Kwak Si Yang Dishes On Working With EXID's Hani And Kim Min Kyu For New Drama "IDOL: The Coup"

Oct 26, 2021

Kwak Si Yang has shared his thoughts on his upcoming drama “IDOL: The Coup”!

“IDOL: The Coup” is a new JTBC drama about idols who have failed to reach stardom and are struggling to let go of their unachieved dreams. The cast will include Kwak Si Yang, EXID’s Hani, Kim Min Kyu, LABOUM‘s Solbin, WJSN‘s Exy, former X1 member Lee Eun Sang, former RAINZ member Hong Eun Ki, Jo Joon Young, Redsquare’s Green, Han So Eun, and Baek Seo Hoo.

Kwak Si Yang will star as Cha Jae Hyuk, the CEO of the agency Starpeace Entertainment, which houses idol groups Cotton Candy and Mars. While girl group Cotton Candy and its leader Jenna (played by Hani) are still struggling to gain recognition in their sixth year, boy group Mars and its leader Ji Han (played by Kim Min Kyu) are top-tier idols who have already achieved massive popularity.

Describing why he had chosen “IDOL: The Coup” for his next project, Kwak Si Yang recalled, “I was drawn to [the role] because it was a genre and a character that I had never tried before in my acting career up until now. That’s why I really wanted to take on the challenge of playing the role of Cha Jae Hyuk no matter what.”

When asked to describe his character, Kwak Si Yang chose the keywords “cool-headed,” “calculator,” and “tsundere.” He explained, “Cha Jae Hyuk is like a cold human calculator, but he also takes care of people in a tsundere way, which I think is his charm.”

As for the physical transformations he underwent to play the role, the actor shared, “In order to create a cold character, I thought that I needed to display a neat, clean-cut exterior. We held a lot of styling meetings so that we could make [the character’s] hair and styling look as clean-cut and cold as possible.”

Despite being a renowned veteran actor, Kwak Si Yang praised his younger co-star Hani for inspiring him on set with her passion and dedication.

“Seeing Ahn Heeyeon [Hani] act so passionately really inspires me and gives me a lot of energy, and even while we’re filming, we spend a lot of time talking about how we can make the drama even more fun to watch,” said Kwak Si Yang. “I think she’s a really admirable actress, because she always makes the atmosphere on set happier and more fun when you’re acting with her.”

As for Kim Min Kyu, he remarked affectionately, “He’s like my younger brother. On set, we bicker and joke around with each other while working together as actors. Sometimes, it feels like the real Cha Jae Hyuk and Ji Han are the ones actually acting out the scene.”

When asked to sum up “IDOL: The Coup” in one phrase, Kwak Si Yang described the drama as a story of “growth.” He added, “While watching, I hope that you’ll pay attention to the combination of the growth of Cotton Candy, who has hit rock bottom, and the growth of Cha Jae Hyuk’s human side.”

Finally, Kwak Si Yang expressed his confidence in the drama and the cast’s chemistry. “Throughout filming, I’m always smiling and having fun,” he commented. “I’m confident that because the atmosphere on set is so joyful, the drama will be fun as well. Everyone is working hard and enjoying filming in their respective places, so please look forward to [the drama] a lot.”