Interview with Kang Min-hyeok as Jun-kyung, the 3rd generation conglomerate in the Netflix series 'Celebrity'
“Season 2 of ‘Celebrity’? First of all, I hope that season 1 rides on this (good) atmosphere and spreads through word of mouth so that many people can enjoy it. Because I did."
Band group CNBLUE member and actor Kang Min-hyuk said this about the possibility of season 2 of the Netflix series 'Celebrity'.
'Celebrity' is a story depicting the glamorous yet intense bare faces of celebrities faced by Ari (played by Park Kyu-young), who jumped into the world where becoming famous makes money. The story of SNS, which is very close to our daily life, and the influencers who reign there as emerging aristocrats are excitingly unraveled.
Kang Min-hyuk said he watched all the first episodes after the release of 'Celebrity'. He said, "I've only seen it once. I enjoyed watching the drama rather than watching the acting. I enjoyed watching the drama from beginning to end, not because I came out." He added, "I was watching episode 1 lying down, but at some point I was so immersed that I sat down and hugged a cushion."
As of July 5, according to FlixPatrol, an online video streaming service ranking aggregation site, 'Celebrity' ranked third in the TV show category. 1 in Vietnam, and top 10 in 35 countries, including Venezuela, UAE, Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Korea, South Africa, Singapore, Serbia, Saudi Arabia, Peru, and Portugal.
Kang Min-hyuk said, "After the release of 'Celebrity', many people tagged me on my social media account. They said 'congratulations' and captured the Netflix rankings. They uploaded a lot of scenes with me and scenes with Ari and Jun-kyung. The best Did they win first place in Thailand first? I think they did. I remember that Thai fans sent a lot of them. There were many reactions such as 'Ari and Junkyung look good together' and 'I hope it goes well'. I was impressed by the response that they felt the fun of the way.”
There was also a reaction that they were cringing about 'celebrity'. Kang Min-hyuk said, "People around me said they enjoyed watching it. I've seen viewers' reactions through social media or through memes (photos). There can be enough stimulating parts. Because it's a drama, even if there are stimulating things, there are hidden messages. That's what makes a drama It is also the reason why you have to watch it from beginning to end. Because it is one story, I think you can enjoy it a little more. Those who have watched it shriveled up may have different opinions, just like the MBTI with various personalities, "said a respectful response.
Kang Minhyuk is also a social media star with 3.39 million followers. He said, "Somehow, the number of followers increased quickly and a lot. I can't remember exactly how many, but they were increasing at a faster rate than before. I've never thought about being a follower. I didn't really know. Also, (the number of SNS followers) I didn't know how many M and K. But this time, the speed of increase was noticeable. I think I can see it because I know it."
In fact, Minhyuk Kang never thought about social media followers. He said, "There was a time when I thought that celebrities were great. I don't use social media for publicity purposes. The way I operate may seem that way due to the timing, but should I call it feed management while watching 'Celebrity'? They say that I match the tone and manners of the feed. Also, they say that stories upload things that don't fit in the feed. I thought about whether I should delete posts that I thought would be uploaded to stories. Of course, I also deleted a few."
In the play, Kang Min-hyeok played Joon-kyung. Jun-kyung, a 3rd-generation conglomerate, becomes curious about Ari, who does not give up on him, and opens an SNS account that he had no interest in.
Regarding Park Gyu-young, whom he worked with, Kang Min-hyeok said, "He was meticulous and delicate, so he suited me well. I am also meticulous and like to capture the emotions of the other actor and make them comfortable. Were they of the same mind in that respect? We communicated well. I practiced and talked a lot with Kyu-young. It was to the point of saying thank you for guiding me well."
Kang Min-hyeok said that breathing with Lee Chung-ah was comfortable. He said, "Since it couldn't be done, I wonder if I could breathe more comfortably. Apparently, Cheong-ah noona seemed to have a lot of worries about filming together. I saw Cheong-ah noona's sad eyes. I feel relaxed because she is good at acting." While doing this, I also paid a lot of attention to Han Joon-kyung's composure. Composure and composure met, so breathing was good without any discomfort. We filmed together leisurely."
Regarding working with Lee Dong-gun, Kang Min-hyuk said, "It was the scene with senior Dong-gun that I felt that the director and I were leading the character well. It was when I felt that there was no sense of incongruity between senior-nim and I. I thought about what to do if there was a little sense of incongruity in the scene. The senior did a good job and the director guided me well, so it seems that the tension between the two men continued. I didn't feel (about the age difference). I saw it from the viewer's point of view." .
Kang Min-hyeok said, "If you do a Netflix project, being able to watch it in 190 countries is a huge advantage." He said, "I think it's a good opportunity as an actor. Of course, I had a big desire to do it. That's why I think I prepared harder with the director. Because it's a drama with a message that I can sympathize with and timely, I can predict that it will come out better than now. I think I will be able to see the hidden stories of celebrity SNS with interest through word of mouth."
The ending of 'Celebrity' is decorated by Lee Jun-ho, who had a relationship with director Kim Cheol-gyu through 'Confession'. Kang Min-hyuk said, "My friends also asked if (Lee Jun-ho's ending) had meaning. But I had no idea. So I asked, 'Can you feel it?' I think the SNS daily life or the story of a celebrity will last for quite a long time. I finished with the hope that if you sympathize a lot, the story of another celebrity can unfold. If the story of another princess maker and a new celebrity will come out, I will come out. I couldn't imagine it," he said.
Reporter Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia kkk39@tenasia.co.kr