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On July 21, Nam Joo Hyuk sat for an interview talking about the Netflix series The East Palace.
The East Palace tells the story of Gu Cheon (Nam Joo Hyuk), who has the ability to cross between the human world and the world of spirits, and Saeng Gang (Roh Yoon Seo), a court lady who harbors a secret. Summoned by the King (Cho Seung Woo), the two set out to uncover the cursed palace's secrets.
Going into the details about his preparation for The East Palace, Nam explained, "At the beginning and throughout the process, because it shouldn't be obvious physically, I focused on losing weight. It also came off naturally. Whenever I thought I needed to look even more emaciated — almost skin and bones — I relied on the makeup to get that [look]." "When Gucheon was first dragged into the palace, he was quite chubby. But by the end, he was skin and bones to the extent of looking pointy."
The actor also said, "When we started filming The East Palace, it hadn't been long since I was discharged from the military, so I had put on quite a bit of weight. I wanted to go in with that as the starting point from the beginning. We were also able to film the earlier scenes first. Considering the way I've done it in the past, I figured I would lose a lot of weight in about two months."
He then added, "I ended up losing about 7 kilograms." "Toward the end, I really wanted to express something different. I wanted to prepare as much as I could within the circumstances I was given. So I made sure to eat salads, which I normally didn't, and I stopped eating ramen."
Nam also spoke about working with Cho Seung Woo. "Cho Seung Woo sunbae treated not only his junior actors but also the staff very kindly," adding, "It's such a shame that we had fewer than 10 scenes together. I wanted to film many more scenes with a senior actor I admire."
Nam Joo Hyuk recalled that after filming wrapped, he personally handed Cho Seung Woo a handwritten letter. "I wrote that I hoped we could meet again in a project where we'd have the chance to work together more. I also wrote that although our time together was brief, I was grateful, and that I hoped we could act together again in the near future."
Nam Joo Hyuk also, for the first time, publicly spoke about the school bullying allegations that surfaced before his military enlistment. In June 2022, Nam Joo Hyuk became embroiled in controversy after allegations of school bullying were raised against him. At the time, his agency, Management SOOP, categorically denied the allegations and took legal action.
Then, in 2024, while Nam Joo Hyuk was serving in the military, the Goyang District Court imposed 7 million won fines on both "A", the informant who made the allegations, and the journalist who reported them. However, "A" has challenged the order and requested a formal trial.
Talking about it, Nam said, "I believe the facts are in the process of being set straight. For my part, I am currently going through that journey in silence."
"It's difficult for me to go into detail right now, but I never once felt wronged. I'm not the type of person to make it [my feelings] obvious, so I simply let things take their course and gave it enough time." He further emphasized, "There has already been a court ruling, and I believe the facts are now being set straight."
Given that The East Palace marks his return following the school bullying allegations, was the pressure any bigger?
"I feel pressure with every project. I don't think it's accurate to say I felt any more pressure for this one in particular." "Ever since I first started acting in my twenties, I've approached every project with the same mindset — to always do my very best. I believe that if I keep doing that, there will come a time when many people will be able to enjoy a good project."
Since the release of The East Palace, Nam Joo Hyuk's acting has drawn a range of reactions from viewers. Addressing this, he said, "I'm aware that opinions are divided. In that regard, nothing has changed for me — it's the same now as it was before. I'm grateful for the positive feedback, and I also appreciate the criticisms and disappointments. They always make me think about how I can further improve. Those things serve as a significant source of motivation for me. I think the more people there are watching, the more inevitable it is that there will be a wide range of opinions. Going forward, I'll continue reflecting [on these things] as I always have and work to create even better characters. I may receive praise on some projects, and I may not on others. Whatever people have to say, I'm grateful for it."
Lastly, when asked about the possibility of Season 2 of The East Palace, Nam Joo Hyuk replied, "I asked about it, but they didn't really tell me much. I don't know what will happen. But even I think they may have had a second season in mind."
The East Palace is streaming on Netflix.
Source: Sports Donga, Ten Asia
