"I invested in spending time with my child because I want to make him feel less absent because he can't always be by my side."
Actor Lee Dong-gun had a three-year hiatus after divorcing Jo Yoon-hee. During his hiatus, he focused on spending time with his daughter. Then he returned with the Netflix series 'Celebrity'.
On the morning of the 26th, the Netflix series 'Celebrity' production presentation was held at the Naru Ballroom on the 2nd floor of MGallery Naru Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Actors Park Kyu-young, Kang Min-hyuk, Lee Chung-ah, Lee Dong-gun, Jeon Hyo-seong and director Kim Cheol-gyu attended the event.
'Celebrity' is the story of Ari (played by Park Kyu-young), who jumped into the world of money by becoming famous, and depicts the colorful and fierce faces of celebrities. The story of SNS, which is very close to our daily life, and the influencers who reign as emerging aristocrats will be told in an exciting way.
Directed by Kim Chul-kyu, who directed the dramas 'Flower of Evil', 'Confession', 'Chicago Typewriter', 'On the Way to the Airport', 'Daemul', and 'Hwang Jin-yi'. Through 'Celebrity', director Kim Cheol-kyu shows various ways of expression that have not been tried in other dramas or movies. In particular, I am confident in the strong ending every time.
On this day, director Kim Cheol-gyu said, "The most important motif in this drama is SNS, represented by Instagram. The SNS world has not been around for a while. The younger generation is overwhelmingly using it. The content covered in it is also relevant to this era. I think it's the hottest, hippest, and trendiest story. I tried to organize the drama in line with that direction. I think a hot, hipp, and trendy drama came out as a result of such efforts."
Director Kim Cheol-kyu is said to be older than he looks. He said, "Before I came across this work, I hadn't been active on social media at all. I didn't have an account. I also created a social media account while coming into contact with this work. I learned a lot from the actors. They were active in social media. I asked a lot about the language they use and took the attitude of studying. I also searched the Internet a lot. I did it while learning a lot from the actors. Apparently, Hyosung was active as an influencer. Hyosung coached me." explained.
Director Kim Cheol-gyu said, "It's a very obvious story, but I think the ending of each episode of the drama is very important. I think that the story of the meeting should be neatly finished, leaving a lingering feeling and creating strong curiosity about the next episode. This drama is intense and impressive. I judged myself that there were a lot of endings. I was really curious about the people who participated a lot in the post-production, so I said I wouldn't be able to see the next episode because I was curious. I think it was composed of dramatic scenes," he expressed his confidence.
Park Gyu-young said, "I am grateful to be able to appear in the work of director Kim Cheol-gyu, whom I respect. A lot of information is pouring through SNS. I think it's a story that accurately shows light and dark at the same time. I've come to show a character who goes through various emotional changes."
Also, Park Gyu-young spoke to Lee Cheong-ah every day. Park Gyu-young said, “It has been extended, so I can easily do it for 2 hours recently.” Hearing this, Kang Min-hyuk brought laughter by saying, “When I call, he always speaks on the phone.”
Regarding Lee Dong-gun, whom he worked with, Kang Min-hyuk joked, "You've done a lot of greasy things compared to me." He said, “There is a scene in the play where Jin Tae-jeon and Han Joon-kyung, played by senior Lee Dong-gun, can create a sense of tension between the two men. He gave me a lot of explanations on how to do it. I think I was able to do it more confidently not only at that moment, but also with whomever I was acting with. I really learned a lot," expressing affection.
Regarding her impression of working with Park Kyu-young and Kang Min-hyuk, Lee Cheong-ah said, "I thought I was an elegant person, but I knew the truth. These friends (Park Gyu-young and Kang Min-hyuk) are free people. 'Sister' and then the shot went in, 'Was Minhyuk a conglomerate?' I wanted to, and Kyu-young was easy-going and easy-going, but he looked like a real hot influencer. It was exciting, thrilling, and fun at that time."
In 2017, Lee Dong-gun married Jo Yoon-hee, who he worked with in the drama 'The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop'. Then, in December 2018, he held his first daughter, Roa, in his arms. In 2020, after three years of marriage, they divorced by agreement. Jo Yoon-hee took custody. In particular, 'Celebrity' is Lee Dong-gun's first comeback in three years since the musical 'Bodyguard'.
Lee Dong-gun said, "I thought there might be a reason to take a break from work. It was the process of my daughter turning from 5 to 7 years old. I thought about how important it is to spend time with my dad. I invested in spending time with my child because I wanted to make them feel less,” he said.
'Celebrity' will be released in 190 countries around the world through Netflix on the 30th.
Reporter Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia kkk39@tenasia.co.kr