Ten minutes before the interview, word got out that the actor was so nervous he actually got indigestion! When asked if he was okay once the interview started, he gave a shy laugh, asking, “Has the news spread already?”
But once he started talking, the “rookie” vibe vanished. He spoke fluently about his character interpretation, his feelings on set, and the kind of actor he aspires to be.
A look at his filmography explains why. In Netflix’s Eunjung and Sangyeon, he played a man who wanted to be a woman, and in Lady Dua, he took on the role of a bar host. He brings a different face to every role and isn’t afraid of bold choices.
“I don’t want to just take the stable path just because I did well in a romance. I act with the mindset of ‘swapping faces’ for every project. That’s actually why I decided to become an actor in the first place.”
Dispatch recently met actor Kim Jae Won to talk about his latest transformation as Shin Soon-rok in TVING’s Yumi’s Cells 3.
Gu Woong, Yoo Ba-bi, and Shin Soon-rok
Based on a popular webtoon, Yumi’s Cells first became a drama in 2021. From Season 1’s Gu Woong (played by Ahn Bo Hyun) to Season 2’s Yoo Ba-bi (played by Park Jin Young), the series has been loved for its casting that perfectly matches the original characters.
With Season 3 confirmed, the most anticipated part was the casting of the final lead, Shin Soon-rok. Kim Jae Won admitted, “It would be a lie to say I wasn’t pressured. I felt like a new boyfriend being brought home to a big, precious family during a holiday.”
“Many viewers put themselves in Yumi’s shoes, and those who read the original knew Soon-rok was the one she’d marry, so they watched with a more critical eye. I heard a lot of people around me asking, ‘Can you really pull this off?'”
Soon-rok is basically a “unicorn” of a man. He’s younger, tall, handsome, and principled, but once he falls in love, he’s like a bulldozer. In short, he’s the perfect package.
“Since it’s such a popular character, I felt I had to give 200% instead of just 100%. To be honest, there are things I wish I’d done better acting-wise, but I gave it my absolute best so that I have no regrets.”
Soon-rok’s ‘On and Off’
To become Soon-rok, Kim Jae Won first explored the character’s charms. He decided the key point was the gap between his “on” and “off” modes. Soon-rok is cold and sharp at work but transforms into a total homebody once he’s home.
He explained, “I tried to create a clear visual difference between his work and home life. At work, I wore glasses with my hair pushed back, but at home, I let my hair down and stayed in relaxed poses that you’d never see in an office.”
There were some similarities between him and Soon-rok too. “I’m actually quite extroverted, so I’m different from Soon-rok in that way. However, we both share that ENTJ trait of wanting to do everything perfectly. I could relate to the feeling of using up all my energy at work and then completely crashing, which made the role easier to play.”
His motto for the romantic scenes was “don’t be cheesy.” “I think there’s a very thin line between being cheesy and being heart-fluttering. I tried to keep my expressions as clean and simple as possible. I even told the PD, ‘Please let me know immediately if I start getting too cheesy!'”
He also received a lot of help from the “cells.” He emphasized, “Unlike other dramas, Yumi’s Cells has cells that explain the emotions. Since the cells express everything anyway, I focused on controlling my emotions so they weren’t over the top.”
The Center of Gravity: Kim Go Eun
Kim Jae Won has a 10-year age gap and a 9-year experience gap with his co-star Kim Go Eun (who plays Yumi). This was also his first time leading a show as the male protagonist. What was it like working with such a seasoned senior?
He recalled, “The lead has to maintain the tone and manner of the project from the start, but I lacked that experience. Since Noona [Kim Go Eun] had so much experience, she guided me really well.”
“If you watch the making-of videos, you can see exactly what the atmosphere was like. That’s what I was most grateful for. She opened up a lot for a less experienced actor and always asked for my thoughts first. It was a set where we truly collaborated and shared opinions.”
He didn’t hesitate to ask her about his struggles as an actor. “I asked her how I should choose my future projects. She advised me, ‘I hope you make choices you won’t regret.’ She didn’t talk down to me; she used humor to make sure I didn’t feel pressured. I learned a lot from her as a person as well.”
Just as Soon-rok is smitten with Yumi, Kim Jae Won didn’t hide his admiration for Kim Go Eun.
“Even without lines, I could feel it just from her gaze. Her actions were so clear that my reactions just came naturally. I wondered if I’d ever have such a precious experience again at my age; there was so much to learn from her. She has this power to cheer everyone up on set. I thought to myself that I want to become an actor like that one day.”
A Story That Felt Too Short for 8 Episodes
Yumi’s Cells 3 proved its power as a mega IP, ranking first in weekly paid subscribers for three consecutive weeks. The finale provided a satisfying happy ending with the couple’s wedding march.
The only criticism was that it ended too quickly. Kim Jae Won admitted, “I feel that regret too. But while it takes a long time for Soon-rok to realize his feelings, once he does, he just goes straight for it. I think the story felt short because it captured that side of him—no hesitation, no need for further improvement.”
He also felt it was a bit too compressed to fit the main love line into just two episodes (Episodes 7 and 8). He noted, “Since we spent so much time showing Soon-rok’s ‘iron wall’ against Writer Yumi, I think the impact was stronger the moment that wall finally crumbled.”
“Because I loved Soon-rok so much, I thought a lot about his backstory. I believe the process showed that Yumi is a person important enough for Soon-rok to break all his rigid principles. I think those points made the character more attractive.”
Saying goodbye to Soon-rok, he smiled gently and said, “I don’t think my acting let down the love and interest from the original fans. But personally, I feel I still have a long way to go. I thought about that a lot while watching Kim Go Eun’s acting.”
Swapping Faces, But Never Forgetting the Heart
Through this drama, Kim Jae Won has emerged as a new romance powerhouse. With his tall stature and proportions (thanks to his model background) and handsome looks, he’s perfectly optimized for a romance lead. However, his filmography tells a different story.
This is especially true when looking at the bold roles he took in Eunjung and Sangyeon and Lady Dua. He shared, “I chose to become an actor because I wanted to play a variety of roles. Showing a different face for every role is my acting philosophy.”
“I act with the mindset of swapping faces for every project. I chose the role of a bar host in Lady Dua because I wanted to shatter my ‘first love’ image. It was a risky decision, but I felt I needed a turning point.”
Therefore, his criterion for choosing a project is “a face I haven’t shown yet.” He emphasized, “It would be great to become a master of the romance genre, but I don’t think that aligns with my values. I want to show various rhythms and gazes. That’s how I choose my work.”
“These days, I feel happiest when people look at my past work and react with, ‘Wait, that was him?’ Some might not have recognized me because I’m a rookie, but I think it’s because I blended into each character well. I want to earn a different descriptor for every project.”
His fans are what keep him going. He revealed, “Actors usually reach viewers through roles after a long editing process. I started using Bubble as a way to share emotions directly with fans, and our bond has grown deeper.”
“I believe loving someone unconditionally is a truly great thing. Knowing how difficult that is, I communicate with them every day. I’ve realized once again that I wouldn’t exist without my fans. I want to remain an actor and a person who stays grounded and never forgets that feeling.”
