ENTERTAINMENT
'Oasis' Jang Dong-yoon's thoughts on the end of "a special work"
KBS2's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Oasis' (directed by Han Hee, written by Jeong Hyung-soo) will end with episode 16 on the 25th. 'Oasis', which is set in the turbulent Republic of Korea from the 1980s to the 1990s, captivated viewers with the charm of a period drama that returned after a long time with a solid story, emotionally stimulating production, and great performances by actors who transformed into the characters themselves.
Jang Dong-yoon played the role of Lee Doo-hak, who lives a turbulent life in turbulent times. He received favorable reviews from officials and viewers for his outstanding acting skills. In the whirlwind of developments, Jang Dong-yoon convincingly portrayed the character's changes with his delicate yet explosive acting skills, from a naive country boy to the world of organized crime, to a businessman with resourcefulness and determination.
Ahead of the final episode of 'Oasis', Jang Dong-yoon expressed his gratitude and regret in a Q&A through his agency. ◆ Below is a Q&A provided by Jang Dong-yoon through his agency.Q. Thoughts on the ending
A. I feel especially empty and regretful. It's a special work that makes me feel like I should have acted better, but I also feel like I should have loved Doohak's life more.
Q. Why did you do ‘Oasis’? What is the synchronization between the two departments and yourself?
A. I decided to do 'Oasis' because of the challenge of a period drama, trust in the writer and director, and the desire to act with a wide range of emotions. In terms of synchronization, my bold and decisive personality is similar to that of Doo-hak. While Doo-hak is idealistic, I am realistic, so I think the synchro rate is 50%.
Q. What was the atmosphere like at the ‘Oasis’ site?
A. The fact that the director was gentle and generous and respected the actors' opinions played a big role in creating the atmosphere. The actors all had bright personalities and were friendly on set, but once filming started, they took on a serious attitude and always enjoyed working on the work.
Q. The most memorable scene in ‘Oasis’
A. There are so many. Among them, the scenes with senior So Hee-jung, who plays the mother Jeom-am-daek, and Kim Myeong-soo, who plays the father Lee Jung-ho, remain like life to me. When acting with my mother and father, I was so emotionally immersed that tears started flowing from the rehearsal, and the scenes where I worked with them remain in my heart.
Q. What was the most difficult and funniest scene while filming?
A. The scene where I was shot and my body was floating in the middle of the ocean was really difficult. It was cold and my clothes were heavy. And the scene where the Duhak family plays and records together to fool Man-ok was fun. When recording, we completed the scene with ad-libs, but even though we couldn't get it all out, we had fun recording it as we became friends while filming, so it was memorable.
Q. It's really cool that Doohak overcomes all the hardships and moves forward, but he also expresses regret when something unfair happens to him. What made you think, ‘I want to be like this’ or ‘I wouldn’t have made this choice’?
A. If it were me, I would have achieved moderate success and become complacent. Duhak is not the type to settle for money. I am happy enough to live a normal, stable life with the person I love.
Q. You are showing off your work hard enough to be called So Dong-yoon. What are the criteria for selecting a work?
A. I look at four things: first, is the script interesting, second, is the character attractive, third, is it worth a new challenge, and fourth is the work meaningful even if the character is disappointing? It would be good if all four are met, but make a choice even if only one or two are met.
Q. Even though you have done so many works, there seems to be an acting genre you would like to try in the future or a role you would like to challenge yourself with.
A. I want to take on the challenge of playing the role of a father with a young child. I want to act out memories with my children like in the movies ‘Aftersun’ and ‘The Whale’. And a passionate justice man who deals with social issues such as a reporter and a lawyer, a fierce villain, a country man who loves his friends to the point of foolishness like the main character of the movie 'The Banshee of Inisherin', a young man whose soul was taken in by an old man, and an entrepreneur's success story based on a true story. There are many roles that I would like to challenge myself with.
Q. A word to the viewers who loved ‘Oasis’
A. Thank you for loving Duhak’s life more than I do. I'm sad that the moment of departure is approaching, but I'll see you again in a better way.
Ten Asia Reporter Kim Seo-yoon seogugu@tenasia.co.kr
