MANILA, Philippines — Song Seung-heon is back to lead the cast of the second season of the crime-solving South Korean series "The Player 2: The Master of Swindlers."
Philstar.com sent a set of questions to Song and to his new co-star, Oh Yeon-seo, and they selected a few of these to answer.
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The two actors started by saying that they are happy to star in the newest season. "The Player" is a show that tells the story of how previously unrelated characters decided to work together to solve crimes involving black money.
"Thanks to all the love from the audience that we can have Season 2. I am very proud and thankful for that. First of all, what remains the same across Season 1 & 2 is that Hari would gather all the players to take action in punishing the bad. Just that from Season 1, his father’s death changed his life 180 degrees and he became determined to take revenge," Song said.
Song plays Kang Ha-ri, the veteran conman from a family of investigators who lead the unlikely pack of crime-solvers.
He describes Ha-ri as a "charismatic character who displays affectionate leadership while leading the team. While he’s a pleasant and witty person on the outside, on the inside he is filled with revengeful desires so once he starts acting on a plan, he becomes ruthless as if he changes into another person."
The latter, said Song, makes Ha-ri an attractive character.
For the upcoming season, he will be joined by Yeon-seo, who admitted that she is fascinated as she gets to star alongside the actor, who she only used to watch on TV during her growing up years. Seo plays Soo-min, Ha-ri's assistant.
"I used to watch Mr. Song on TV in my growing years so he has been like a star to me since then. Just the fact that I am able to co-star with him in a production makes me feel so honored and at the same time, fascinated," the actress shared.
She said that she liked the genre of their show and she was reading its script like a fan girl. Yeon-seo liked her character, Soo-min, but at the same time, felt scared and challenged when it comes to portraying her character.
"I gave a lot of thought on how she has to mingle with the other players and how ‘Soo-min’ should be like as a person. From the first day of filming, all the actors were great in making the filming atmosphere an enjoyable one so I was able to get into my role on a good note," she said.
She also learned a few things from her co-stars, especially lead actor Song.
"Upon acting together at the filming scene, I saw that he has a lot of consideration for people around him and would take good care of us so I was very touched. Seeing that he always treats all the other actors and crew so well, it makes me think I should be doing that too from now on," the actress said.
Song, meanwhile, talked about the experience of welcoming Yeon-seo and another new cast member, Jang Gyu-ri.
Gyu-ri plays the role of Cha Jae-yi, the younger sister of Cha Ah-ryung (played by Krystal Jung in the first season). Just like her older sister, she is a skilled driver who joins the team.
"I was also able to get closer to the new joiners Oh Yeon-seo and Jang Gyu-ri in a short period of time. The bickering chemistry among all of us was so good that we were discussing how nice it would be if we have sequels all the way to Season 10," the actor shared.
Song will be reuniting with Lee Si-un and Tae Won-seock, who played the hacker and fighter, respectively, in the previous season.
"Previously I acted with Lee Si-un and Tae Won-seock where we were able to bond well so this time, it felt easier and more natural when we reunite to co-star again even after a long while," Song said.
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