[TRANS] Haru*Hana Magazine Vol. 4 (Taec & Woo)

QUOTE

Starring in his second drama;
a close-up on the real Taecyeon!

In the youthful drama "Dream High" where young people aim to be stars, 2PM's Taecyeon plays Jin Gook, a rebellious lad with a passion for dancing. At the end of the freezing month of January, we went to the outskirts of Seoul where the drama was filmed to ask Taecyeon about his role.

TAEC: Jin Gook and I are the same in the way we passionately pursue our dreams. My previous dream was to debut as a singer. After debuting, I then fulfilled my dream of playing a good role in a drama, and I am now taking a step forward in that direction. After this, I want to take on a new challenge and move on to a bigger dream. This is my second time in a drama, so I think I can show you how much I've grown.

He seemed used to the atmosphere on set, speaking ambitiously without showing a sign of exhaustion despite filming overnight for several days. In this drama, he also managed to work with big stars like Bae Yong Joon and the President of his agency, J.Y.Park.

TAEC: I only had one short scene with Bae Yong Joon-sempai. (T/N: "sempai" = "senior") Although he gave acting guidance to the actresses, he didn't talk to me at all, so I was really sulky that time. (laughs) With Jinyoung-niisan (T/N: "niisan" = "brother"), we shoot a lot of scenes together, so I watch him light up the set and learn many things, like his principles for acting.

His character was a high-schooler, so he had to put on a school uniform, something he hadn't worn for a while. What was he like as a student?

TAEC: When we talk about our student days, we have a better memory of the times we did something wrong than our academic achievements, don't we? In my case, I remember climbing over the fence at lunchtime to buy food from the supermarket behind the school. (laughs) It's also been 5 years since I've worn a school uniform, so it feels fresh. I had to wear it properly when I was a student, but I play a character who's a bit of a delinquent, so I wear it haphazardly on purpose. It's so cold on location that our breath turns white, and I could've kept warm by wearing the uniform properly, like buttoning it all the way or wearing the vest, but because I wear it in a sloppy fashion, it's so much colder! (laughs)

When we asked Taecyeon for the most memorable scene so far, he answered, "The scene where my character talks to Hye Mi (Suzy / Miss A) in the snow and we gradually begin to reveal our feelings to each other." Do any of the female characters in the drama fit his ideal type?

TAEC: (instantly) Not at all! Hye Mi's ego is too big, while Baek Hee tries to express herself too much. (Ham Eunjang / T-ara) I like girls who are a little more ordinary. Both girls are disqualified! (laughs)

We are also curious about how the other 2PM members reacted to the drama.

TAEC: Many of the members sent me encouraging messages on my cellphone like, "That's a great role," and "Keep working to express your character's charms." For this episode, Nichkhun starred as a special guest, but he sent me a text saying "good luck" and I was very happy.

He was so busy with drama filming that he couldn't attend 2PM's live event in Taiwan, so the other members covered his parts.

TAEC: Apparently they're not as good as I am. (laughs) Just kidding. I'm grateful that someone is covering my parts for me. When they returned from Taiwan, they said it was too bad we couldn't perform together, so I told them that I would definitely appear with them next time.

Soon, his Japan activities as a 2PM member will finally proceed at full speed.

TAEC: I didn't expect that many people to show up to our December showcase, as we hadn't had many activities in Japan yet. I was shocked and really nervous. All the members were moved. 2PM will soon begin their Japan activities at full tilt, so please expect a lot from us! (in Japanese) Please wait for us! (laughs) And please support "Dream High"!

QUOTE

Charming onlookers in an instant!
He gives his all in his portrayal of a charismatic dancer

2PM's Wooyoung took on his first acting role. The character he plays in "Dream High" is Jason, a genius dancer with one of a kind skills.

WOO: It's my first ever role, so I was worried and uneasy at first, because I didn't know a lot of things. Taecyeon-niisan gave me lots of advice on how to get used to the atmosphere on set. He taught me many things, like how I should prepare everything early and what I should consider in my communication with the director. It's all completely different from my activities as a singer, so I'm learning the ropes as the drama is shot. The other 2PM members were also concerned at first, but now they're giving me compliments.

As part of 2PM, he sings and dances well. Is that easier than acting?

WOO: Of course, compared to acting, it was way easier to shoot for a scene involving singing and dancing, but my difficulty was that Jason was supposed to have extraordinary talent. I put more effort into practices so as not to lose to my character.

His character is a student in a high school for performing artistes. Are there any similarities between this setting and his own trainee days?

WOO: When I was a high school student, I really worked on my singing and dancing in earnest. In order to achieve my dream, I worked hard to deliver the best performances. For Jason at this point of time, he just likes singing and dancing because he finds it interesting. But he'll change the way he thinks in the second half and you'll see a new development for his character.

This drama is popular for its all-star cast. Wooyoung said that just working with Bae Yong Joon was an honour by itself. With regards to his teacher, J.Y.Park, he had renewed his respect for him. Said Wooyoung, "It was also Jinyoung-niisan's first time at acting, so many people were worried. But when I watched him make the character his own by putting a ton of effort into his acting, I I thought he was amazing, as always." When we asked him which female character was his type, he favoured Pil Sook (IU), stating with some embarrassment that he found the way she spoke shyly very cute.

It was a tough schedule, with filming continuing through consecutive nights in freezing temperatures.

WOO: It was actually pretty cold at the shooting location, so even for the serious scenes, our white breath would come out with as much force as a dragon exhaling white smoke. Our breath won't turn as white if we drink cold water, so that's what we did too. It's tough filming overnight everyday, but I always check my acting and work out the next scene after filming, so I'm motivated to work harder the next day. When I think about our Japan activities and the various possibilities in the near future, I naturally harness the strength to go on.

2PM is also putting a lot of effort into their Japan activities. We asked him about his memories of 2PM's December showcase here, their first time in Japan.

WOO: The Kokugikan was really big, so I fretted during rehearsals, wondering if we had chosen the wrong venue for the showcase, but my courage grew when so many people showed up. I found some time to go to Don Quixote (a popular discount chain store in Japan). I bought instant yakisoba and aromatherapy products. (laughs)

Their DVD for the 1st concert held in Seoul last year will also go on sale soon.

WOO: It's our first concert, so the performances may not be perfect, but I would like everyone to see the stages of preparation and how much work we've put into it. The concert is filled with 2PM's energy - from our expressions and voices on stage, to each and every dance movement. Soon, our activities in Japan will begin in earnest, but I think the one thing we have to work on now is our Japanese. I want to appear on Japanese TV as soon as possible and I want to learn more about Japanese culture. We're also preparing for the ZEPP tour in May with briefings on the contents of the concert, so please expect a lot from us!

Source: Haru*Hana Magazine Vol. 4
Scans from simseol
Translated by fantaisie @ Wild2Day.org