The 31-year-old is known for having portrayed teenagers in previous dramas including the recent 'The Sound Of Magic'. Photos: YOON JI-YONG/Netflix
Actor Hwang In-youp has successfully played teenagers in dramas 18 Again, True Beauty and Netflix’s The Sound Of Magic.
The youthful model-actor-singer, who turned 31 on January, is now tackling an older character in a new project titled Why Her? (available on Viu). This drama also marks his first male lead role.
In the series, Hwang stars alongside established actress Seo Hyun-jin (Dr Romantic, The Beauty Inside) to play an upstanding law student at a university, who goes out of his way to help others.
Ironically, in the series, Hwang doesn't play his character's younger version. Actor Lee Yoo-jin fills in for the flashback sequences.
In an exclusive email interview with Hwang, courtesy of Netflix, he shares what he looks forward to most in terms of acting.
He says: “I played the role of a student in 18 Again, True Beauty and in The Sound Of Magic.
“All three characters have different personalities and charms so I could show the viewers different sides of my acting.
“Through my next drama Why Her? – which I’m still shooting – I think I’ll be able to showcase a more manly and mature side. Please stay tuned!”
Hwang In-youp stars opposite Ji Chang-wook and Choi Sung-eun in The Sound Of Magic, and in Why Her?, he stars alongside Seo Hyun-jin.
Interestingly enough, Hwang’s own teenage and college life is different from that of a typical Korean student – he spent them at Davao City in Philippines.
He attended an international school there and later continued his studies at Philippine Women's College of Davao, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design.
The 1.85m-tall Hwang also spent his youth training in various martial arts.
To the question how he faced challenges as a teenager, which shaped him into who he is today, Hwang answers: “I was always close with my parents since I was a child. We were like friends, so I shared my worries and concerns, and talked with them a lot.
“They have always believed in me and supported me on whatever I wanted to do. So I was able to really depend on them during my teenage years.
“When I was younger, I was timid so becoming an actor was just a faraway dream for me.
“As I became an adult and mustered the determination to do what I wanted and to challenge myself, I tried to become more confident.
“Thanks to my parents who have always believed in me, I could prepare for my career as an actor by loving myself and having a positive attitude.”
After completing the Korean mandatory military service, Hwang made his debut as a runway model in 2017. The next year, he entered the acting world by appearing in a web series WHY: Why First Love Always Fails.
Following a supporting role in The Tale Of Nokdu (2019), Hwang made a leap into playing more prominent characters in 18 Again (2020) and True Beauty (2020-2021).
With his star shining brighter than ever – he boasts 13.9 million Instagram followers – Hwang is said to be holding his first fan meeting in South Korea next month (July). It’s reported that he will also be stopping at Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines to meet and greet his South-East Asian fans.
Meanwhile, he has a message to Malaysian fans via the themes seen in The Sound Of Magic. The series headlined by Ji Chang-wook explores both hardship in life and the necessity to hold on to what you believe in.
Hwang states: “This series conveys a message of consolation and empathy – to not blame yourself, but to love, console and support yourself when you hit rock bottom, or in the face of challenges or obstacles in your endeavours to achieve your dreams.”
