Entertainment
Hallyuwood
Interview: Lee Jung-jae, Lim Ji-yeon on working together in Prime Video's romcom 'Nice to Not Meet You'
Interview: Lee Jung-jae, Lim Ji-yeon on working together in Prime Video's romcom 'Nice to Not Meet You'
Korean stars Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon are teaming up for the first time in a series in Prime Video’s romantic comedy “Nice to Not Meet You.”
“Nice to Not Meet You” tells the story of Lim Hyeon-jun (Lee Jung-jae), a typecast actor who is dreaming for a fresh start in melodramas, and Wi Jeong-sin (Lim Ji-yeon), a political journalist who was transferred suddenly to the entertainment division.
A clash of personalities between them will unfold into a story that has laughter, charm and unexpected chemistry and romance.
After leading the heavy thriller drama “Squid Game,” Lee Jung-jae is starring in the opposite genre.
This is Lim Ji-yeon’s next project after starring in the period drama “The Tale of Lady Ok.” She is known for her role in “The Glory,” Prime Video’s “The Killing Vote,” and “Lies Hidden in My Garden.”
Also in the cast are Seo Ji-hye, Kim Ji-hoon, Oh Yeon-seo and Choi Gwi-hwa.
The series will premiere on Prime Video in November in the Philippines and in more than 240 countries and territories.
In an interview with Manila Bulletin and other Asian media outlets, Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon said they were excited to work together in “Nice to Not Meet You.”
Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon belong to the same agency, Artist Agency, and said it helped in making it easier for them to work together since they already know each other
“Yeah I think it does help being belonging to the same agency because we cross paths a lot more often because of that. It could partially be the reason, but more than that, I've seen all of Ji-yeon's works and that makes me feel a lot closer to her and more at ease with each other,” said Lee Jung-jae.
He added, “So there are a lot of pros to belonging to the same company. And also when we arrived on set, we were already very familiar with one another. So that helps when things get really difficult on set when there are particular scenes that are very difficult for actors to create chemistry in.”
“I think we did a better job because we were more at ease with one another. I don't know if that has to do so much with us being in the same company–I think it has more to do with Ji-yeon being such a talented and amazing actress. But yeah, I think it does help,” he said.
Lim Ji-yeon said, “I agree with what he said.”
“I think the biggest pro is that we didn't need to force any kind of chemistry and we didn't need to take the time to become close friends because we were already there from the start,” she said.
According to her, “I felt very much at ease working alongside him and he's someone who's just so accepting of whatever I do on screen as his screen partner. And I think this not only has to do with the fact that we are at the same agency, but also the fact that we have been friends for quite some time. I think that is definitely something that has worked in our favor.”
From Gi-hun to Lim Hyeon-jun
Lee Jung-jae revealed that Lim Ji-yeon recommended “Nice to Not Meet You” to him.
“I've always been the type of person who's more drawn to genres and characters that I've never portrayed or done before. I think I'm always on the hunt for something that I've never done before when I’m trying to decide what to do next. As for this series, I've never honestly thought about doing a rom-com but this was actually something that Ji-yeon recommended,” he said.
From playing Gi-hun in “Squid Game,” he will be stepping in a new role as Lim Hyeon-jun in “Nice to Not Meet You.”
“I hadn't thought of doing a genre like this. So when she recommended this series to me, I thought to myself, ‘Is doing a rom-com the right choice for me at this particular moment in time?’” he said.
He added, “And at that time, you know how much Gi-hun in ‘Squid Game’ goes through…he goes through so much in the show, that I thought this character in ‘Nice to Not Meet You’ is on the very opposite side of the spectrum in terms of what kind of character they are. I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to do a very dramatic 180. I thought, even though I'd never considered rom-coms until now, this might be a great time for me to listen to Ji-yeon.”
Cheesy lines
As a romantic comedy series, “Nice to Not Meet You” will offer a lot of laughs and some cheesy scenes.
“I've, of course, as you can expect, I've always wanted to work on something with Ji-yeon and to have that project be a rom-com, I really was excited and I had a lot of expectations working together with her. We are currently shooting the series and having a lot of fun on set,” said Lee Jung-jae.
“And as for anything cheesy, we didn't have–at least up until this point–any particularly cheesy or cringy lines or scenes that we had to do. But what I can tell you is that it's in there! It's coming, because it's in the script. I'm trying to think about how to really make that scene work. So once the show is released, make sure you check it out. And that particular cheesy line I'm referring to is essentially telling the other person ‘I like you, I have feelings for you, and let's start a relationship,’” he said.
Lim Ji-yeon said, “As he said, we didn't get to those more cheesy or cringy lines yet or scenes even though as he said, they are coming. But I think that that's something that really adds to our show because our show is essentially just a really fun and entertaining drama series to watch.”
“So I'm very excited and looking forward to filming those scenes. And even though we haven't gotten to this scene yet, cheesy line that I'm reminded of right now, coming from my character, is this line that goes ‘This is the first time that I developed feelings for someone unconditionally.’ It's a line where she confesses her feelings for the other person,” she said.
Lim Ji-yeon as a journalist
Lim Ji-yeon’s character in the series faces a challenge when she is transferred from covering politics to entertainment that results in disappointment.
“In the beginning, I was quite focused on that particular aspect of that disappointment. I tried to put myself in her shoes and tried to imagine how I would feel if I were going through what she had to go through,” she said.
She added, “But I think that as the story progresses, there isn't a particular moment that you can pinpoint where you see her change or you see her grow. But in a very organic manner, her story shows how she was able to really turn herself into this new role of being an entertainment journalist from what she used to do before.”
“And I think it came about quite naturally because I was not so much focused later on in that career change of this character, but more about her own story and her character dynamic with the character Hyun-joon. And it also gave me a lot of new ideas as I was focused more on those parts,” she said.
Relationship
For the viewers, “Nice to Not Meet You” will not only offer a new glimpse of Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon portraying new roles but also delve into how people navigate a difficult relationship.
The two stars said they hope viewers will enjoy watching the series.
“Well, first of all, I just hope that you will enjoy it. When I think about my younger days, and I think even for just young people of today, really, relationships are always difficult, right? You always wonder how do I express my feelings, how do I communicate with other people, and what does the other person want from me, and what do I need to do to make this relationship better?” said Lee Jung-jae.
He said, “And I think you know, the question of how do we approach these relationships so that these relationships work it's something that we always struggle with no matter what generation you're from or no matter what kind of relationship it is, whether it's romantic or it's just about human relationships.”
“And one of the themes in this drama series is really about how to navigate that difficult relationship. One of the underlying themes is that you really have to know who you are as a person first. That's what's beneath the story and the character, and only after you understand yourself then can you go about approaching human relationships,” he said.
Lee Jung-jae added, “I hope that you will tune in to the show lightheartedly but as you enjoy the show, think about these characters and follow their journey, about how they want to get along but they can't and often end up fighting. And then as for where they will end up, I honestly still don't know yet because we are still shooting it, but I hope you will stay with us and find out.”
Lim Ji-yeon hoped that viewers will “laugh a lot with us, cry with us, and just have fun and enjoy the series.”
“I think that the relationship that starts as something that was almost a daring imagination between the two characters, the way they love or hate each other, the way they fight and make up…I think a lot of those moments are going to be relatable to many audience members and I just hope all in all that you will enjoy the story,” she said.
“Nice to Not Meet You” is directed by Kim Ga-ram who helmed the K-dramas “Good Partner” and “Nevertheless,” and written by Jung Yeo-rang, who created a sensation with “Doctor Cha.”
The series will stream on Prime Video in November.