Lee Dong Wook shares he aimed to not glamorize gangster life in 'The Nice Guy'

 

Lee Dong Wook shares he aimed to not glamorize gangster life in 'The Nice Guy'

The Nice Guy holds a press conference, attended by director Song Hae Sung, along with Lee Dong Wook, Lee Sung Kyung, Park Hoon, Oh Na Ra, and Ryu Hye Young.

The Nice Guy tells the story of Park Seok Cheol (Lee Dong Wook), the eldest grandson of a third-generation gangster family who strives to protect his loved ones. 

Talking about the K-drama, director Song explained, "If I were to put it in literary terms, this drama is about everyone who finds themselves standing before a path not yet taken. There's even a scene in our drama where two paths diverge in a forest. A character chooses one of them, and because of that choice, his life changes. Now, standing before that path once again, he tries to move forward through regret and choice — I believe that's the heart of this drama."

Lee Dong Wook plays Park Seok Chul, the eldest grandson of a gangster family, who, unexpectedly, harbors a warm demeanor. The actor commented, "It's been a while since I cut my hair this short." He added, "Of course, there's his story with Mi Young, but the family story also plays a significant part in this drama, so I paid a lot of attention to building good chemistry with the actors who play my on-screen family."

Director Song also explained why he cast Lee Dong Wook in the role of a gangster, saying, "Why cast such a good-looking actor as a gangster? Precisely because it's Lee Dong Wook, you can empathize with him. You can forgive him. That's why."

When asked why he chose The Nice Guy, Lee Dong Wook replied, "For the past four or five years, I've mostly done genre and fantasy projects, and honestly, I was tired of doing that. There's always the challenge of having to create something new within these worldviews — flying on wires, saving a niece as some uncle in a world that doesn't even seem real — I was getting tired of these kinds of fantasy settings. And that's when I came across this script. I also have massive respect for the director and writer, both of whom have been in this industry a long time, and I wanted to do something more grounded, more realistic — something where my feet felt planted on the ground. That's why I chose this project." He added, "I didn't do anything particularly special to prepare for this role. You could call it everyday acting. Sometimes, even my usual, everyday self would come through... I just wanted to portray an ordinary person — the kind of character you might see next to you in real life."

Lee Sung Kyung plays Kang Mi Young, an aspiring singer. She explained, "She dreams of becoming a singer and runs a YouTube channel as she works toward that dream. I put a lot of effort into the piano and singing scenes so that she could feel like someone who's chasing that dream." She added, "This is the first time I didn't lose any weight while filming a drama. I think it's the first time I'll appear on screen looking less gaunt than usual. My weight stayed the same. I was happy filming this project."

Park Hoon plays Kang Tae Hoon, the boss of Samjun Constructions, a rival organization to Myeongsan Industries, where Park Seok Cheol belongs.

The actor commented, "Kang Tae Hoon is someone who stands at the farthest point from family, whereas other characters' settings are around families... Many people will probably see my scenes and think, 'That guy must be up to no good.' It's also my first time playing a gangster role, so I approached it thinking of it as something unfamiliar."

Oh Na Ra plays Park Seok Kyung, the troublemaker sister of Park Seok Hee (Ryu Hye Young) and Park Seok Cheol (Lee Dong Wook). The actress commented, "I play the eldest sister, the troublemaker who causes the most problems in the Park family. Although she's part of the family, she feels like the loneliest person within it. Her MBTI is completely different from the rest of the family members'. While everyone else is an 'I' [introvert], she is like an 'E' [extrovert] — impulsive and different. But within that character framework, she's also a person who misses and waits for people, and I did a lot of motherly acting too."

Ryu Hye Young plays Park Seok Hee, the youngest of the three siblings. The actress commented, "I play Seok Cheol's younger sister, the youngest of the three, but in a way, she's the most efficient and perhaps the most 'normal' one in the family, like the eldest. That's the kind of person she is. Since I'm the youngest among the cast as well, I was showered with a lot of affection during filming."

Director Song spoke about the message he hopes to convey through the drama: "The other meaning of 'things we've lost' is the regrets and choices we've forgotten. I referenced the poem 'The Road Not Taken' because it's about a person who makes a choice, comes to regret it, and to recuperate from that regret, has to make another choice. Along the way, there will be trials and difficulties to endure. This is a story about people who push forward through all of that. I directed this work thinking it was about finding a lost story."

Despite the novel concept, there have been some concerns that the gangster theme might feel outdated. Director Song addressed this, saying, "I do agree with that to some extent. Even the title The Nice Guy itself sounds a bit like an outdated phrase no one really uses these days. And the subject of gangsters also feels like something from the 80s or 90s. But on the flip side, because of that, when we first received the script and the actors read it, they described it as being like Pyongyang naengmyeon [a Korean dish of buckwheat noodles in cold broth] — it's subtle, not strong and unfamiliar at first, but the more you taste it, the more it stays on your mind. That's the kind of drama we all worked hard to create."

Lee Dong Wook said, "As the director said, I didn't make any particular effort to make this feel trendy or modern. Playing a gangster could itself come across as old-fashioned or cliché, but I thought that the patheticness would make it feel more realistic. Speaking with the director and writer, we all agreed that this shouldn't be glamorized in any way. I had no intention of making this character's [profession or life] look cool. He's living a tough, exhausting life, and I wanted viewers to wonder, 'Why would anyone choose such a tiring life?' I wanted that feeling to come across."

When asked about key points to watch for in the drama, director Song said, "It's not a fast-paced drama, nor is it packed with flashy spectacles like many shows these days. But if you follow and root for the characters, I believe it will be a drama that offers a sense of satisfaction."

Lee Dong Wook added, "I think many people will find it relatable. Since it's a story about family, and in real life, no family in Korea — or anywhere — lives a perfectly smooth, peaceful life. The family in our drama isn't smooth or perfect either, and I think that's something people will connect with."

ee Sung Kyung said, "No matter what job or status you hold, there are always both hardships and joys. Although we appear in the drama as a gangster and an aspiring singer, I thought viewers would be able to relate [to these characters] because they portray the real-life struggles everyone faces. We created this together with a lot of thought and care, so I hope people will enjoy watching it."