Nam Yoon-su Discusses Rejecting Two Major Projects While Awaiting Love in The Big City Confirmation: “I Will Never Do Ordinary Romance”

In the latest issue of DAZED Korea, released on October 21, 2024, South Korean star Nam Yoon-su sat down for an engaging interview. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as his new K-drama, Love in The Big City, premiered on TVING on the same day, outlining the heartfelt story of a gay man navigating the challenges of love in the dynamic cityscape of Seoul.

Having previously impressed audiences in The King’s Affection, Nam Yoon-su expressed his commitment to steering clear of typical romantic roles. He made it clear that he chose to withdraw from two high-profile K-drama opportunities to focus on Love in The Big City.

“At that time, there were two other projects I was considering. However, I decided not to take them and instead bided my time. I wanted to experience this role before I left this world. My guiding principle in acting is to ‘never settle for ordinary romance,’”he disclosed.

He elaborated:

“Standard romance stories just don’t resonate with me physically. Lovestruck in the City offered something fresh. I was genuinely curious about how many men I might encounter. To be honest, I ended up meeting even more than what was depicted in the book.”

In this new drama, Nam Yoon-su takes on the role of Go Young, an aspiring novelist and a closeted gay man. Despite living with HIV, he bravely seeks love in a society where being part of the LGBTQA+ community is often met with stigma and bias.

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Love in The Big City: Insights from the Cast, Directors, and Author

The drama is adapted from Park Sang-young’s popular 2019 novel of the same name. During the interview, DAZED Korea also engaged with the main cast members Jin Ho-eun, Kwon Hyuk, Na Hyun-woo, and Kim Won-joong—who portray Nam Yoon-su’s character’s love interests—alongside the author himself.

Initially, Park Sang-young wasn’t sure about Nam Yoon-su fitting the role of a writer. Yet, he soon realized that Go Young needed to exude an appealing charm, something Nam Yoon-su embodies effortlessly.

“I hope viewers will see a deeply endearing character in Nam Yoon-su’s Go Young. I want them to witness a person who makes mistakes, faces challenges, and sometimes behaves poorly, yet remains utterly lovable,”Park Sang-young expressed.

Nam Yoon-su shared an interesting anecdote related to his social media presence. He recalled receiving a torrent of hateful comments filled with profanity when he unveiled the trailer for Love in The Big City on his Instagram. Although he lost over 20,000 followers that day, his numbers surged back with an additional 40,000 the next day.

“Once I shared it on my social media, the volume of comments exceeded anything I’d experienced previously. Many were harsh. (…) On the first day the trailer launched, I saw a drop of 20,000 followers, only to gain 40,000 the day after. I get messages asking, ‘Why did you do this project?’ and I respond, ‘Such stories deserve to be told.’ They often reply with, ‘I’m sorry for my reaction.’

Director Heo Jin-ho, one of the esteemed filmmakers behind Love in The Big City, expressed his awe at meeting Nam Yoon-su along with his co-stars, Jin Ho-eun, Kwon Hyuk, and Na Hyun-woo. He was particularly taken aback by their striking looks compared to the original characters crafted by Park Sang-young.

Heo Jin-ho noted Kim Won-joong’s unconventional attractiveness and aimed to highlight all five male characters’ beauty throughout the series. Kim Won-joong brings to life William Habibi, one of Go Young’s romantic interests featured in the latter episodes.

Love in The Big City can be streamed on TVING and Viki.

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