[Interview①] Joo Jong-hyuk, From Idol to Becoming an Artist Who Acts

Joo Jong-hyuk / Photo by Kim Tae-yoon

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Joo Jong-hyuk is active both on stage and on television. More people now recognize him as Joo Jong-hyuk rather than by the name Ryan. His past glory has helped him grow and become a stepping stone as Joo Jong-hyuk. Now, he is a veteran musical actor in Daehangno and boasts considerable skill as an actor. He entered Chung-Ang University in 2002, majoring in directing in the Department of Theater, dreaming of becoming a broadcasting student, but by chance, he started his career in the entertainment industry. Since then, he has been running non-stop for 18 years.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, Joo Jong-hyuk shared various stories about the recently concluded Channel A drama 'Yubeolna! Moon Chef' in an interview held at the Chungmuro office building in Jung-gu, Seoul.

'Yubeolna! Moon Chef' (written by Jung Yuri and Kim Kyungsoo, directed by Choi Dohun) is a healing romantic comedy drama about Yubella, a world-renowned fashion designer who loses her memory and becomes a reckless troublemaker in the starry and bright Seohama Village, meeting star chef Moon Seung-mo (Eric) and creating growth, love, and success together.

Joo Jong-hyuk played the role of Choi Gun-woo, the planning director of a famous overseas food company. Choi Gun-woo is a perfect business partner with not only a warm appearance but also neat work skills. He was responsible for everything from supplying fresh ingredients to Moon Seung-mo to promoting a Korean pop-up restaurant, portraying the intense process of opening a restaurant.

Joo Jong-hyuk, who went to Australia in January for the drama shoot, said, “We filmed for about a week before the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection). I had a great time filming with the actors and came back. It seems like it will remain a long-lasting memory.”

Joo Jong-hyuk debuted in 2005 as the leader of the group Paran under the name Ryan and has been actively working as an actor since then. After his military discharge, he received acclaim on many stages such as musicals 'Love Rides the Rain,' 'Vincent Van Gogh,' 'Beastie Boys,' 'Agatha,' 'Murder Ballad,' and plays 'Deathtrap,' 'Europe Blog,' among others. With 'Yubeolna! Moon Chef,' he expanded his activities by unleashing the acting skills he built on stage onto the small screen.

“I had a thirst for various roles. When I started acting, there was a prejudice against singers performing. It has been 10 years since I started. Time has passed, and the burden of working in various fields has lessened. On stage, I played various roles such as a mad writer, a psycho, and a painter, but I wanted to expand my spectrum further.”

Joo Jong-hyuk continues to work in various fields without being confined to the stage. He said, “Although it’s been a while since I did a drama, it’s a field I always watch with interest, so it wasn’t unfamiliar. Of course, the genres are different, but the mechanism of acting is not. The approach is the same, so I didn’t feel any alienation. At the beginning of the drama shoot, I asked the director, ‘Please tell me if there is any exaggerated part in my acting,’ and he said there wasn’t any and even said I could do more. The director trusted me a lot,” he said about the work.

Joo Jong-hyuk feels great happiness just by acting itself. He smiled happily, saying, “I don’t usually change much. I tend to maintain long relationships with people. Relationships with people I’ve known for a long time are precious and not taken lightly. My feelings about acting are the same. I’m grateful that the excitement I first felt when acting still remains. I still find acting fun.” He added, “I also love the stage a lot. It’s a place that makes my heart flutter when I think about it. I will always take on new challenges and transformations for works.”

Having debuted as an idol group member and enjoyed his heyday in Thailand, he has now started rowing seriously as an actor. Joo Jong-hyuk laughed and said, “I’ve let go.”

“In my twenties, I was very cynical. But in my early thirties, after going through hardships, I learned how to let go. A friend recently sent me a video clip someone had filmed in the past, showing three groups performing in Thailand: SHINee, KARA, and me. Watching that video made me feel at ease. I felt that I had let go and was living well. Seeing myself happy stirred many emotions.”

Joo Jong-hyuk was relaxed. He was full of confidence and filled with anticipation for his future acting activities. He said, “There is still a long way to go, but it’s hard to say my identity is just an actor. In the end, isn’t it about heading toward being an artist? There are actors who paint and singers who act nowadays. More people are working without boundaries. Senior artist Hong Seobeom might have been ahead of his time. The boundaries between genres are also breaking down. The responsibility is great. I am working hard today to develop further,” showing his unique determination.