Cold yet passionate, composed yet desperate. Actor Heo Nam-jun is the one creating these paradoxical emotions.
The success of the SBS drama ‘Wonderful New World’ is undoubtedly driven by the precise acting chemistry between lead actors Lim Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-jun. Lim Ji-yeon, who has proven her dazzling growth in every project since the 2014 film ‘Obsessed’, has further solidified her status as a top actress by perfectly pulling off comic acting in ‘Wonderful New World’.
Heo Nam-jun is truly the discovery of ‘Wonderful New World’. Since his debut in the 2019 film ‘Like the First Glass’, he showed his presence as a promising next-generation talent through dramas like ‘Sweet Home Season 2’, ‘Your Honor’, and ‘A Hundred Memories’. Through this work, he seems to have stepped up as a full-fledged lead actor, proving his exceptional ability to stably lead the entire plot.
Heo Nam-jun’s acting is pure persuasion. He is drawing empathy from viewers by portraying the cold chaebol character Cha Se-gye as a three-dimensional person. His strongest weapon lies in his voice and vocalization, which give legitimacy to his acting. His signature mid-low voice sharply captures Cha Se-gye’s arrogance and cynical psychology, adding weight to every line. Additionally, his clear diction, which hits the ear perfectly without even trying, effectively represents Cha Se-gye’s cool-headed personality.
The reason the character Cha Se-gye feels so attractive is thanks to Heo Nam-jun’s delicate facial expressions. While he appears cold and indifferent on the outside, the subtle changes in his face as he is gradually drawn to Shin Seo-ri (Lim Ji-yeon) precisely pinpoint Cha Se-gye’s psychological turmoil. From a slight lift of the eyebrows to the tension in his jaw muscles when clenching his teeth, and the momentary change as the toxicity fades from his eyes, these are all emotional details meticulously designed by Heo Nam-jun. This densely and steadily built emotional line gives viewers the space and empathy to fall for the romance between the two.
He is a style of male actor rarely found in the industry lately. There is a twist where the intense aura provided by his strong features melts away into a boyish innocence the moment he gives a slight smile. This strength was also proven in IU’s ‘Never Ending Story’ music video released last year. In the music video, which is an homage to the Korean melodrama classic ‘Christmas in August’, Heo Nam-jun perfectly expressed a narrative using only his gaze and expressions without any dialogue. His melancholy eyes conveyed a sad emotion, adding depth to the song.
Heo Nam-jun’s presence is reminiscent of actor Lee Byung-hun in his youth. Just as Lee Byung-hun once showed an infinitely tender and sorrowful gaze in melodramas like ‘Bungee Jumping of Their Own’ and ‘That Summer’, while exuding raw wildness and a bloody scent in noirs like ‘A Bittersweet Life’ and ‘Inside Men’. Actors who can contain such extreme sensibilities in one vessel are extremely rare. That is why we cannot help but look forward to what kind of diverse filmography actor Heo Nam-jun will fill his wide vessel with in the future.
