Cha Hak-yeon’s All-Rounder Evolution: From Comedy and BL to His First Dual Role! [TEN Interview]

VIXX member and actor Cha Hak-yeon has perfectly pulled off his first-ever dual role in ‘Absolute Value of Romance’. From a bold look featuring hair pieces and a red leather jacket to dressing up as the ancient mathematician Pythagoras, he showed off his expanding acting range without fearing to look silly.

We recently met Cha Hak-yeon at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. It was impressive to see how articulately he shared his thoughts throughout the interview.

‘Absolute Value of Romance’ is a high teen series about Yeo Ui-ju (played by Kim Hyang-gi), a high school girl who writes BL novels featuring handsome teachers. She becomes the protagonist of her own chaotic school life as she encounters them in real life. In the series, Cha Hak-yeon takes on two roles: Ga Woo-su, a cold and charming math teacher and Mensa member with an IQ of 156, and Sion, a character from the BL novel written by Yeo Ui-ju.

When asked why he chose this project, Cha Hak-yeon said, “After reading the script, I could clearly feel the power of youth. I wanted to be in that script and convey that youth to the viewers through Woo-su.” He added with a smile, “Woo-su has many traits that I don’t have. Aside from his realistic side, everything from his way of speaking and behaving to how he solves problems was different. That’s why it was a character I really wanted to challenge.”

Having tackled his first dual role, Cha Hak-yeon shared the effort he put into the characters. “Woo-su is a character obsessed with being precise, while Sion is someone with a quirky charm. To express the two differently, I paid a lot of attention to the pitch and tone of my voice, and even the way I fall or call people’s names,” he recalled.

Regarding his return to the BL genre after ‘Killer Next Door’, he mentioned, “I felt more comfortable filming this one.” He explained, “If ‘Killer Next Door’ was a true BL genre piece, ‘Absolute Value of Romance’ is closer to a comic growth high teen drama. Because of that, I didn’t feel any pressure about the genre.”

Cha Hak-yeon, who debuted as a member of VIXX in 2012, is currently active as both a singer and an actor. When asked about the VIXX members’ reactions to his work, he shared, “Recently, Hyuk sent me a video of me dressed as Pythagoras via message.” He laughed, adding, “He just sent the video without saying anything. When I asked, ‘What is this?’, he didn’t reply. The members often send me messages like that when there’s a funny scene.”

He also boasted about the strong bond he shares with his fellow VIXX members. “We’ve all entered our 30s and become proper adults, but when we meet, it feels like we go back to our immature school days,” he said. He emphasized, “Lately, the members and I often talk about how every moment feels precious. VIXX is like a source of youth that gives me strength.”

Cha Hak-yeon began his acting career in 2014 with the MBC drama ‘Hotel King’ and has steadily built his filmography through appearances in KBS2’s ‘Cheeky Go Go’, tvN’s ‘Familiar Wife’, ‘Castaway Diva’, MBC’s ‘Red Moon Blue Sun’, and ‘Labor Attorney No Mu-jin’. Remaining humble about his ability to cross various genres and show new sides of himself, he said, “Thanks to the great opportunities that keep coming my way, I think I’m able to take on various challenges.”

Finally, Cha Hak-yeon shared his future aspirations: “I want to keep climbing step by step, just as I am now. I will work harder than ever to become an actor who can fully lead a project and someone that other actors want to work with.”