Exclusive interview with casts of “Entourage” reveals their thoughts on Korean actors lifestyle and starring in the drama
1. Entourage being a remake of the U.S series, are there any stress in meeting the expectations of fans of the original?
Seo Kang Jun: I knew that were many fans who liked the original series, so naturally I felt some pressure. However, Korea’s Entourage was remade with Korean sentiments, so I put in my best effort into it.
Lee Dong Hwi: The American original is a great work, so when I heard news of the remake and during casting, I felt great pressure. I had a lot of worries about my character Turtle, and I put in a lot of effort in order to portray the image of my character.
Park Jung Min: There was pressure. The drama is very popular in America, and there are also many fans of the drama in Korea. Thus I was worried, but I believe that the remake of the Korean drama – Entourage shows our unique colours/character.
2. One of the key feature of the series is the huge number of cameo appearances from various celebrities. Which cameo appearance is your most memorable?
Seo Kang Jun: All of them are memorable, but Ha Jung Woo sunbaenim (senior) is the most memorable one. As a korean actor, sunbaenim (senior) is a role model. We worked together for a scene and although the time was brief, I was really nervous.
Lee Dong Hwi: There were great cameo appearances by respectable korean actors. For me, the one that left a great memory was Ji-Suk Jin sunbaenim (senior). Seeing him becoming a celebrity in his young days and continuing to show (us) charming sides till now, made me his fan.
Park Jung Min: Director Lee Jun-Ik. He was a director that I respect and like a lot even before participating in this drama. I am thankful that he was always hardworking in helping (us).
3. The korean drama is said to depict the Korean celebrity lifestyle to a certain degree of accuracy. How much (in percentage) of the drama do you think reflects the lifestyle of the Korean entertainment industry?
Seo Kang Jun: To be honest, it seems quite hard to determine how much in percentage. I had some similarities to Young-bin such as having a positive mindset, his way of lifestyle was way different from mine. There were a lot of celebrity hot places in the drama, where I have never been to. I think compared to the Korean celebrity lifestyle, there were more similarities in the industry’s entertainment companies, and relationships between managers and actors.
Lee Dong Hwi: I think it is about 50% similar. Sometimes while filming, I get a shock and think to myself “Ah, there are also some celebrities that enjoy this lifestyle?”. I believe that the Korean celebrity lifestyle of partying and hanging out in clubs is not a full depiction of their lifestyle.
Park Jung Min: I heard this story was written by a writer that experienced it while he(she) was looking for a job. For me, a celebrity that don’t have much friends, it was quite often that I felt surprised at the things happening in the entertainment industry.
4. Question for Seo Kang Jun – Cha Young Bin enjoys hanging out with his friends in the drama. Are there any close celebrities that Kang Joon is very close to like his friends in the drama?
Seo Kang Joon: My closest korean actor friends are the friends of “5uprise”, who are in the same group of korean actors as me. We are the closest and get along like family. Apart from that, I’m normally close to everyone that I’ve worked with before.
5. Question for Park Jung Min – Lee Ho Jin has a very shy and reserved image in the drama, especially when around the girl that he is fond of. Is Jung Min also very shy in real life in front of girls, and always thinking about his best friend’s interests?
Park Jung Min: I prefer to speak with ladies like how I would speak with males; always interesting and funny. I think I’m the type of friend that friends worry would for, more than I would worry for them.
Entourage has concluded on television, but the full series is still available on viu.com or the Viu mobile app. The best thing is it comes with subtitles for international fans, and for FREE. So if you have been curious on how the Korean entertainment industry works, head over to view it on VIU.com.
Image Credits: KAvenyou and VIU
Interview Credits: VIU
Translation by: Qinyi and Zhen Zhen
