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Interview: Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Joo-been on working together in Prime Video's new K-drama 'Spring Fever'
Interview: Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Joo-been on working together in Prime Video's new K-drama 'Spring Fever'
Actor Ahn Bo-hyun and actress Lee Joo-bin said they felt excited and a bit of pressure starring in the upcoming Prime Video romantic comedy series “Spring Fever.”
“Spring Fever,” based on a web novel, will debut on Jan. 5, with two new episodes every Monday and Tuesday, in over 240 countries and territories, including the Philippines, exclusively on Prime Video.
The cast includes Cha Seo-won (as Choi I-jun), Cho Jun-young (as Sun Han-gyul), Lee Jae-in (as Choi Se-jin), Jin Kyung (as Seo Hye-suk), and Bae Jung-nam (as Jeong Jin-hyeok).
In an interview with Manila Bulletin and other media outlets, Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Joo-bin talked about their pairing, memorable moments during the filming, and what viewers can expect from their series.
In “Spring Fever,” set in the countryside, Ahn Bo-hyun is Sun Jae-gyu, a man whose fiery passion turns a quiet village upside down while Lee Joo-been is Yoon Bom, a cold-hearted high school teacher.
Ahn Bo-hyun said when he learned about the series, he felt that it was really for him.
“I felt like when I heard about the show, I felt like ‘This is mine.’ I didn't want to pass it up and I think I was filled with a little bit of anticipation, a little bit of pressure and also a little bit of confidence and based on that I really try to prepare myself well for it,” he said.
About Ahn Bo-hyun being her partner in “Spring Fever,” Lee Joo-been said she was excited.
“Of course, first of all, I was very happy to be cast for the role and I think I was filled with curiosity about the character who this character Bom was, and what's going to happen to her. I was really curious about the emotional arc and when I heard that Bo-hyun was cast as my partner, I felt like, ‘Okay, this is going to be something that really works.’ So I was filled with a lot of excitement,” she said.
Ahn Bo-hyun is known for “Flex X Cop,” “See You in My 19th Life” and “Yumi’s Cells” while Lee Joo-been’s acting credits include “The Divorce Insurance,” “Twelve,” and “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area.”
Balancing romance and comedy
As “Spring Fever” is a romantic comedy, Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Joo-bin said they tried to balance romance and comedy while filming.
Lee Joo-bin commented that “it's not an easy task to strike that balance between the two.”
“I think that we focused more on what connects the comedy and romance, you know, how do we connect these two very different moods? I think we tried to focus on finding that sweet spot and in the process of doing so, I referred to the director [Park Won-gook] and also my partner, Bo-hyun and I relied on him a lot on set so that we could work off of each other's energy,” she said.
Ahn Bo-hyun said for the romance aspect, “I tried to be as loyal to the script as possible”.
“And also thanks to all of our technical crew, whether it was the cameras or the lighting, I think they really did an amazing job capturing us in a very romantic way. And comedy-wise, I think a lot was done on set. We were doing a lot of improv and also the director was really open to improv. I think he really wanted it from us as well. So while I didn't prepare it as much, I would attempt a lot of different versions on set. Sometimes I would kind of struggle, ‘Is this really working?’ But thanks to everyone on set who would laugh at the improv that I was trying out, I think we were able to strike that balance between romance and comedy,” he explained.
Dialect, teacher
Ahn Bo-hyun, who was born in Busan, said he found it easy to act using a dialect in “Spring Fever.”
“Yes I think that was one of the strengths that I had going into the series, and I think it also made me want to try more and it was indeed a little bit easier because I was so used to expressing emotions with that dialect and I was able to express it even further. So I think it did help with my performance,” he said.
The series, he said, will show a new side of him.
“Very thankfully, all of my fans with every new project I put out there, they always tell me that that is their most favorite character. And I think with this character Jae-gyu, in the beginning, some people might love him, some people might hate him, but I think if you continue watching the story and the arc, he's going to become your very favorite character,” he said.
Lee Joo-been plays the role of a teacher in the series. If Ahn Bo-hyun would become a teacher, she said he would be great as a home economics teacher.
