Actor Kim Bum (36) has made a surprising statement about his debut in a romantic comedy, admitting, "I avoided romance because I wasn't confident."
On the 15th, a press conference for SBS's new Wednesday-Thursday drama 'Today We Sold Out' (hereafter 'Sold Out') was held at SBS Hall in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Director Ahn Jong-yeon and actors Ahn Hyo-seop, Chae Won-bin, and Kim Bum attended the event.
'Sold Out' is a romantic comedy about the entangled lives of perfectionist farmer Matthew Lee (played by Ahn Hyo-seop) and sell-out show host Dam Ye-jin (played by Chae Won-bin).
Kim Bum, who plays the role of Eric Seo, an executive director of a cosmetics company, described his character as "the adopted son of the chairman of a French cosmetics brand." He added, "He had nothing of his own in the family, no life goals, and no meaning in life until he met Dam Ye-jin, which gave him a purpose."
Taking on his first romantic comedy in 20 years, Kim Bum said, "I ended up doing it unintentionally. I feel like I was waiting for this project." He continued, "Personally, I wasn't confident in the romance genre. Fantasy and genre works have detailed settings, so there's something already created without having to embellish it. But I thought romance was a delicate genre, so I avoided it."
He further explained, "When I read the script for 'Sold Out,' I realized there were so many elements embedded in it, and I thought I could make this character colorful with what I have."
Kim Bum also made efforts for his character's appearance. Regarding his blonde hair, he said, "It's a color I've saved for years. It's called mocha gold, a color symbolizing wealth. I tested it for a long time by mixing 3-4 different dyes. I wanted to express a hair color that Asians don't have." He added, "I also worked on wearing clothes that could convey the leisure and gestures of wealthy people."
'Today We Sold Out' premieres on the 22nd at 9 PM.
Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr