[Interview] 'Jeneoman Romance' Mujinseong "Year-end awards ceremony watched while eating chicken, a dream stage"

'Genre Only Romance' Mujinseong Interview

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The film 'Just a Genre Romance' (directed by Jo Eunji) has discovered a rising star, Mujinseong. With his tall stature, striking appearance, and unique, charming voice, he possessed all the qualities suitable for becoming an actor, but the opportunity came only after eight years. Debuting in 2013 with the MBC drama 'Two Weeks,' he left behind his real name, Yeo Euiju, to enter the big screen. Reflecting on this, he laughed, saying it felt like a twist of fate.

In a recent interview with Asia Economy at a cafe in Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu, Mujinseong said, "My parents, who have endured a long emotional struggle, shed tears after watching 'Just a Genre Romance.' Seeing that moved me emotionally as well."

Released on the 17th and topping the box office on its opening weekend, 'Just a Genre Romance' portrays the variety-filled private life of a bestselling author whose work and life become tangled after meeting people involved in an unconventional romance.

This is the first commercial feature film by actor-turned-director Jo Eunji, who was recognized as a director after winning the Jury Special Prize at the 16th Mise-en-sc?ne Short Film Festival for her short film '2 Nights 3 Days.'

Mujinseong confidently secured the role of Yoojin, beating out 200 to 1 competition in the audition. Yoojin, a rookie genius writer, is a character who stimulates the crisis awareness of Hyun (played by Ryu Seung-ryong), a bestselling author stuck in a slump for seven years, and brings entertainment. Given that it was a challenging role requiring intense emotional acting alongside veteran Ryu Seung-ryong, the production team had deep concerns.

He recalled, "At the time of the audition, as an actor in his mid-30s, I faced realistic problems. It was a period when I was engulfed by anxiety about the future and experienced a slump that wasn’t exactly a slump."

Earlier, director Jo Eunji recalled in an interview with this publication, "I was surprised to see Mujinseong acting boldly at the audition. He reminded me of 'Will Hunting' (played by Matt Damon) from the movie 'Good Will Hunting' (1997), so I stopped him on his way home. When I met him again, I thought, 'He must be Yoojin, he is Yoojin.'"

In response, Mujinseong said, "After finishing the audition, I felt like I had shown everything." He added, "I didn’t feel that I delivered a 100% satisfying performance, but I thought I conveyed what the character wanted to say without any pretense."

"When I got the audition opportunity, I wanted to put aside excessive passion this time and show my true self as I am. Even if I wasn’t cast in the project, I wanted to express myself and come out freely and confidently. I think that aspect matched well with Yoojin. I’m grateful for the courage to hold my hand even though I’m an unknown actor. (laughs)"

It’s not easy for an actor to 'let go' emotionally. Especially for newcomers who desperately want the opportunity in front of them, it’s even harder. Mujinseong said, "Whether it was a twist of fate or not, I learned how to let go while meeting many people during the audition, receiving both wounds and healing. Human relationships don’t work through effort alone. I realized they happen naturally, like fate. Around the time I felt that, I met the project and naturally received good results. The timing was perfect."

Yoojin is a role where adjusting the emotional intensity is not easy. The character must balance and build up various feelings of love such as unrequited love, admiration, compassion, excitement, and fluttering. Mujinseong said he carefully shaped the character through conversations with director Jo Eunji.

"Everyone experiences slumps, and Yoojin must have too. I saw that during Yoojin’s difficult times, he found comfort and admiration through Hyun’s book 'Empty Space.' The timing was right. Hyun approached Yoojin as a person who provided comfort and solace, and they shared many interactions while writing together. In the funeral scene, after losing someone precious, Yoojin found comfort in that moment, embraced, and reaffirmed the feeling of 'Yes, this is love.'"

Mujinseong said that the moment he falls in love is when he feels the other person’s consideration. He said, "When talking, I notice how much the other person cares for me, and that feeling looks beautiful. I like people who speak kindly and choose their words beautifully. I want to be that kind of person too."

Wanting to be honest in human relationships, Mujinseong said, "Sometimes I don’t want my emotions to be revealed, and being honest is very difficult. I tend to be honest about my feelings within the bounds of considering the other person."

How was the chemistry with Ryu Seung-ryong? Although he usually didn’t put any image on his online messenger profile picture, during filming, wanting to see Ryu Seung-ryong’s face comfortably, he uploaded a smiling photo of him. The reaction was tremendous.

"After changing my profile picture, I received a lot of messages from people around me. I was nervous about working with a senior actor, and I wanted to get familiar with his face through the messenger I use every day, so I changed it. I heard that senior Seung-ryong got nervous when he saw it. (laughs) So I deleted it immediately at the speed of light."

Mujinseong has been steadily active, appearing in dramas such as 'Sanhujoriwon' (Postpartum Care Center), 'Gumiho Recipe,' 'Natural Romance,' 'Scholar Who Walks the Night,' and 'Farther Than Sadang, Closer Than Uijeongbu.' Especially in last year’s popular tvN drama 'Sanhujoriwon,' he left a strong impression playing Cha Wooseok, Yomi’s father.

He shared behind-the-scenes stories, "I was contacted a month after the 'Sanhujoriwon' audition and joined in the middle of the series. Maybe because I had just finished filming 'Just a Genre Romance,' I developed a desire to act more. I suggested a long hairstyle to portray a non-typical character. I grew the beard myself and appeared without root dyeing, thinking it would suit Wooseok."

Mujinseong studied acting at Dongguk University’s Department of Theater and is an 8-year rookie in the field. He said, "When I see good works, I feel my heart warm. The warmth conveyed by good messages, actors, and directors reaches the viewers and audience. In that sense, as an actor, I want to convey warmth to the audience and always be remembered as a considerate and warm person. In the past, I vaguely wanted to be an actor who acts well, but now I want to show diverse sides of myself."

At the end of the interview, he shared a cute goal. Mujinseong said, "There’s an annual event. I always ordered chicken and watched the awards ceremony, and I think it will be the same this year. The awards ceremony is a dream stage for me. It feels like a story for people far from me, but I hope to be invited there someday. If I don’t eat chicken, that itself will be meaningful. (laughs) Just attending would make me happy."

Photo = Studio & New, NEW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.