“I think that what comes to mind initially is I feel like he would be a great PE teacher. I think it suits him really well. But he's also someone who's very, quite sensitive and very kind as well. So I feel like a better fit would be home ec. I feel like he's going to be really good at doing needlework or cooking. So yeah I would go with home ec if there are still home ec teachers out there,” she said.
On the other hand, Ahn Bo-hyun said Lee Joo-been would be great as a physical education (PE) teacher.
“I feel like for Joo-been, because I think based on how she styles herself, she can sometimes feel very academic and also because of her petite figure I feel like PE would suit her well,” he said.
Memorable moments
Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Joo-bin had fun while filming “Spring Fever."
Lee Joo-bin recalled that “we were filming a driving scene. It was towards the end of the shooting day and the sun was setting and I looked to my right and noticed that the sky was just so breathtakingly beautiful.”
“I believe they call it a vanilla sky where you see the entire spectrum of colors beginning from purple all the way to yellow. It almost felt like I was looking at a water color painting. And so I remember in that moment feeling like I am just so happy, and I think it's one of the biggest perks of shooting in a seaside village,” she said.
Ahn Bo-hyun said, “Because we shot at such a beautiful location, there are many memorable moments.”
“While we have a lot of the ocean view, there is one scene that we shot high up in the mountains and because I didn't see the final cut, I don't know how I look in the scene, but as far as I remember the character that Joo-been portrayed, her performance in that moment and the scenery altogether I remember it just being so beautiful. So that's a memorable moment for me,” he said.
Nicknames, Instagram
If they were to give nicknames for their characters in “Spring Fever,” Lee Joo-bin chose “‘Kyu Bom’ because that's a combination of the latter syllables of both of their names.”
“I feel like, you know, just imagining how the character Bom would refer to Jae-gyu I feel like she would probably refer to him ‘Kkyu’ in an endearing way. So that's the one I would go with,” she said.
On how does she hope viewers, including those who are going through their own struggle, would connect with her character Yoon Bom’s story in “Spring Fever,” she said, ““I think as we go through life for anyone out there, there are bound to be moments that are filled with a lot of pain at least once or even twice for some people in their lives.”
“And I think when you are in the thick of it, it feels like it consumes your entire life. It feels like it's the biggest event of your life. But what we know for sure is that everything will pass and once it does pass, I think eventually you come to that moment where you feel like you look at that past and think to yourself, ‘Why did I struggle that much? Why did I obsess over things like that to that degree?’” she said.
She added, “And I feel like even though it is painful if you learned something from it, if you were able to grow, then it's all worth it in the end.”
If their characters, Yoon Bom and Jae-gyu, have Instagram accounts, what would be their first post be like?
“I think for Bom, the first post is going to be a picture of a macaroon that she's holding in her hand. As for why I said that, I hope you can check it out once the drama is released,” said Lee Joo-been.
Ahn Bo-hyun said, “For my character I think if it's something that's related to Bom, it would be the scenery picture that he took from her home. And if it doesn't have to be related to her, I think it would be a picture that he took with his nephew at his graduation.”
When asked to describe “Spring Fever” in three words, Lee Joo-been said, “For me, it would be a spear, a shield, and chemistry.”
“For me, the three words would be fireworks, ice, and magnet,” said Ahn Bo-hyun.
Reasons to watch “Spring Fever”
Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Joo-been listed the reasons why viewers should watch “Spring Fever.”
“I think that ‘Spring Fever’ is going to be a very laid back and easy watch for anyone who decides to tune in. I also think it's going to feel like a refreshing cup of soda if you will. Sometimes it's going to be quite absurd where you would think to yourself, ‘That doesn't make any sense!’” said Ahn Bo-hyun.
He added, “But I feel like all of those moments are going to make everyone laugh. I think also not only is there great chemistry between Jae-gyu and Bom, there's also a lot of wonderful chemistry between the other characters as well. On top of that, we have beautiful scenery. So, I think for anyone who decides to watch it, you will feel all of the joy and butterflies that we felt.”
Lee Joo-been said, “As far as I know, our drama series is going to be released during the very cold season. So I hope that when the outside of your home is freezing, once you return home, you wrap yourself with a cozy blanket and watch this very heartwarming show that'll warm you up from the inside.”
“Spring Fever” will premiere on Jan. 5 on Prime Video.