Kang Tae-oh Discusses His Return to Historical Drama with 'Moon River'

"MBC is often referred to as the 'home of historical dramas.' We felt the pressure to continue that legacy."

Kang Tae-oh shared these thoughts during a recent interview at a café in Gangnam. MBC has been known for its successful historical dramas like 'Lee San, Wind of the Palace,' 'Jewel in the palace,' and 'Princess Hours,' earning the title of 'drama kingdom.' However, this year, the network faced low ratings with shows like 'Crushology 101,' 'Mary Kills People,' and 'To the Moon.' Amidst this, Kang Tae-oh's 'Moon River' was scheduled as the final MBC Friday-Saturday drama of the year.

This year marked Kang Tae-oh's return to acting after three years, coinciding with a challenging period for MBC dramas. His comeback was highly anticipated, and he once again proved his unique value as an actor through a historical drama.

Debuting in 2013 with the web drama 'After School: Lucky or Not,'(방과 후 복불복) Kang Tae-oh has consistently worked on various projects. He gained recognition in the historical genre with his role as Cha Yul-mu in 'The Tale of Nokdu' in 2019 and achieved immense popularity in 2022 as the counterpart to Park Eun-bin in 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo.' His famous line "I'm disappointed"("섭섭한데요") earned him the nickname 'Disappointed Man,' endearing him to fans.

At the peak of his career, Kang Tae-oh took a hiatus for military service. He returned after three years with the romantic comedy 'The Potato Lab,' which garnered attention even before its release. However, the show ended with a modest 1% rating due to mixed reviews on its direction. Despite a lukewarm first half of the year, he returned to the historical genre, where he had previously excelled, in the latter half.

In 'Moon River,' Kang Tae-oh stars in a role where the soul of a crown prince who has lost his smile and a merchant who has lost his memory are swapped, creating a unique romance fantasy historical drama. He plays the role of Crown Prince Yi Kang, a royal heir who appears harsh and self-centered but harbors deep wounds from losing his beloved consort, played by Kim Se-jeong.

When asked about the pressure of ratings, Kang Tae-oh said, "I think the director felt more pressure than I did. Personally, I believe that the atmosphere with my co-workers and the quality of acting are more important than ratings or reactions." He added, "With various platforms like OTT and reruns, I don't think live ratings are as crucial anymore."

"I believe that if I become known through other works in the future, fans will look back at my filmography and discover past projects. That's what's truly important. Even if they don't watch it now, the work remains forever. They can later appreciate my entire filmography, which is why I don't focus too much on ratings."

Kang Tae-oh gained significant popularity with 'The Tale of Nokdu' six years ago, which was considered his representative work before 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo.' Returning to historical drama after six years, he shared his thoughts on the experience.

"Yes, the pressure was immense. Many fans remember my role as Yul-mu in 'The Tale of Nokdu,' so I wanted to meet their expectations. I was grateful but also worried about whether I could do well. I worked hard, feeling the weight of responsibility not to disappoint my fans."

"Since the characters' souls are swapped, I analyzed the character of Dali (played by Kim Se-jeong) alongside mine. Se-jeong and I shared many opinions and even recorded our readings. We paid close attention to each other's habits, like how Se-jeong opens her eyes when anxious, and discussed these details extensively."

After explaining his intense collaboration with Kim Se-jeong, Kang Tae-oh said, "Since it had been a while, I watched YouTube clips of my performance in 'The Tale of Nokdu' to regain the feel of historical dramas. Although the characters and world were completely different, I worked hard to ensure there was no disconnect and that the story felt coherent. I practiced a lot to evoke empathy."

Lee So-jung, TENASIA Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr