[Lee Hwa-jung’s Deep Talks] “Breaking Down the Line Between Good and Evil With Performances We’ve Never Seen Before” — A Conversation With Noh Jae-won, Actor in ‘Tazza: The Song of Belzebub’ and ‘Made in Korea Season 2’ ①

I had to meet Noh Jae-won. Trying to understand the landscape of today’s screen, OTT and television productions without meeting this actor would have felt like cheating. Just looking back over the past three years, his striking performances in the series 〈D.P. Season 2〉 (2023), 〈Daily Dose of Sunshine〉 (2023), 〈A Killer Paradox〉 (2024) and 〈Doubt〉 (2024) sparked curiosity. He then joined 〈Squid Game Season 2〉 (2024), confirming his presence and carrying that influence into 〈Squid Game Season 3〉 (2025). Noh’s recent trajectory has been even more striking. He is set to appear in Disney+’s 〈Made in Korea Season 2〉 and in 〈Tazza: The Song of Belzebub〉, the fourth installment in the 〈Tazza〉 series and one of the most talked-about films ahead of the Chuseok holiday movie season. In the film, he shares top billing with Byun Yo-han. It is his first leading role in what is broadly considered a commercial film.

Who is Noh Jae-won, and how did he establish his position so suddenly—and so quickly? Why has it become so familiar to audiences and viewers to see his name at the center of hit productions? Those who cannot forget Nam-gyu’s wild-eyed face as he desperately fought to survive the deadly games in the 〈Squid Game〉 series may also remember Kim Seo-wan, who cheerfully ran through a psychiatric ward while living with delusional disorder in 〈Daily Dose of Sunshine〉. If so, Noh Jae-won is clearly the winner of this game. Between good and evil, Noh’s performances openly prevent viewers from hastily defining a character as one or the other. The goodness of one scene offers no guarantee of the evil in the next, creating an unexpected current. Noh is a genre disruptor who makes us wonder what will happen next and injects stories with tension. He represents a new form of character, one that breaks with the traditionally “broad-strokes” villain archetype treated as the standard in action noir. The history of villains in Korean content has clearly been rewritten with Noh’s arrival. He has carved out a space of his own so compelling that, if this is the chaos he offers, we are now willing to step into it. That is why today’s creators are competing to work with him—and why, once we have seen his acting, we find ourselves waiting for it again.

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Noh is making another high-stakes play with a performance capable of changing the game regardless of the cards in his hand. In 〈Made in Korea〉, which depicts the turmoil of the 1970s, National Intelligence Service official Pyo Hak-soo keeps Baek Ki-tae (Hyun Bin) in check while pursuing his own schemes, clearly heightening the series’ tension. He is a character who constantly studies the board from every angle to secure his influence within a meticulously constructed period drama. Following Noh’s eyes may be one of the most fascinating ways to read this work. In 〈Tazza: The Song of Belzebub〉, the Park Tae-young he plays conspires behind the back of Jang Tae-young, his best friend, business partner and namesake. He believes he can survive only by coveting everything “Jang Tae” has and eliminating him. Noh’s performance comes from mastering Park Tae-young’s history. The pure smile and vulnerable heart “Park Tae” once had exist alongside his chilling, “devilish” face, baring its teeth, in a way that seems impossible to reconcile. Once again, Noh persuades us that a single character can give off an astonishing range of different qualities.

Noh made his debut in 2011 with the short film 〈How to Cook Ramen Deliciously〉. After steadily working in independent films including 〈Yoon Si-nae Has Disappeared〉 (2022) and 〈A Love Story at the End of the Century〉 (2024), he is now in his 15th year as an actor. Even looking back, Noh’s acting already had a distinctive form. The fragility that seems ready to crumble and the vicious fury he unleashes are both unmistakably his. So is the lonely expression that replaces a bright smile in a single second. His precarious looks, as if he might change course at any moment, have repeatedly become his gestures and movements, allowing him to command the screen and arrive at where he is today.

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Meryl Streep once said, “Acting is not something you can reach simply by drawing out the task you have been given.” If that destination can be reached only when an actor possesses talent and an instinctive understanding of other people, Noh is an exceptional actor who, from the moment he appeared, quickly learned the way through a unique talent, rigorous effort and interpretations of his own. Believing in the fascination of Korean films and series, with Noh as their guide, I asked to meet him. As it happened, he was also taking a breath and assessing his own life. It was the right time for this meeting.

You have been handling an exceptionally busy schedule lately.

I took a few months off. It may look as if I am busy now because 〈Tazza: The Song of Belzebub〉 is about to be released, but fortunately I had that break beforehand. I needed that time. Last year was incredibly busy. After working nonstop, I realized I needed time to look back at myself. I decided I had to slow down a little. I was grateful for every opportunity that came my way, but I wanted to act more happily. I felt I clearly needed time of my own to focus on each project. The break was short, but I lived my life more fully and now I have returned. I really had been living with my eyes fixed only on what was ahead.

I’m curious what you did with that time.

It was time to analyze myself and get to know myself better. These days, I keep thinking about what I may have missed, how I have acted and what attitude I have brought to acting. There is always a period of waiting when you are working on a project. It can be nerve-racking. Once the role is confirmed and you are working, it feels like a dream. During filming, I forget everything that happened before the project began and live with my eyes only on the acting and what is in front of me. That is how the time passed. I realized anew that I had been living through a truly precious period.

So even when you were resting, you were thinking about acting. (Laughs.) What about the ordinary moments outside of that?

Ha-ha. I try not to think about acting. You could call it an “acting detox.” I tried to live my life well. I spent time cooking meals at home and things like that. I have always liked going around by myself. When I had time, I would rent a car through a service like Socar and go somewhere for fun. I would sit alone at a cafe. I rode my bike, too. Otherwise, I like watching movies or plays by myself.

You must also have been curious about the buzzworthy films you missed while filming.

That’s right. So I go to my favorite theaters and watch movies. Not long ago, I saw the documentary 〈What Should We Have Done?〉. Even though it was late, more than half the seats were filled. I thought, “People find good movies on their own.” I was one of those audience members, and I like that atmosphere.

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That makes me curious about which theater you usually like.

I also go to Leica Cinema often. The seats are a little wider and comfortable, so I go there frequently.

I saw an interview saying you were studying English and Japanese diligently. I assumed you were preparing as an actor for the global production environment, but you said the reason was that you wanted to travel alone.

That’s right. That was the reason. So I eventually traveled to Japan alone recently and spoke some Japanese, too. (Laughs.) 〈Tazza: The Song of Belzebub〉 has a lot of Japanese dialogue, so I became interested in Japanese for quite a while before filming. I took lessons with a teacher three or four times a week, and once I studied it, I found it suited me. I think I should study more English, too.

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This Chuseok season, your projects are being released both on OTT platforms and in theaters. You must be feeling the power of Noh Jae-won yourself. I imagine you have identified your own strengths.

Honestly, I really don’t know. I wonder whether my acting made even a slight impression on people who expected to see somewhat different sides of the characters. In fact, I don’t act with the intention of looking so different. I think it may be because I have played many somewhat different characters.

Do you remember any comments you received during casting?

They did not tell me what people had said. I did not ask, either. I would have been embarrassed. (Laughs.) But there is one comment I remember. One of the directors was recommended to me by an acquaintance. After learning that I had appeared in 〈Squid Game Season 2〉, the director thought I probably would not be a fit, apparently because my acting was so intense. While thinking that the casting would not work out, the director watched the drama 〈Daily Dose of Sunshine〉. While watching it, the director did not realize that the person in it was the same actor from 〈Squid Game〉. After realizing that, the director decided to cast me. Hearing that felt better than any compliment.

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You must have more opportunities to choose projects now. I’m curious what standards you apply.

In the past, I think I played characters I might have taken on with youthful ambition and momentum. I encountered characters who made me want to push myself to the limit for the performance, even if their sensibility did not match mine. Now I want to try characters through which I can reveal myself honestly, just as I am. To put it more honestly, I am drawn to acting that is somewhat different from the provocative.

Was there a turning point that led you to develop those standards?

I think my life has become a little more relaxed. In the past, I thought only about acting, but now I have been living my life a little and have come to feel the emotion of love. Love is not just about romance or relationships. I think it is more like having the space in your heart to love your everyday life and the people around you. That made me want to try a role filled with love. Now I want to try something new in my acting. I am also looking forward to seeing what new kind of acting I can do through this changed version of myself.

I understand you have said in several interviews that you want to take on a melodrama. (Laughs.) Is this part of that same desire?

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I definitely want to do my own kind of melodrama someday. If a story like that comes to me, I will consider myself very lucky. In fact, there are so many roles I want to play besides melodrama. A sports project is one of them. I would also like to try a tough role, something different from what I have done so far. I am actually doing what I want to do right now. (Laughs.) I have a performance opening in October. It is a one-person play. I also have another project in preparation. I want to try many things that will let me take on new challenges. I do not want to decide in advance exactly what I will do.

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▶ The conversation with actor Noh Jae-won continues in Part 2