Exclusive Interview with Gangnam Project Cast (Updated!)

Exclusive Interview with Gangnam Project
We talked with Paul Seungbin Lee, Taran Kim and Angela Son from Gangnam Project cast. They talk about future plans, their journey and more! [Date: April 2, 2024]
You can view Gangnam Project profile here.

Do you have any fun or memorable behind the scenes stories?
ANGELA: I think any scenes that involved all 8 of us were easily my favorite because we just couldn’t stop laughing and goofing around throughout the entire process. There’s this scene in the final episode where we’re all sitting in the lobby talking about our future, and although it wasn’t actually the final scene we filmed, it felt so real and heartwarming to me as it made me think of how much I would actually miss my castmates who are now family to me. It was then when I really realized I had so much love for these people.
PAUL: While shooting the finale episode, there was one moment in the show where “Radi8” was waiting backstage before “Ken” announced the winners. While filming this scene, we were all very tired and exhausted but something about being mentally more laid-back had made us laugh more. And because we kept laughing behind the stage, it actually energized us as a whole, so we were able to end the day in a very fun way.
TARAN: There was one scene in particular that involved most of the core cast that was written close enough to the time of shooting that none of us had seen it until right before we started rehearsing and shooting it. It was incredibly fun being in a scene all together (which rarely happened) and exhilarating to build the scene as an ensemble in real time. The scene itself revolved around us coming together as a group so it ended up being a beautiful moment where art imitated our actual life in that moment. There was even a word in the scene that Auzzy has trouble understanding and Paul (who plays Auzzy) also had some trouble pronouncing it. I could hear him uttering it to himself repeatedly before the director would call action. A hilarious and beautifully authentic moment. It was a perfectly written scene, written so perfectly for all of us in it.

Which scene was the most fun to film?
ANGELA: For me, it was definitely the rap scene. There’s a scene where we rap a couple bars one by one around the circle, and just going around hearing each other rap was so fun to witness and be a part of also because most of us are NOT rappers at all. I just remember the room being filled with laughter and fooling around with rapper-like gestures. It didn’t feel like I was on set, but rather like I was really sitting with my friends just having a good time.
PAUL: The most fun scene to film for me was when Auzzy finally told Hannah about how he felt about her using the song “Butterfly.” Because Auzzy is someone who struggles to communicate his feelings towards other people (due to being shy and pretty introverted), and as much as I understood how Auzzy must’ve felt as someone who’s playing his character, I really just wanted to see that moment where he confronts her about his feelings towards her. Filming the Butterfly scene was just so relieving and fun!!
TARAN: There’s a scene in the penultimate episode where Leo goes on a bit of a rant about the state of their group just before the showcase. He doesn’t hide the fact that he’s really talking about something (or someone) else and it gets very awkward for Auzzy and Rook, which was super fun to play off of. I had so much fun filming this scene because I felt like I just really got to let go and be dramatic. For someone that comes predominantly from a theater background, it felt very comfortable getting to that place. Leo generally tries to keep his demeanor relatively cool and lax, but as humans, we all have the potential to get to that really over-enthusiastic place so it was exciting to explore some of that in this scene.

Were there any unexpected obstacles or surprises that arose during filming?
ANGELA: The biggest obstacle for me within this process was getting rid of my imposter syndrome and being more confident with myself. I’m sure most of my cast members relate to this, but for a lot of us, this was our first time being in a TV setting and it was my first time as well. I went through a lot of trouble with my self-confidence as I always felt that I wasn’t good enough and compared myself to others, and I had a hard time watching myself on screen for a long time. I think talking to my castmates and receiving so many words of encouragement and support from them helped me get through these feelings. Although imposter syndrome is not something that’s easily removable, I know that I have my friends who I’m able to reach out to for help if I need to and vice versa for them as well. I truly wouldn’t have been able to do it without them!
PAUL: I think one of the biggest obstacles that we had to go through, or at least for me was when there were over 200 background actors and each idol group in the show had to perform. I think it was a bit harder for me due to the fact that I was still quite new to dancing and had to perform in front of many people. However, with the amazing help of everyone, we were all able to perform in confidence and had lots of fun with it as well.
TARAN: I think the biggest obstacle for me was just the sheer speed that a TV set operates at. It ended up being something that I really enjoyed but in the beginning, I found it hard to adapt. We would learn choreo the day of, receive scripts the night before or morning of, and there was always a sense of speed while we were physically shooting as well. I was new to it all so I really wanted to be proud of the performance I was giving, which was difficult when we would shoot a scene and then never touch it again, but that’s the nature of it. Again, I ended up actually loving that aspect because it meant I didn’t have to dwell on what I had just done and I could just accept it, let it go, and move on to the next scene. I give major recognition to our 3 directors (Gloria Kim, Justin Wu and Romeo Candido) for somehow, amidst everyone around us telling us we needed to speed up, making me feel really grounded in the performance and comfortable to ask questions and take it again if I really needed to. They’re the kind of directors I want to work with and become some day.

