude for how he was taken care of.
“This is the first time I got to know him. I’ve been watching him since the drama ‘All In’ and he treated me very comfortably. I don’t know what his older sister and brother are like, but from my perspective, he seems to have become a close person that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I think he really took care of me from beginning to end. “
In the drama, Han Ji Min portrays a character with psychometric powers. Suho responds how the superpower can come in handy as a celebrity.
“As a celebrity, I meet fans, so wouldn’t it be good if I could find out what the fans really want? I think it would be best if psychometry was activated when I touched the other person’s hand.”
On Expanding His Career Through Behind Your Touch
The hit JTBC series drew quite a buzz for its solid story and delightful cast. Suho reveals how he got a lot of calls from parents and friends.
“Instead of the members, Baekhyun’s mother and Chanyeol’s grandmother contacted me and said it was really fun and asked who the culprit was. (Laughs) I think I’m starting to be recognized by older people. EXO members haven’t seen it yet because he recommended watching it when it is done. I thought watching from beginning to end required a lot of sincerity and heart. I’m just satisfied that the members’ families saw it.”
His tip for people who would binge-watch the series is simple.
“Don’t trust anyone.”
On Organizing His Career and Life Plans
As a person who likes to plan, Suho shares how he overcomes stress in case things don’t go as planned.
“I used to feel a lot of stress, but if I make 3 or 4 plans, I feel like things are going as planned, so it’s okay. I think about 3 or 4 plans in my yearly plan and travel plans, but now when things don’t work out that way, I make plans quickly. I think I have the know-how to build one.”
He further explains how he has managed to incorporate his organizing skills as the leader of a top-tier K-Pop group.
“Idol’s job itself attracts a lot of attention. Even if you do something for a short period of time, it attracts a lot of people’s attention, so you might make a mistake if you do it unexpectedly, emotionally, or suddenly. If that happens, it can cause flaws, so make a thorough plan. I thought it was advantageous. Since I am the leader of the team, I was asked a lot of important questions during interviews. I think that’s why I planned more thoroughly.”
Suho will be attending the forthcoming Asia Artist Awards 2023 in the Philippines.
All episodes of Behind Your Touch are streaming on Netflix.
Source: JTBC News
