[Interview] "Are you scared to face Go Hyun-jung? That sparked my competitive spirit" Actor Lee Tae-goo from 'Mantis: The Murderer's Outing'

Who is the actor that stands up to Go Hyun-jung with the same momentum? This is the curiosity I had while watching the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 〈Mantis: The Murderer's Outing〉. Actor Lee Tae-goo, following his role as 'Police' Yang Byeong-moo in director Byun Young-joo's previous drama 〈Death to Snow White - Black Out〉, has created an unforgettable 'villain' in 〈Mantis: The Murderer's Outing〉. Lee Tae-goo, who plays Seo Gu-wan, a prime suspect in a serial murder case, effectively portrays the copycat killer villain in this work. In the drama, Seo Gu-wan idolizes Jeong Yi-shin, who punishes men who commit violence against women and children, and is caught up in delusions of achieving justice, leading him to commit imitation crimes. I met with actor Lee Tae-goo, who left a strong impression in the early part of the drama, to hear about the work and the character Seo Gu-wan.

I’m curious about your first impression when you read the script. Was there a specific reason you decided to take on this project after reading it?

The director suddenly asked me to read a script, so I did. I read it with a grateful heart. However, he didn’t clearly tell me what role I would be playing. At first, I was reading it while wondering what role I would take. When the director said it was the role of Seo Gu-wan, I thought it might not be easy. So I think I honestly told the director that I felt a bit burdened.

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You mentioned that the role seemed difficult, but was there a reason you chose this project nonetheless?

​Actually, I worked with the director on my previous project. I did 〈Death to Snow White - Black Out〉. I was really grateful that he chose me again afterward. This is the first time a director I worked with before has contacted me again. There’s a saying, “A scholar sacrifices his life for someone who recognizes him,” and while I can’t sacrifice my life (laughs), I really wanted to do well with that level of commitment. I wanted to show that the director’s trust was not misplaced.

After graduating from Hanyang University with a degree in Theater and Film, you worked on projects like 〈Kairos〉 and 〈Even If Deceived, Dreamlike〉, and gained attention last year for your roles as Kwon Dae-ki in 〈The Ultimate Fixer〉 and Yang Byeong-moo in 〈Death to Snow White - Black Out〉. As you are steadily building your career, I’m curious about what kind of special challenge the role of Seo Gu-wan in this project presented to you.

I majored in film during my undergraduate studies. So originally, I was making and directing my own short films. I decided to pursue acting after returning to school from military service. After that, I did theater in Daehakro and followed the filmography you mentioned. As I said earlier, this role seemed a bit difficult. If I felt a connection with the character or could express it freely in my own way, or if it was a character I was drawn to, I would be confident, but Seo Gu-wan didn’t fit any of those three points, which made it hard. When I shared those concerns with the director, he suddenly asked, “Are you scared to face Go Hyun-jung?” (laughs) It was a question that transcended the various dimensions of my worries, and that statement motivated me to say I would do it right away. There’s a scene where I have a long confrontation with senior Go Hyun-jung, and I thought he must have believed I could do well without being overshadowed. So I filmed myself to get feedback from the director, watched reference films, and talked a lot with the director.

What reference films did you use?

At that time, the films I watched were 〈Taxi Driver〉 and 〈Joker〉.

I’m curious about what kind of direction director Byun Young-joo gave on set and what kind of conversations you had with him.

Once, the director gave me the OK sign, but I felt that my performance was not convincing. I thought it might have been passed over due to lack of time and other reasons, and I was secretly struggling. But at that moment, the director told me I did very well. He also said, “You have ‘supporting actor syndrome.’ You can take the lead and be ambitious, but you keep trying to accommodate the other person and don’t take your timing. Don’t do that, go confidently.” That really helped me a lot.

Seo Gu-wan makes a strong impression from the early part of the drama as a prime suspect in a serial murder case. He blindly idolizes Jeong Yi-shin (Go Hyun-jung) and is caught up in delusions, committing imitation crimes. There have been many characters who commit murder due to mental illness. I’m curious about how you tried to portray Seo Gu-wan differently.

​When looking at the villains in the work, they usually commit evil acts due to some deficiency. The character Yang Byeong-moo I played in 〈Death to Snow White - Black Out〉 feels inferiority towards Jeong Woo (Byun Yo-han). That manifests in a very violent and negative way, but as a person, I also feel inferiority in life and react to it sometimes. If I tried to expand on that part while playing Yang Byeong-moo, Seo Gu-wan is originally a character with a mental illness, so it was hard to draw something out from within me. Therefore, I researched a lot about the schizophrenia that this character suffers from. I thought it would be difficult to express it without a clear understanding. I looked for related documentaries and films dealing with schizophrenia. Watching the documentaries, I saw that patients suddenly hear voices and even hear them while having conversations. To express that, I practiced scenes where Seo Gu-wan sees and reads something, recording the words I suddenly blurted out and listening to them again to change those words. Also, in the middle, as Seo Gu-wan stops taking his medication, the symptoms worsen, and his paranoia increases. I focused on those aspects to portray the character.

There’s a scene where you confront Go Hyun-jung. I’m curious about how it was to act together on set.

​I grew up watching senior Go Hyun-jung’s works. As I mentioned during the casting process, the question “Are you scared to face senior Go Hyun-jung? Can’t do it?” sparked my competitive spirit, but the context of the scene with her was also an emotional confrontation. I was very nervous, but as soon as senior Go Hyun-jung saw me, she welcomed me by saying, “Finally, we meet Seo Gu-wan. I’ve missed you so much.” There was a scene where I had to grab her collar, but I couldn’t perform it well, so we had to do several takes. I felt so sorry while acting while grabbing her collar. It’s not just because it’s senior Go Hyun-jung, but also out of respect for my co-actor… I had to finish it well, but since we had to do it multiple times, I was under a lot of stress. However, senior Go Hyun-jung kindly said, “You can do it 10 times or 20 times, so don’t worry at all.” She also mentioned, “Then I have a scene where I get my revenge.” In the next scene, I’m being choked. (laughs) She eased my tension with such jokes, and thanks to that, I was able to act very comfortably.

It seems you lost weight before filming 〈Mantis: The Murderer's Outing〉. Compared to your appearance in other works, you looked like a completely different person.

Before starting the project, the director told me there would be a scene where I would take off my shirt, and he advised me not to build too much muscle. Since he told me not to exercise, I thought I should create a lean body. However, the time was limited, and I couldn’t follow a systematic diet like Hollywood actors to lose weight healthily. So I didn’t eat after 6 PM and ran without fail. Originally, my average weight fluctuated around 79kg. I managed to lose it down to 70kg in the end. While filming this project, I was also working on another project, so I couldn’t lose weight drastically.

I’m also curious about what kind of characters you would like to take on in the future or what projects you want to work on.

​I don’t have a specific character I want to play. If you trust me and give me a role, I’m confident I can do well with any character. Rather than being confident in doing well, I think I’m more confident in preparing hard. While filming 〈Mantis: The Murderer's Outing〉, I put my body and mind into it to the extent that I can say it’s our work, and I hope to encounter a project where I can pour my heart and soul into it.

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Finally, if you were to define Seo Gu-wan, what would you like to say about him?

Rather than defining Seo Gu-wan, I have something I want to say. “I tried to understand you more than anyone else, and I think I understand you. So there’s a part that’s a bit unfortunate, but you’ve crossed the line!” (laughs)