"I think this is the first time I've had such a lot of conversations with a co-actor during filming. It seemed like she was very curious about me."
Actor Seol Kyung-gu (57) mentioned this about his chemistry with actress Park Eun-bin (32). On the 14th, Maeil Business Star Today met with Seol Kyung-gu at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to discuss his thoughts and recent updates following the conclusion of the Disney+ original series 'Hyperknife'.
'Hyperknife' is a medical thriller that depicts the intense confrontation between 'Jung Se-ok' (Park Eun-bin), a once-promising genius doctor who fell into despair, and her mentor 'Choi Deok-hee' (Seol Kyung-gu), who caused her downfall. It concluded on the 9th with a total of 8 episodes.
Seol Kyung-gu expressed, "I didn't monitor the work in detail. I felt a strange emotion throughout the filming. I was grateful that the viewers seemed to feel the emotions we experienced. There were moments during filming where I thought, 'What is this?' because it was so intense and strange, but I'm glad they accepted it well."
In the drama, Seol Kyung-gu plays Choi Deok-hee, a world-renowned neurosurgeon who cruelly cast away his most cherished disciple, providing a central role that anchors the entire narrative.
Choi Deok-hee is a professor of neurosurgery at Yeonshin University and the president of the World Glioblastoma Society. He is intelligent, gentle, and an elegant intellectual, but he harbors a terrifying instinct for murder within.
Jung Se-ok, who was the top student at Yeonshin University Medical School and was called a 'freak', possesses a sociopathic dual personality. Park Eun-bin's explosive and chilling emotional range stands out.
Seol Kyung-gu remarked, "I wondered if I had ever talked so much with a co-actor after filming. We talked a lot, not just about the work but also about trivial things in life, and I think we were able to film so naturally thanks to Park Eun-bin."
According to Seol Kyung-gu, Park Eun-bin said that her character in the drama is different from her real personality. Seol Kyung-gu praised her, saying, "She is an amazing and grateful actress. When she arrives on set, her transformation allows me to focus on the drama."
He reflected that Park Eun-bin was a junior who was very curious about him. "She seemed to want to know a lot about me, from what I like to the small details of life and the works I've done so far. I think she is an actress who learns while satisfying her curiosity," he recalled.
Expressing satisfaction with his chemistry with Park Eun-bin, Seol Kyung-gu said, "As we talked about various things, I felt that our thoughts about the work were flowing in the same direction. I was relieved to think that we were looking at the same place."
Seol Kyung-gu described the teacher-student relationship between Deok-hee and Se-ok as "a relationship that crosses the line" and "a tragic melodrama," stating, "In reality, isn't it absurd? Both are abnormal characters, so I think the title fits well with what we filmed."
Since the drama was essentially a two-lead system with Seol Kyung-gu and Park Eun-bin, related questions about their chemistry followed.
Seol Kyung-gu said, "We didn't rehearse much with Park Eun-bin. When filming started, it felt like we had a momentary perfect chemistry. It felt like we had some unspoken agreement. I sincerely thank Park Eun-bin. I think we matched well and carried the filming until the end."
Although 'Hyperknife' did not achieve significant public attention, the performances of the actors and the high-quality story received positive evaluations in terms of artistic merit in the industry. However, there was some disappointment regarding its performance on Disney+, which is less successful compared to platforms like Netflix.
When asked about this, Seol Kyung-gu smiled awkwardly and said, "I don't really know. It's hard for me to answer," and added, "I was curious and excited because it was my first project with Disney+."
Finally, Seol Kyung-gu lightly dismissed questions about a potential season 2 of 'Hyperknife', saying, "I haven't heard anything yet."
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
