South Korean actor Byun Yo-han told StarLifestyle exclusively that he doesn’t put pressure on himself to live up to other people’s expectations.
That self-imposed stress is something he did away after taking a two-year break recently to re-examine his approach to acting.
“During the break, I took time to introspect and think about projects. It gave me the chance to gain a positive outlook in various aspects including mental and physical health,” he said in the email interview.
The 35-year-old has been in the entertainment industry for a decade now, after making his debut in the 2011 indie film Working On Holiday.
He got noticed in 2014 when he held a supporting role in the popular office K-drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life.
Other serials he’s appeared in include Six Flying Dragons and Mr. Sunshine.
On the film front, he worked so much that he put out at least two features every year; in 2012 alone, he acted in five films.
In a recent interview, the Incheon-native confessed that he likes hardworking people, a trait he obviously has too.
But, Byun – who constantly worried about “good acting” and pushed himself even though many around him told him not to be so hard on himself – felt burned out.
His last project before giving up acting temporarily was the 2018’s short film My Dream Class.
“After a few years of acting, I was tired and felt like I needed time to reassess my career,” he said in a 2021 interview with The Korea Times.
During that time away from movie sets, he kept in touch with his fans via social media – the actor with serious demeanour started his Instagram account (@byunyohan_official) on May 2, 2018.
One of the posts he put up that year had a caption that read: “In the making. I can’t wait to see you all too. Just give it a while... I’m going to be good.”
A lot of the posts he shared on Instagram then revolved around him and his dog, Bokja.
In a February 2020 interview with Marie Claire, he was quoted: “While raising a dog, I’m learning once again how joyful it is to be giving love as well as receiving love.
“Since I receive lots of love as an actor, there are times when I sometimes forget about that gratitude... I want to become a healthy actor who can give back the love I have received.”
Maybe that’s why Byun also posted lighthearted videos of him playing the drums – quite skillfully too – and the caption for several photos had him wishing his followers well.
Thankfully, he returned to acting in 2020 with a new drive and hunger.
Byun revealed to StarLifestyle: “I am back to dedicating myself to acting after gaining my own know-how on managing the work, thanks to the break.”
His first project after the hiatus was a black-and-white film titled The Book Of Fish, which was released in March last year.
For the role, Byun won the Best Actor title at the Busan Film Critics Award, and received nominations in the same category at Baeksang Arts Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards and Buil Film Awards.
Another film he’s involved in is the action-packed crime thriller On The Line, and the reason he’s speaking to StarLifestyle.
He has two films scheduled for 2022 – She’s Dead and Hansan.
“After the two-year break, I have worked constantly. I have worked on seven projects in a row and I think I wouldn’t have enough energy without that break,” he stated.
According to him, it’s a conceit to challenge a role beyond his capability. Instead he only wants to “do it right as an actor”.
“Nowadays, I try to avoid using my energy excessively,” he added.
“I want to choose roles that I can fully portray and that is within my capacity.
“After all, the success of a project is not something you can change with your will. So, I will keep doing what I’m supposed to do.
“I think focusing on what you can do is important,” he reasoned.
At the same time, he admitted that he wants to keep challenging himself in his chosen path and constantly develop his skills as an actor.
For example, with On The Line, he got to execute a lot of action sequences, as well as explore gut-wrenching dramatic scenes.
His co-star Kim Moo-yul told StarLifestyle that although Byun shouldered most of the scenes in On The Line, he always made the time to be present on set even for scenes that didn’t involve his character.
“And he would always compliment our performances. He became like the first audience member of the film for me.
“I think his sincerity comes from the fact he really respects his co-stars. I found that impressive."
On The Line, directed by Kim Gok and his twin brother Kim Sun, takes the audience to the world of scammers, specifically voice phishing and phone fraud – problems that have become so prevalent in South Korea.
Byun plays Han Seo-joon, a construction worker, whose wife becomes a victim of such a scam that costs the couple their savings.
Determined to get his hard-earned money back, Seo-joon infiltrates the scammers’ headquarters.
To ensure the scenes pulsate reality throughout its running time, Byun performed most of the action sequences himself.
In a more recent interview with The Korea Times, Byun said that he could relate to his character as his mother was targeted once by fraudsters. Fortunately, his mother didn’t fall for their tricks.
The fact that the criminals are targeting anyone and everyone is one of the reasons why Byun was keen to participate in the movie.
“I wanted to raise awareness about the voice phishing crime through my character,” he noted to StarLifestyle.
“I hope that the audiences watching the movie would realise the seriousness of voice phishing crime. And that the film provides catharsis to the victims.”
With Byun giving his all to every character he plays, he detailed what it entails in bringing a character to life: “There are numerous thoughts and inner conflicts during the process of building a character. All of this helps me in finishing the project well.
“While I have no interest in revisiting a character I have already portrayed – because I have already done it – I do extract (traits) from my previous portrayals to get a better idea for the portrayal of my next character.”
Meanwhile actor Kim deduced why Byun is always watchable in whatever show he’s in.
“Byun is an actor who does not play it safe. I can guarantee the audience could feel that when watching this film,” added Kim.
On The Line is currently available on Tonton Cinema and On Demand on Unifi TV.
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