On the Sep 24th broadcast of KBS 1TV’s “AM Plaza”, Hwang Jung-min and Jung Hae-in, guests promoting the film “I, the Executioner” (directed by Ryoo Seung-wan), discussed the beginning of their acting careers.
Hwang Jung-min reminisced about seeing the musical “Peter Pan” as a middle school student during a special activity: “When the lights came on, I saw the actors’ feet, and I was fascinated. It was so intriguing and fantastic. That’s where it started.” Rather than being drawn to the profession of acting, he was more curious about the stage itself.
Eventually, Hwang Jung-min attended an arts high school, stating “I usually do what I want“, and confessed that his parents initially opposed the idea. He recalled “It was during the joint high school entrance exams. While waiting for school assignments, I learned about the arts high school and secretly took the exam again without telling my parents“, showing his strong determination.
Jung Hae-in shared that his acting career began after he was street-cast at a movie theater right after taking the college entrance exam.
Recalling the moment, Jung Hae-in said, “They asked if I wanted to try acting and handed me a business card. At the time, I wasn’t interested in acting and boasted about it to my mom. But later, my perspective completely changed. I never thought about becoming an actor during school, and I assumed I would live an ordinary life like my peers. It feels like destiny.”
After preparing for about a month, Jung Hae-in entered the Theater and Film Department. He admitted, “I don’t know what kind of courage I had, but when I entered, I saw that everyone had been preparing for a long time. I realized that unless I worked twice as hard, school life would be tough.”
Jung Hae-in also revealed that his sudden career change was a huge shock to his parents. He recalled, “They didn’t say anything for weeks. My mom was more open to discussing it, but my dad was very firm in his opposition.“
Meanwhile, “I, the Executioner” is an action crime investigation film where veteran detective Seo Do-cheol (played by Hwang Jung-min) teams up with rookie detective Park Sun-woo (played by Jung Hae-in) to track down a notorious serial killer, currently screening nationwide.