[Interview] Byeon Wooseok Showed the Calendar on His Mobile Phone

Actor Byeon Woo-seok Interview
Drama 'Seonjae Upgo Twieo' Star Seonjae Role
From Korea's Top Model to Prominent Actor
Flood of Scripts: "Careful Selection for Next Project"

Actor Byun Woo-seok Photo by Baro Entertainment

Standing 187cm tall (feeling more like over 190cm) with broad shoulders. A small face as if a dot was placed on it. An unreal appearance like a tall clown. This was the first impression of actor Byeon Woo-seok (33). At first glance, he seemed as aloof as a glamorous model, but when you talk to him, he is bright and kind. His refreshing charm, like an ‘icon of first love,’ created a synergy when paired with ‘Seonjae.’

Byeon Woo-seok, whom I met again after two years, was different from before. He opened the second chapter of his acting career with the tvN drama ‘Seonjae Upgo Twieo’ which ended last month on the 28th. In this time-slip romance where passionate fan Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon), devastated by the death of popular singer Ryu Seonjae, goes back in time to save him, Byeon Woo-seok revealed various charms through the star Ryu Seonjae, who had secretly loved Im Sol for 15 years. Through this, he was recognized as the first ‘top star’ to emerge in recent years.

In an interview with Asia Economy held on the 3rd at a cafe in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, he laughed, saying, “I didn’t expect to become this popular with my first lead role.” Byeon Woo-seok said, “The character goes from being an idol band member, a high school swimmer, to a fresh college student, and finally a top star, so I think people liked it because they could ‘fangirl’ in various ways.” Although a week has passed since the drama ended, he said he still hasn’t been able to let go of Seonjae in his heart. He said, “I’m confident that no one loves Seonjae as much as I do. I plan to keep Seonjae with me without letting him go. Whenever I miss him, I will take him out and look at him.”

Actor Byun Woo-seok
[Photo by Baro Entertainment]

Byeon Woo-seok lived as Seonjae while filming the drama for over a year. After the second episode aired, the final shoot took place, and he recalled feeling the changed atmosphere. He said, “On the last day of shooting, the staff at the set asked me if I had watched the drama. They told me to watch it quickly. They said they watched it with trembling hands.”

The drama became a huge hit in just a few episodes. Byeon Woo-seok didn’t feel the popularity for a while but experienced it unexpectedly in a certain place. At the Jeonju Film Festival red carpet held last month, cheers and flashbulbs comparable to those for idols poured down on him, and some fans stayed overnight in front of the venue from the day before to see him. The YouTube channel broadcasting the red carpet live even crashed. Every move he made became a hot topic.

Did he expect such a day to come? Byeon Woo-seok said, “I never expected it,” and recalled, “I was surprised to see the huge crowd gathered at the event.” He added, “I really like film festivals.” I remembered his excited face two years ago, roaming around near Haeundae during the Busan Film Festival. He said, “I really wanted to go to a film festival, and that was my first time going. It was such a great memory.” He continued, “After a few steps, I met people from the industry. I drank the most alcohol in my life then. I liked the festival where people gathered and enjoyed themselves with the common interest of films. It was a new world.”

'Carrying Seonjae and Running Away' Still Image [Photo by tvN]

Byeon Woo-seok worked as a model appearing in shows by several top designers before debuting as an actor through the drama ‘Dear My Friends’ (2016). He gained attention by acting alongside Park Bo-gum and Park So-dam in the drama ‘Record of Youth’ (2020). He said, “When I did overseas shows, among the 20 to 30 models who appeared in designer shows that we would know, only one or two were East Asian models including me. I was happy to stand on stage as a representative Korean model then, and I want to feel that way as an actor too.”

He said, “When I quit modeling and started acting, I didn’t know much. I had the mindset of starting over from scratch. I have come this far by doing my best in every work. There were many times I was exhausted and struggled. I was always shaken and wanted to quit at times. I wondered, ‘Is this path really mine?’ and there were many times I wanted to give up.” He confessed. Then he added, “I believed vaguely that if I steadily improved my weaknesses, the moment people like me would come. I did my best in the given work.”

In the industry, there is a saying that all scripts for 20s and 30s protagonists in movies, dramas, and OTT go to Byeon Woo-seok. He admitted that he has received quite a few scripts. For his next work, he wants to carefully decide after thoroughly reading the scripts that come in during his free time. Byeon Woo-seok said, “Acting is a work where ‘empathy’ is important. It involves a process of communicating with others, and it is also important that the viewers empathize. I ask for opinions around me so that I don’t get lost in my own thoughts.”

'Carrying Seonjae and Running Away' Still Image [Photo by tvN]

The world is all about ‘Byeon Woo-seok, Byeon Woo-seok.’ According to the data compiled by Good Data Corporation, a buzz index research agency, he topped the actor category for four consecutive weeks. With what is called a ‘big hit,’ his calendar was marked in red. During the interview, when he showed his schedule app on his phone, it was packed with schedules marked in red. Although the drama has ended, he plans to keep busy with his schedule for the time being. He smiled and said, “I’m happy.” Then he added, “I quietly enjoy small things and sometimes deeply reflect on myself. My emotional ups and downs are not big, but I have been thinking a lot recently.”

Byeon Woo-seok said, “Suddenly, the pressure to do well sometimes overwhelms me. Even when I get lost in various thoughts, I tell myself, ‘Let’s keep doing as I have been’ and ‘Let’s improve my weaknesses in the next work.’ I tell myself to show progress until I die. That’s how I keep myself in check.” He said, “Ultimately, I want to be an actor who acts well, but I believe that if I keep trying and improve little by little, I will become a better version of myself.”