Actor Lee Ga-seop Shines in 'Climax' with a Memorable Performance

Actor Lee Ga-seop has made a significant impression on audiences with his remarkable performance in 'Climax', marking his 16th year in the industry. Lee expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you for all the love. I aspire to be an actor who performs for a long time," with a smile.

Recently, we met with Lee Ga-seop, who appeared in the ENA Monday-Tuesday drama 'Climax'. Contrary to the intense image he portrayed in the series, he appeared composed and shared insights about the project and his character.

'Climax' depicts the fierce survival drama of prosecutor Bang Tae-seop (played by Joo Ji-hoon), who dives into a power cartel to reach the pinnacle of success in South Korea. In the drama, Lee Ga-seop plays Park Jae-sang, a character who is driven to ruin by his love and obsession for top star Choo Sang-ah (played by Ha Ji-won).

In the series, Park Jae-sang is a character who cannot sever his obsessive love for Choo Sang-ah, even as he destroys himself. Ultimately, after realizing he cannot have Sang-ah, he attempts to bring the truth of the incident to light through a famous YouTuber after his release, leading to a tragic end.

Regarding this, Lee Ga-seop commented, "Initially, it was a love that started from a genuine desire to protect her." He explained, "However, it was a misguided form of love, and the emotion gradually became distorted. Nonetheless, the core of his love for Sang-ah remained unchanged. To me, it was an unwavering love."

"Without the emotion of love, he would have chosen revenge long ago. Even when he met Sang-ah again after being released from prison, he wouldn't have called her 'noona'. Despite it being a misguided form of love, the desire for her to return to him was stronger than the desire for revenge."

To portray the character of Park Jae-sang, Lee Ga-seop lost weight. He shared, "The director wanted a more defined look," adding, "Since the character often wears leather jackets, I thought the body lines needed to be more pronounced, so I lost about 3kg." He continued, "I wanted to create an overall slim yet somewhat fragile image. I aimed to express a character who appears strong on the outside but simultaneously weak, with bursts of anger from within."

Regarding his chemistry with Ha Ji-won, Lee Ga-seop said, "I just had to follow her lead." He added, "Just following the energy and rhythm she provided was enough to complete the scene. Rather than trying to do more, just looking at Sang-ah was sufficient."

"The power of her gaze was truly remarkable. It's hard to explain in words, but looking into her eyes felt naturally immersive. It was an honor and a pleasure to act alongside her. She made me feel comfortable on set, allowing us to finish smoothly."

Debuting in 2011 with the short film 'Negligence of Duty', Lee Ga-seop has built his filmography with roles in tvN's 'Stranger 2', 'Jirisan', MBC's 'Death to Snow White - Black Out', and Wave's 'S Line'. Having mostly taken on dark and intense characters, Lee expressed his desire to play a regular office worker under bright lights and to try his hand at comedy.

In conclusion, Lee Ga-seop stated, "I want to grow as an actor who can provide good energy to my co-actors and create stories with my seniors, juniors, and colleagues. I believe that if I continue this way, opportunities will come. I want to keep going steadily without being impatient and become an actor who performs for a long time," he said with a smile.

"When I appear on TV, I want people to say, 'Who is that actor? He's good.' Even if it's just occasionally, I think the reaction of 'Who is that actor?' itself shows interest. Although I've played dark roles so far, I definitely want to shoot a bright project and greet everyone again."

Reporter Se-yoon Jung, Ten Asia yoon@tenasia.co.kr