Ryu Jun-yeol, "It's already the 10th anniversary of 'Reply'? I wish I could meet my friends in good health every year."

Actor Ryu Jun-yeol (37), who matched a black short-sleeved T-shirt with a stylish over-fitting brown cardigan, spoke with his cool and down-to-earth charm throughout. Ryu Jun-yeol, well aware of his destiny as an actor to be humble in front of results, was walking the steps of an actor as a smart and healthy young man.

On the morning of the 4th, Ryu Jun-yeol was interviewed about the second part of the movie 'Alienoid' (directed by Choi Dong-hoon) at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and told stories about the movie and his life as an actor.

On this day, when Ryu Jun-yeol was told that the tvN drama 'Reply 1988', which aired in 2015, was 10 years old, he looked surprised and asked, "Is it already the 10th anniversary?" At the same time, when told that the 10th anniversary content of 'Reply 1994' was released on YouTube, he said, "I didn't know."

Ryu Jun-yeol said, "Recently, I was asked, 'Who are you closest to?' and it was difficult to answer. I don't know how close you are, but everyone has affection for you." He added, "Isn't that usually the case? Even if you only meet once or twice a year, you feel very close. “There was a moment where I felt like, ‘But we still see each other once before we do it.’”

He then drew attention by emphasizing, "'Reply' friends are always watching and sharing news, so in that sense, rather than attaching meaning to the 10th anniversary, I hope that we can always meet each year in a healthy manner."

Ryu Jun-yeol showed extraordinary affection for ‘Alienoid’. In fact, Part 1 of 'Alienoid' received a report card that was below expectations, so this work must be one that Ryu Jun-yeol is particularly concerned about. Ahead of the release of Part 2, Ryu Jun-yeol expressed his affection, saying, "It feels like I am sending away the child I gave birth to."

“For me, this is a work that I have so much affection for that I wanted to release and watch Parts 1 and 2 at once. They say our filming period was a long journey of 387 days, and I am filled with new emotions because it feels like I am finally letting go of the child I gave birth to. As an actor, As a human being, I don't think the results of my preparation and work can always be good. I think it's fate. However, I'm glad that the stories of this film, such as relationships and fate between people, can be conveyed to the audience. Think about it."

Ryu Jun-yeol, who said he learned the taste of action through this work, said, "I learned the joy of action to the point where I want to do action again in the future," and said, "It was a site where I learned and felt various tastes, such as the details and connections of action." The actors who worked with him also applauded, saying they did an amazing job.

"(Kim) Tae-ri did it so well that I thought it was really amazing. It was different from my action scenes. I thought that the actor's personality and the person's appearance were clearly reflected in the action scenes. Only then did I understand a little bit about acting on set. Tae-ri’s energy and concentration were truly amazing.”

Another thing I learned from this site is the importance of rehearsal. In the past, Ryu Jun-yeol thought rehearsals were a promise and courtesy between actors, but now he has 'intimacy' in mind. He said, "I want to listen to personal stories as much as possible, and because I talked a lot during that time, it was better when I was acting." He added, "In the past, I focused on promises and courtesy such as 'let's not get hurt,' but now, 'how are you today?' “I started to feel things like, ‘What kind of feelings do you have?’” he said.

"In the case of (Kim) Woobin, he was very comfortable talking about his pain. How difficult must it have been for him to undergo treatment and complete recovery? He didn't just say it verbally, but he emotionally expressed the process and what he felt during it, so I was able to learn and feel a lot. It was a time. It was a time where we really deepened each other.”

When asked, "Are you confident about Part 2?" Ryu Jun-yeol responded, "Rather than confident, I think I did the work without regrets."

“I think it would be good if you just knew, ‘This movie was trying to tell this story.’ In fact, the fellow actors I met while filming this movie are so many good people, including (Kim) Woo-bin and Yeom Jeong-ah, that I thought, ‘This is what Yeon is like. I thought, 'We can get together like this.' I felt that these things were reflected in the movie. In 'Alienoid' the characters live in different eras and their descendants meet, and through such things, I thought that the connection between humans is not easy. “Human relationships are fate, they are precious, and they can accomplish great things.”

Meanwhile, Part 2 of 'Alienoid' is a film that depicts the story of humans and gurus trying to save everyone by returning to the future while hidden secrets are revealed in the fierce battle for the new sword. Ryu Jun-yeol played the role of Muruk, a Buddhist monk who doubts his identity. It will be released on January 10th.


Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr