"Before this work, I had only heard about BL but had never encountered it. When I was invited, I watched it to find out what kind of work BL was like. I don't have any prejudices against the BL genre, but I didn't think about it and the characters expressed it. "The emotions I felt were pure. I felt beautiful love, so I was immersed in it. The works I looked at were so interesting that I watched them all at once."
Gongchan, who appeared in the BL drama 'Unintentional Love Story' (hereinafter referred to as 'Unintentional Love Story') released on TVING, said this about his first impression of this drama. 'Biyeondam' is a romance that tells the story of two men who fall in real love in a relationship that started with a lie. Gong Chan plays Ji Won-yeong, an employee in the general affairs department of a large company who must win the heart of the chairman's favorite artist, potter Tae-jun Yoon (played by Seo-won Cha), in order to be reinstated. Ji Won-young has a bright nature and likes to help people, so she is a ‘core person’ who always has people around her.
Gongchan expressed his affection for the character, saying, "I watched the original webtoon and comic book of 'Biyeondam' while preparing for the work. I kept reading it even before starting the work. It was my first time seeing the work, and I saw Wonyoung's bright energy and sunny and positive side."
Gongchan, a former member of the group B1A4, said that the members have not yet watched ‘Biyeondam’. Gongchan laughed, saying, "The members don't often watch each other's works. I heard that it's strange, embarrassing, and itchy to see the members I know on screen. The hyungs said they would binge-watch it because they like to watch it in succession at the same time." He continued, "My mother watched it as soon as it came out and said it was fun. Everyone around me also said it was fun. I was thankful."
Although BL content has become more popular than before, there are still viewers who express resistance or find it difficult. Gongchan said, "I had no preconceptions. Even when I received the synopsis of the work, I enjoyed reading it. In fact, as soon as I saw the synopsis, I immediately read the webtoon. It was difficult to turn the pages by hand, so I bought the book and read it. I also enjoy reading it like this. “I thought other people would enjoy it too,” he said, confident of the fun of the work. When asked if there were any concerns about the limited number of people consuming BL content so far, Gongchan said, "There were concerns, but what I wanted to show while preparing the work was the pure and beautiful love between two couples. I wanted to show them a beautiful way to express their feelings. “I wanted to do that, and I focused on preparing for that,” he emphasized.
Gongchan played opposite Cha Seo-won in this drama. Gongchan expressed his gratitude, saying, "I heard that Seowon would do it, so I thought that if I acted with Yoon Tae-joon's image and silhouette, I would be able to immerse myself and have fun filming. On set, Seowon guided me and took care of me. Thanks to him, I was able to film comfortably." He continued, "Before that, I wasn't close with him and only watched him on TV, so when I saw him in person, I felt like I was seeing a celebrity. It was amazing. I often went to my brother's house with the actors and the director and did a lot of readings with him. Didn't he appear on 'I Live Alone' as well? So, I made sure to do it. “It felt like I was at a filming location,” he said with a laugh.
Regarding the skinship scene with Cha Seo-won, Gongchan said, "Rather than being awkward, it tickled me. It was also exciting. Isn't it a thrilling point no matter who played it? As I was thinking and expressing my emotions as Wonyoung, I was excited about the skinship scene and it was actually fun." recalled. Viewers, including fans of the original work, are looking forward to a love scene between the two. Regarding this, Gongchan tactfully asked, "There are three kissing scenes. Please check the level of the kiss scene in the drama because it has not been released yet." He then burst out laughing, saying, “After the deliberation, the fans all know, but unfortunately for the fans, it’s 15+.”
Cha Seo-won is currently serving in the military. Gongchan said, "Not long ago, my brother made a comment while watching the live broadcast because his free time and our live time overlapped. But it was unfortunate that we couldn't see the reaction in person because we didn't have a separate tablet." He also looked forward to it, saying, "I'm planning to visit with the other actors this week. We'll talk to each other while watching the released episodes and talk about how we've been. It's been a while since I've been able to see each other again."
Gongchan, who led the production as the lead, said, "It was difficult and difficult to lead as the main character for a long episode, but thanks to the actors and production crew working with me, the filming site was fun and enjoyable. So, the pressure gradually decreased and my desire to go to the field increased."
When asked about his future plans, Gongchan expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "For the time being, I will focus on activities to spread 'Biyeondam' to more people." He continued, "I hope that this work and actor Gongchan will not be embarrassed when someone introduces this work and actor Gongchan. I hope that it becomes a work that a friend can introduce to another friend."
Gongchan, who has been working as both a singer and an actor for 13 years since his debut, said, "As a singer, when I stand on stage, I feel the energy of the fans. Acting is different from the energy you get with the actors and production crew on set. This work shows my passion for acting." “I made it bigger,” he said. He continued, "Rather than preparing in advance, my style is to prepare step by step from now on. For now, I will pour my love into this work, and the B1A4 album is scheduled to be released at the end of the year. Sandeul is still in the military, and he will be discharged. “I think we will prepare it as soon as possible,” and the B1A4 album is scheduled to be released at the end of the year. “Sandeul is still in the military, so he won’t be able to prepare as soon as he gets out.”
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr