Go Kyung Pyo, Kang Han Na, Joo Jong Hyuk Share Insights into Their Characters from "Frankly Speaking

On April 30, a press conference for Frankly Speaking was held in Guro-gu, Seoul. It was attended by director Jang Ji Yeon and actors Go Kyung Pyo, Kang Han Na, and Joo Jong Hyuk.

Frankly Speaking tells the story of Song Ki Baek (Go Kyung Pyo), an announcer, who unexpectedly gets afflicted with a disease that doesn't let him control the words coming from his mouth. As a result, he becomes a brutally honest announcer, which brings an amusing set of challenges for him. 

At the press conference, actor Go Kyung Pyo came with neatly trimmed hair.

Host Park Kyung Rim, remarked, "You cut your hair," to which the actor replied, "Since this is an official event for the drama and you've all taken the time to come, I wanted to show you my pretty side, so I cut the hair I've been growing for six months."

Previously, Go Kyung Pyo had mentioned the reason for his long hair, saying, "Actors need to grow their hair when they don't have a project. Then they have to cut it accordingly to fit the next role," and added, "But I really wanted to try the long hair." "Since I don't have another project (I cut it)," and "I'm doing a lot of variety shows these days." 

In the K-drama Song Ki Baek (Go Kyung Pyo) is an anchor who can only speak the truth, or rather, is compelled to speak only the truth. This is because he is unable to lie after suffering an electric shock, and can no longer hide his thoughts.  

Go Kyung Pyo promises non-stop laughter as he portrays a character facing the worst dilemma of his life.  Talking about the difference between his comedy acting in previous works and the upcoming drama, Go Kyung Pyo stated, "I have done various comic genres and you will be able to perceive this performance as a collection of the know-how I gained from them." He added, "Aren't sitcoms rare these days? It's a drama that can be enjoyed without feeling weary, as it not only evokes empathy but also provides comfort." 

Joo Jong Hyuk, who said Go Kyung Pyo reminded him of Jim Carrey, praised his versatility in showing various facial expressions, saying, "He uses his facial muscles very freely, and his expressions are really diverse." 

Actress Kang Han Na exudes passion and positivity in her role as On Woo Joo. She recalled, "I thought of real variety show writers who appeared. They kindly taught me without losing their radiant energy. I tried to express that a lot."  

Go Kyung Pyo called Kang Han Na a multi-vitamin-like actor. He said, "She is an actor who conveys the ambience and energy of the scene. Thanks to her, my acting could shine even more." 

Joo Jong Hyuk takes on the role of Kim Jung Heon, a trot singer beloved by the nation. The actor introduced him as a character with loneliness and a sense of longing beneath his glamorous appearance. He commented, "I tried to clearly distinguish between [his] on-stage and off-stage [versions]. He is bright and full of energy professionally, but I tried to express a lonely and depressed character when he is not on stage." 

Joo Jong Hyuk added that he studied the character by referring to singer Young Tak. He said, "Since the character is the runner-up in the trot contest, I actually took a lot of trot lessons. I referred to singer Young Tak a lot. I studied his gestures and expressions. Since I've never done it before, I hypnotized myself into thinking, 'I'm cool.'"  

Frankly Speaking has been compared to the film Honest Candidate due to the similar settings. Director Jang Ji Yeon, said, "There were quite a few works employing characters who cannot lie. Usually, such works have a character who has achieved a lot, experiencing the inability to lie as a form of poetic justice. However, Gi Baek is a character who has not achieved much, so you can expect [him] to gain a lot of sympathy and empathy."

Frankly Speaking will premiere on May 1. The K-drama will be available to stream on Netflix. 

Sources (1)(2)