AO EXCLUSIVE: Lee Jae Wook, Lee Jun Young, and Hong Suzu talk about their roles and synergy in Disney+’s “The Impossible Heir”

Are you all ready for this Machiavellian Korean drama that will definitely give us an adrenaline rush?

The Impossible Heir depicts the story of an illegitimate son of a Korean conglomerate who joins forces with his ambitious and intelligent childhood friend to seize their spot at the top of society.

Ahead of the premiere of the series, an exclusive press conference was held on February 26 with the presence of the main cast, Lee Jae Wook, Lee Jun Young, and Hong Suzu, alongside Director Min Yeon Hong.

Director Min Yeon Hong

According to Director Min, he tried to focus on creating really convincing and realistic details for the chaebols in Korea which is the backdrop of the series, and tried to focus on how the main three characters overcome their difficulties and how they continue their race to achieve their goals. He focused a lot on making sure that the viewers could connect to the series.

He shared that to show the Kang Oh Group, the biggest chaebol group in Korea in the series, they used a lot of computer graphics and got help from the production design team to make sure that it was convincing.

With regards to casting, he said that from the scriptwriting stage, he knew what kind of character he wanted and he wanted people who could be unique but also be immersed in this kind of character, so he put a lot of thought into the casting process.

About the main cast and their roles

Lee Jun Young as Kang In Ha

Lee Jun Young portrays the role of Kang In Ah, an outcast and an illegitimate son of Kang Oh Group. He is born into a dirt spoon single-parent household and is determined to be successful in life. His friend, Tae Oh, will guide him towards the top of Korean society.

Lee Jun Young said that this series is a page-turner for him. He shared that when he was reading the script, he thought that he would be playing the role that is not from a wealthy background but he wasn’t. He had fun reading the script and felt that he could breathe through it.

“In Ha looks like he’s very cheerful and playful but then inside of him, he has his different thoughts and ideas. So, I think it was fun to portray that duality inside of him,” he said. He studied the script deeply and focused on the script to make sure that he could pull his character off. His character is a free soul and he wanted to portray him without any confinement.

Lee Jae Wook as Han Tae Oh

Lee Jae Wook plays the role of Han Tae Oh, the son of a murderer and the quick-witted friend of Kang In Ha. Tae Oh partners up with In Ha to seize their spot at the top of the social pyramid but harbors hidden ambitions of his own that threaten everything they have worked for.

When asked about his first impression when he first saw the script, he responded that when he first read the script, he was very curious about it and said that it was very intriguing and gripping. “The series has a very strong and intense first scene so I’m sure when all of you get to watch the show as well it’s really going to make you very curious and leave you wanting more, I think it’s going to be very entertaining for you.”

Jae Wook said that the character he’s portraying is very quiet and not an expressive type of character so there was a little leeway as to how he can express himself since he conceals his feelings. Director Min knows how to express them by using different camera angles which helped him a lot in expressing his character.

Hong Suzu as Na Hye Won

Hong Suzu plays the role of Na Hye Won, an ambitious woman who was raised by a mother who was constantly in debt and had a troubled past. Her path crosses to Kang In Ha and Han Tae Oh, setting the stage for her complex journey into the cutthroat world of chaebols.

This is her first time playing a lead role in a series so when she asked about what she feels about it she answered, she said she was a little bit nervous about it and shared that the director and her co-stars were so nice to her. They made her feel at home and she had a lot of fun with these amazing actors (Jun Young and Jae Wook).

When portraying her character, she tried to focus on the way she approached her vocals and emotions. She revealed that she had many discussions with the director regarding her wardrobe as well and according to director Min, Suzu brought herself into the character so he’s very happy with the way she portrayed her character.

The synergy of the cast members

Lee Jun Young mentioned that he really loves working with Lee Jae Wook because they are of similar ages, and he hasn’t worked with actors who were of his age so he’s a little bit nervous and also very excited. He also shared that they had a lot of fun on the set and Jae Wook led him all the time. “He’s such a good leader”, he added.

Lee Jae Wook said that, along with Jun Young and Suzu, they had so much fun on set, and they wanted to bring that child inside of themselves. “I felt like I became my younger self once again, so it was really fun to be on set.”

Hong Suzu shared her experience while working with Jun Young and Jae Wook and said that they are such a fun guy to work with. They joke around and have a lot of fun on set. She said she’s a fan of their works and really enjoyed their shows. They were so great to her and she learned so much from them. She expressed how lucky she was to be part of the production.

Message to the viewers

“We had a lot of fun working on it and I hope that that fun energy is going to be delivered to the audience. We really want that. I tried to capture all those great moments on camera. I hope that it’s all going to be conveyed to you through the screen so I hope you will definitely check out the show. I hope you look forward to seeing the characters that these members of the cast have brought to life and I hope you enjoy. Thank you”, Director Min’s last comment.

Hong Suzu said that they prepared a lot and had fun creating this, so she hopes everyone enjoys this drama.

Working on The Impossible Heir Lee Jun Young mentioned that it was all great memories and said that this is a gift that they prepared with great happiness for everyone so he hopes that the viewers will be happy receiving it.

“There’s going to be a lot of intense and powerful scenes as well as really fun elements so I hope you will enjoy the drama.” Jae Wook’s final message.

The Impossible Heir premieres on February 28 only on Disney+.

Watch the teaser trailer here:

All photos are courtesy of Disney+ Philippines