Actor Kim Young-kwang conveys nuanced sadness in 'Call it Love'

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap) -- Kim Young-kwang has tried his hand at romantic comedies with good looks in his early career and steadily worked his way up to become an actor capable of delivering emotional depth with Disney+'s sad romance series "Call It Love."

The model-turned-actor has taken several lead roles in romantic comedies since his debut in 2008, but he has recently captured attention with a serial killer role in Netflix thriller "Somebody" (2022) and a depressed, lonely male character in "Call It Love."

The series follows Woo-joo (Lee Sung-kyung), who is kicked out of her home after her unfaithful father dies leaving his mistress. She decides to take revenge on the mistress' son, Han Dong-jin, played by Kim, but increasingly falls in love with the man.

Kim introduced Dong-jin as a callous character who has become aloof to others due to pain stemming from his past relationships and family background. In the drama, his extravagant, selfish mother represents his major weakness, and his ex-girlfriend left an indelible scar on him.

"Acting for 'Call It Love' was a kind of challenge, as it unfolds the romance story in different ways from other dramas," the 36-year-old said during a group media interview Monday.

Kim said he intentionally kept a distance from his co-stars to maintain his subdued mood throughout the project. As a result, he succeeded in creating a grieving, but comforting, character.

"As (Dong-jin) is a person who became indifferent to external stimulation and others' behaviors, I tried to restrain my emotions as much as possible," he said.

Although Kim played the gentle, lonely man shortly after performing a murderous serial killer in "Somebody," he didn't find it too difficult to perform the two contrasting characters. The actor said he discovered similar emotional undercurrents behind them: Lonely men who long for love.

"Like each person has different fingerprints, I thought the drama delivers a message that there are different kinds of love," he said. "Dong-jin is in deep grief and tired at first, but increasingly gets solace from Woo-joo. I also took comfort from the character."

Kim thinks "Somebody" provided a crucial turning point in his acting career, as it showed the scope of his acting spectrum, saying, "Feedback from several directors and writers inspired me to try diverse characters in upcoming works."

Kim said he is currently happy and excited with offers for work in different genres, hoping to keep the momentum as long as he can.

"There are characters that fit my current age, and there are other roles that would suit me when I get older. I want to make the best use of such opportunities," he said.

The last two episodes of the 16-part series will be available Wednesday.

ejkim@yna.co.kr
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