Yoo In Soo Picks His "The Good Bad Mother" Ideal Type, Teases His Character In "The Uncanny Counter 2," And More

Jun 24, 2023

Yoo In Soo has talked about his latest projects in a new interview!

After playing a villain in zombie drama “All Of Us Are Dead,” Yoo In Soo showed off his bright charms in tvN’s “Alchemy of Souls” series before recently starring in JTBC’s “The Good Bad Mother.”

Following the recent conclusion of “The Good Bad Mother,” Yoo In Soo sat with Ilgan Sports to discuss the drama, share behind-the-scenes stories, and tease his upcoming project.

“The Good Bad Mother” is a drama about a woman who must return to her motherly duties after her adult son unexpectedly becomes like a young child again. Lee Do Hyun stars as Kang Ho, a prominent prosecutor who has a fraught relationship with his mother Young Soon (Ra Mi Ran)—until he loses his memory in an accident and unexpectedly reverts to his seven-year-old self. The drama’s June 8 finale aired to an average nationwide rating of 12.0 percent, recording a personal best and scoring the highest ratings for any Wednesday-Thursday drama in JTBC history.

Yoo In Soo starred as Sam Sik, who grew up with Kang Ho and has always had a one-sided crush on their childhood friend Mi Joo (Ahn Eun Jin). After decades of being in love with Mi Joo, Sam Sik eventually falls for Kang Ho’s ex-fiancée Ha Young (Hong Bi Ra). The actor explained, “In the beginning stages of filming, the director asked whether my ideal type was Mi Joo or Ha Young, so I said it was Ha Young and it actually turned out like that. I don’t know if it’s because [Sam Sik] has known Mi Joo since they were young, but she was like a friend.”

In 2019, Yoo In Soo appeared in “Moment of Eighteen” where he first worked with “The Good Bad Mother” producing director (PD) Shim Na Yeon. The actor revealed that the PD asked him to create Sam Sik in a way where he was cute and likeable despite only choosing to act in troublesome ways. He added, “Sam Sik is someone with high self-esteem who accepts and is cheerful in every situation.”

Yoo In Soo elaborated, “The center of the narrative revolved around Young Soon and Kang Ho and had a very heavy story. I was in charge of relieving that atmosphere. To be honest, I had a lot of concerns. I thought again and again about whether I’d interrupt the emotions being led well by my talented seniors, and how to create a unique presence for Sam Sik within that.”

Despite only being 26 years old in real life, Yoo In Soo took on the role of 35-year-old Sam Sik. On how he overcame this age gap, he shared, “Even if my current self turned 35, I thought I’d be the same. I instead tried to bring out the character’s bright vibe and melt that into the role.” He then joked with a laugh, “As he had gained quite a bit of weight, I figure that Sam Sik’s good looks played a part in his charm.”

Elaborating on his personal approach to acting, Yoo In Soo revealed, “Some actors say they embody their characters, but I act while hiding behind my character. As everyone does, I have a variety of sides but when I was acting as Sam Sik, I had him out front and tried to condense just his bright image. I’m not the type to joke around in every moment and I also get serious and fall into contemplation, so I tried to minimize those sides.”

Yoo In Soo added while laughing, “My MBTI [Myers-Briggs Type Indicator] is E [extroverted] so I tend to show a bright image in front of others, but after watching the broadcast, my mom asked me, ‘How are you acting exactly as you act at home?'”

Next month, Yoo In Soo will join the cast of “The Uncanny Counter 2” as the newest Counter. Given the popularity of Season 1, Yoo In Soo explained that he had worked hard to not become an inconvenience to the series.

“There’s a unique amusement to ‘The Uncanny Counter,” Yoo In Soo shared. “It’s the drama’s great charm that it’s a hero and action story that has innocence and amusement. I’ve portrayed numerous bright characters and I tried to pour that acting experience into ‘The Uncanny Counter 2.’ Please look forward to my familiar yet different image.”