"Mouse" Star Kwon Hwa Woon Dishes On Hopes For A Season 2, Being Surprised By The Ending, & How Lee Seung Gi Inspired Him

May 30, 2021

Following the conclusion of his hit drama “Mouse,” Kwon Hwa Woon sat down for an interview to share his thoughts on his role and his experience during filming!

Kwon Hwa Woon, who left a deep impression on viewers with his nuanced portrayal of his character Sung Yo Han, described “Mouse” as a turning point in his career.

Spoilers

At the beginning of “Mouse,” Sung Yo Han appears to be the ruthless serial killer that the drama’s protagonists are chasing. However, it later comes to light that the true culprit was Jung Ba Reum (played by Lee Seung Gi)—and that Sung Yo Han was actually an innocent victim.

“When I first read the script, I thought I was the culprit, too,” revealed Kwon Hwa Woon. “At the beginning, my character seems like a psychopath killer, but later on, Sung Yo Han is portrayed as kind. Being able to show two different vibes [with the same character] through my acting was really meaningful and a lot of fun.”

“The PD told me the full story later, that Jung Ba Reum was the culprit,” recalled the actor. “Anyone could clearly see that I was the [obvious choice for the] culprit, so I found it refreshing when I heard that the culprit was actually Jung Ba Reum.”

He added, “I found it so amazing that the writer had thought of this kind of plot.”

Because viewers had to be convinced of Sung Yo Han’s guilt in the first half of the drama, it proved no easy task for Kwon Hwa Woon to walk the line between seeming like a killer while also staying true to his character’s nature.

“I did feel some pressure [about that aspect of the role],” shared Kwon Hwa Woon. “Even before we started filming, I talked a lot with the PD about the character to figure out the tone [of the role].”

“Sung Yo Han has to seem like the culprit, but he’s not the culprit, so I tried to find a subtle middle ground,” he continued. “Throughout filming, I tried to figure out that middle ground between seeming like a culprit and appearing innocent, and I spoke a lot with the PD as well.”

When asked if he found it upsetting when viewers mistakenly thought that he was the killer, Kwon Hwa Woon replied, “I didn’t find it upsetting at all. When people saw me as the culprit, I actually thought that things were going well, exactly the way we’d planned.”

As for whether he hoped for a second season of the drama, Kwon Hwa Woon revealed, “If there’s a Season 2, I’d like to see Yo Han being happy in a parallel universe. I’d like it if he could at least smile a lot in Season 2.”

The actor also spoke highly of his co-stars, recalling, “Lee Seung Gi and Lee Hee Joon were both really busy on set. They had a lot of scenes, and they both played really difficult roles. Although they were both portraying emotions they’d never experienced before, they never once expressed their dislike, and they were both very cheerful throughout filming. Seeing them take care of all the other people around them, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, they really are professionals,’ and ‘Their experience makes them different [from amateurs].'”

“Their passion and stamina, as well as how good they both were at acting, made me think that I, too, needed to work even harder,” he added.

Kwon Hwa Woon went on to share that he had been inspired by seeing how considerate Lee Seung Gi was to everyone on set.

“Lee Seung Gi was great at everything, whether it was acting or action scenes,” he explained. “He always took good care of the staff on set, and he exhibited great leadership as well.”

Kwon Hwa Woon also expressed his gratitude to Lee Hee Joon for bringing the cast together. “As the eldest, he led us all, and he was a huge source of comfort and strength,” recalled the actor. “Thanks to him, I think we became a family.”

Finally, Kwon Hwa Woon talked about his upcoming MBC drama “Please Check the Event” (literal translation), a romantic comedy in which he will star opposite Girl’s Day’s Minah.

“I think that it’s a role that will allow me to portray cheerful and happy emotions,” he said. “I play the lead singer of an indie band, and I’ll be singing and playing an instrument. I think I’ll be able to show lots of new things through the role.”

He also expressed confidence in his chemistry with his co-star Minah, revealing, “We get along really well, and because she’s an actress who has a lot of charms, I think we’ll be able to show viewers fun and cute chemistry.”