[Interview] 'Sweet Home' Lee Do-hyun "Satisfied with Divided Reactions, Hope to Appear in Season 2" (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Iseul] Actor Lee Do-hyun shared his thoughts on challenging a new genre and role with ‘Sweet Home’.

On the morning of the 23rd, Lee Do-hyun answered questions about the Netflix original series ‘Sweet Home’ (directed by Lee Eung-bok) during an online video interview.

‘Sweet Home’ is a Netflix original series depicting the bizarre and shocking story of Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student who loses his family and experiences strange events in the apartment he moves into.

Based on the webtoon of the same name boasting 1.2 billion views, it was completed by director Lee Eung-bok, known for directing ‘Mr. Sunshine,’ ‘Goblin,’ and ‘Descendants of the Sun.’ The cast includes Song Kang, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Si-young, Lee Do-hyun, Go Min-si, Park Gyu-young, Go Yoon-jung, Kim Kap-soo, and Kim Sang-ho.

On this day, Lee Do-hyun said, “After ‘Sweet Home’ was released on the 18th, many people around me said they binge-watched it. A 10-episode series with an hour running time each totals 600 minutes, but they said it was so fun they didn’t notice the time passing,” adding, “I also binge-watched it with my friends.”

When asked about his impressions after watching the completed ‘Sweet Home,’ Lee Do-hyun said, “It was amazing,” and added, “I was surprised that the scenes I acted alone in front of the chroma key were well completed into the drama. The parts I didn’t appear in were also fascinating. The senior actors were all cool. Maybe because we sweated and bled together on the cold set, I felt proud and happy.”

In the drama, Lee Do-hyun plays Lee Eun-hyuk, who leads the Green Home residents, isolated from the world, by using his exceptional intelligence and quick judgment to escape and confront monsters. Eun-hyuk’s cold demeanor heightens the tension throughout the series.

Lee Do-hyun said, “It was difficult to portray Eun-hyuk, who doesn’t express emotions. I thought about how to naturally approach the viewers. I wondered if I could convey messages with a blank expression, and I considered this within the direction given by the director,” adding, “It was a new way of acting different from my usual style. I felt both proud and a bit regretful.”

Lee Do-hyun, who said he grew to love Eun-hyuk while acting, pointed out, “The most attractive point is that he is realistic.” He continued, “It’s a harsh situation to live only dreaming of ideals. I think Eun-hyuk judged that if he didn’t approach things realistically, he couldn’t protect the villagers and his younger sibling from the monsters. I acted thinking as realistically as possible. Sometimes, even Eun-hyuk’s ruthless words felt right.”

Lee Do-hyun joined ‘Sweet Home’ through an audition. He recalled, “Director Lee Eung-bok gave me the Eun-hyuk script and let me think for about 10 minutes before reading it. I finished well but didn’t expect to be selected. After being confirmed as Eun-hyuk, I rewatched the webtoon. I was already binge-watching it but focused on Eun-hyuk this time.”

He added, “I had only seen Director Lee Eung-bok on TV, so meeting him in person was amazing and nerve-wracking. Later, the director said that as soon as he heard my first line, he thought, ‘This guy is Eun-hyuk.’ It was near the end of the audition, so I was grateful.”

Lee Do-hyun expressed special affection, saying, “Eun-hyuk can seem bad, cold, and rational, but I wanted to be a more emotional person. Through acting as Eun-hyuk, I came to understand and love his rational charm.”

Some viewers had mixed feelings about Eun-hyuk’s leadership of Green Home in ‘Sweet Home.’ Some felt that Eun-hyuk’s character was somewhat flattened compared to the original webtoon, diminishing his appeal. Regarding this, Lee Do-hyun said, “I’m satisfied that opinions were divided.”

He said, “I acted hoping that viewers would have mixed feelings about Eun-hyuk’s choices. As I acted, I grew to love Eun-hyuk more. I understood that his realistic and extreme choices were one way to save many people.”

Regarding the adaptation of the original webtoon into a drama, Lee Do-hyun said, “The setting where desire turns people into monsters was the biggest attraction. The appearance of so-called ‘cancer-causing characters’ that draw interest and empathy is also appealing. I’m proud that this part was well realized in the drama.”

Lee Do-hyun named the vampire monster as the scariest monster, recalling, “It was the first monster I encountered on set. Seeing the makeup, I was so scared I couldn’t even scream. I was startled,” adding, “I sprayed a fire extinguisher at the vampire monster, but I felt sorry for the senior actor in makeup.”

‘Sweet Home’ ended with an open ending, fully opening the door to season 2. Lee Do-hyun laughed and said, “If season 2 is produced, I definitely want to appear.” He added, “I don’t know if season 2 will be made or if Eun-hyuk will appear, but if it is produced, I want to appear.”

Lee Do-hyun said, “Many people around me ask about season 2. If I appear, I wouldn’t mind playing a healthy monster. If there are action scenes, I’m confident I can fight hard.”

He also added, “I hope to try fun action acting in other works. I want to challenge the noir genre where I can show a cool side.”

When asked if there were any regrets, Lee Do-hyun said, “I wanted to convey Eun-hyuk’s thoughts well through my face, but sometimes I felt like I was just still. I regret not showing even the slightest subtle expressions,” adding, “There are always regrets with every acting and work.”

In ‘Sweet Home,’ Lee Do-hyun has a scene where he is struck in the abdomen by Lee Si-young, who plays Seo Yi-kyung. When asked about the episode, he said, “I was hit three times in total: full shot and close-up shots. I was very worried before filming. Lee Si-young is a professional and her punches are strong, so I thought it would hurt,” adding, “She said she would hit briefly to minimize the pain.”

Lee Do-hyun laughed, “It was unexpectedly powerful. After being hit by Lee Si-young, I felt like I couldn’t breathe for about three seconds. It was indescribable,” and added, “I’m also thankful to Lee Si-young. Thanks to her, the acting flow connected well. After filming, I lifted my clothes and, surprisingly, there were no bruises,” showing a smile again.

Looking ahead to 2021, Lee Do-hyun said, “I want to challenge movies I’ve never done before.” He said, “I hope to earn the label of an actor who performs various roles. Since Eun-hyuk and ‘Sweet Home’ were my first attempts at this role and genre, I hope to receive good evaluations.”

Photo = Netflix