Hwang Minhyun Talks About Auditioning For "Alchemy Of Souls," What He Does For Fun, And More

Oct 21, 2022

Hwang Minhyun recently sat down to chat with Esquire magazine about his acting roles, music projects, and much more!

Hwang Minhyun is a singer and actor who has amassed quite a following for his work in various fields. Having debuted with the idol groups NU’EST and Wanna One, he is now working as a solo artist. He has also starred in popular dramas such as “Alchemy of Souls” and “Live On,” further adding to his repertoire of talents.

When talking about how he got the role of Seo Yool in “Alchemy of Souls,” Hwang Minhyun revealed that he was absolutely taken with the drama’s story as soon as he read the script. “At first, I only received the scripts for up until Episode 4, and of course I read them all in one sitting,” he said. He also expressed how honored he felt as a rookie actor to have the chance to work with director Park Joon Hwa, who has worked on many popular dramas including “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim,” “Touch Your Heart,” and “Because This Is My First Life.”

On his actual audition for “Alchemy of Souls,” Hwang Minhyun shared that he’d initially thought he hadn’t gotten the role, because the director stopped him after he’d only recited a few lines. The star recalled, “I was thinking, ‘I guess he doesn’t like me,’ but then he suddenly said, ‘I like your voice,’ and asked for my phone number.”

As for his role of Seo Yool, he spoke about how comfortable he has gotten in portraying the character despite starting off rather nervous. “Towards the end of filming, there were a lot more instances where even if the director didn’t give me explicit directions, I was able to just do what I’d prepared without any problem,” he said. “I felt that I was gradually improving.”

This feeling of improving through hard work is something that Hwang Minhyun expressed about not only his acting, but his singing as well. Now that he is doing work as a solo artist, he revealed that he has started taking vocal lessons. When asked about the sudden decision, he explained that it was because of his transition into doing solo work.

“When I did activities in a group, one song was divided between multiple people, and I just had to do my own part,” he explained. “But a solo singer has to sing the entire song. Now that I’m on my own, I want to sing passionately while on stage, but I felt that I was still lacking in many ways.”

Praising Hwang Minhyun on his broad range as both an actor and a singer, the interviewers brought up the roles he played in “Alchemy of Souls” and “Live On,” in addition to marveling at his extreme vocal range.

When asked about how he remains so hard-working and dedicated, he replied, “I think the reason why people think I’m a hard worker is because I’m the anxious type. If I am not fully prepared, I tend to get really nervous. Whether it’s on stage or on set, I’m like that. Of course, I’m trying to practice being less nervous.”

Elaborating further on his thought process, he shared a personal anecdote. “For example, I have no interest in building muscle. But because I’m an actor, I never know when the situation will suddenly require me to take off my clothes [for a scene], so in order to always be prepared, I work out regularly.”

Hwang Minhyun also shared a bit about his current hobbies, citing photography as one of his most recent passions. He recounted how, while shooting “Alchemy of Souls,” he was taken to places that he never would have thought to visit before, which made him want to capture the awe-inspiring scenery for himself and to share with others.

“I really love the feeling of healing while looking at nature,” he explained, “so I bought a camera and took it around with me, thinking that it would be good to take pictures and share them with my fans.”

Finally, Hwang Minhyun spoke honestly about how content he is right now in his life.

“I’ve said this in many interviews, but I don’t worry too much as I go about living my life,” he said. “I don’t get anxious about the future, and I don’t dwell on the past. I really value the present the most. My personality is just like that.”