Park Hae Joon sat down for a media interview following the conclusion of the well-loved series, When Life Gives You Tangerines where he played the role of Yang Gwan-sik.
In When Life Gives You Tangerines, Yang Gwan-sik embodied an unwavering dedication to his family, who held a place more precious than anything else in his world.
Park Hae Joon masterfully portrayed this father navigating life on Jeju Island, yearning to raise his children free from envy, while grappling with the relentless passage of time and the weight of unfulfilled aspirations for his loved ones.
This project marks Park Hae-joon’s fourth collaboration with the esteemed director Kim Won-seok, who previously helmed Misaeng, Signal, and My Mister. Notably, three of their four collaborations – Misaeng, Arthdal Chronicles, and My Mister – are widely regarded as 인생 드라마 (life dramas) by many.
Park Hae Joon reminisced about their past work, saying, “‘Misaeng’ was filmed at a truly breakneck pace. I joined from episode 11, but it had already become such a sensation from the very first episode that even though I hadn’t appeared or filmed yet, it was a project I anxiously awaited. Adjusting initially was challenging, and I am grateful for the help of Im Si-wan and senior Lee Sung-min, which allowed me to finish smoothly. Following that, I worked on ‘My Mister’, where I played a monk. I was hesitant to cut my hair due to a prior commitment for my next project, and I believe the director found it difficult to insist. So, I called him and asked, ‘Are you confident you can portray a monk without a shaved head? I’ll do it once,’ and I actually shaved my head on set. I suspect the director was secretly grateful for my call, because on set he said, ‘Hae-joon, I’ll take responsibility for you somehow; we’ll make it work.’ Lee Sun-kyun playfully quipped, ‘Oh, that’s great, Director Kim Won-seok said he’ll take responsibility!’ Is that perhaps why he cast me this time as well? I’m not someone who usually reaches out, so I was delighted to see him, much like when we worked on ‘Arthdal Chronicles’.” He then shared a heartwarming anecdote about director Kim Won-seok, expressing, “I am so grateful that he cast me in this successful production.“
Park further added with heartfelt sincerity, “I feel an unpayable debt of gratitude to the director that I must repay for the rest of my life. No matter what… I will appear in the director’s future works, even without a guarantee.” However, he quickly followed with a lighthearted joke, “But please take a little care of me,” before showering praise, stating, “Director Kim Won-seok is my benefactor and like a teacher to me in the realm of dramas.“
In the poignant fourth act of When Life Gives You Tangerines, Park Hae-joon movingly depicted Gwan-sik’s battle with cancer. Gwan-sik, whom Ae-soon affectionately called ‘iron’ due to his robust physique, presented a shocking image to viewers as his bones became visibly prominent during his cancer treatment.
He revealed the demanding process behind that portrayal, stating, “I filmed that scene after losing 7-8 kg through water manipulation in approximately two weeks. It was challenging because the on-location schedule didn’t allow for sequential filming. I struggled to maintain consistency in the details of the scenes. The scene where I ascend the hospital stairs with cherry blossoms in full bloom and the scene at home where Eun-myeong remarks, ‘Why are you so skinny?’ required a clear and distinct change in appearance. That’s why I controlled my weight twice.” He explained that he employed the professional water control techniques used by martial artists on a strict two-week schedule whenever a crucial shoot demanded it.
Park Hae-joon elaborated on the extreme measures he took, saying, “I didn’t drink a single drop of water for two days before filming. That state also significantly aided my acting. My body became weak, and my eyes appeared swollen, which the director genuinely appreciated. In fact, he commented that staying in that condition could make one appear somewhat strange and even be dangerous,” he explained, eliciting laughter, “The director didn’t request it; I offered to do it. But the director was grateful.“
The captivating Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines, which unfolds the adventurous lives of the ‘rebellious girl’ Ae-soon, born on Jeju Island, and the ‘iron man’ Gwan-sik across four compelling seasons, is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
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