What were your first impressions of each other?
ANGELA: When I met Paul for the first time, I remember thinking he was shy, but also exuded a very confident vibe. After talking and getting to know each other, I quickly realized that he was such a chill person and we had so many things in common! With him being the first castmate I met for the show, I felt very safe and reassured that I wasn’t going to feel so lonely in this process. When I first met Taran, I immediately knew he was going to be one of my closest friends. There’s been very rare chances of me meeting people that I instantly clicked with, and Taran was definitely one of those friends in my life where I knew we were going to be really close from the beginning. He is honestly like a big brother to me, and I’ve shared so many good laughs and tears with him.
PAUL: I first met Angela at the studio before meeting Taran. When I first met Angela, we actually had a lot of things in common, not to mention that we’re both from Burlington and that was the last thing I expected LOL. And I could tell she was a very down to earth and chill person! When I met Taran, he was just filled with happiness and he’s such a bright person. Even if someone is having a bad day, he is someone who could change your bad day to a good day!
TARAN: I remember meeting Ang at lunch on our first day on set. We knew a few of the same people around Toronto so we got to talking and I just remember thinking she was so cool. She was someone who was incredibly easy to talk to and very confident about who she was, which is an awesome quality to be around. I met Paul on a later day on set and I remember he was just so excited to be there. It didn’t seem like he was nervous (like I was), just really open to every experience and every learning opportunity. Despite these first impressions, I couldn’t have imagined getting to grow so close to them. They’re family to me now.

What did you do to prepare for/immerse yourself into your character’s roles?
ANGELA: Contrary to what I’ve said about my biggest obstacles, Sun Hee is a character that is filled with self-confidence. When I learned this about her, I knew I had to get in the mindset of being comfortable with myself – not just how I looked or acted but how I carried myself in public. I remember I would sit behind the mirror in the hair and makeup room giving myself mini pep talks before I got called on set – even these brief conversations with myself had a big impact on me because it helped me change the way I saw myself and the way I behaved versus the days where I let my imposter syndrome take over me. These little preparations allowed me to portray Sun Hee in the way she deserved to be seen.
PAUL: Auzzy is the quiet type. He’s all about letting his achievements do the talking, quietly working towards success. I could relate to his way of working with things, as I think I’m similar in that sense. I prefer to keep my work lowkey until it’s absolutely done and perfect. So, when it came to understanding his image, I felt like I was able to resonate with him to prepare for this role!
TARAN: Well thankfully my character is definitely more of an ‘outsider’ than even Hannah is; not really knowing any Korean or much about K-Pop so stepping into the role was pretty straightforward for me, and the writing definitely plays into the humor of him not knowing a whole lot. I knew there would be a good amount of dancing for me so my preparation was more geared towards making sure those styles of dance remained sharp up until shooting. I also really delved into the material and scripts I already had to really see where I wanted Leo to live in my voice and in my body. Of course, it’s always easy to base our characters on ourselves but since he is younger than I am by a few years, I knew that he wouldn’t always act emotionally or physically the way I would now. I wanted all of his actions (while sometimes unreasonable or immature) to come from a genuine place, which would definitely be reflected in the voice and the body.

What aspects of your character did you resonate with the most?
ANGELA: Something I really love about Sun Hee is that she has zero filter and speaks what’s on her mind. She’ll sometimes let her friends know the harsh truth to simply empathize with the situation, and even though they’re comically brutal, I really resonate and admire that about her. I find that I can be very straightforward with things, and I’m known as the friend that gives very honest opinions when my friends try on clothes at the mall. I always try to be honest with myself and others, and I truly resonated with Sun Hee’s actions and thought processes in the show. From the filming process, I also knew that I wanted to portray this character as someone that teenage Angela would have watched and looked up to – someone that is unapologetically herself and is okay with it. I thought a lot about my younger self in Sun Hee’s actions.
PAUL: Another part I could really resonate with Auzzy was how shy he is. But I’m actually the same haha. I COULD get quite introverted and shy sometimes. So when I was playing the shy boy character, especially for the interactions with Hannah, I felt like I was able to get into the character quite fast.
TARAN: I really resonated with Leo’s journey to find drive and discipline in his life. Before I went to college for Musical Theater, I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I loved the arts, but I also had a lot of people in my artistic endeavors pushing me to work harder and apply myself more. It’s hard sometimes for young people to admit they have a dream. It makes it all real and creates expectations and risks that we’re not always ready to face. Leo, up until the beginning of the series, has constantly been pulled between what his dreams are and what’s easy. He’s usually chosen the easy option, which clearly isn’t working for him. I can definitely relate to this and still find myself choosing what’s ‘easy’ all the time. It’s really inspiring being a part of an ensemble who play such young characters who follow their heart and chase their dreams in a way that a lot of adults still struggle with every day.

All the actors in the series have very good chemistry together. How did you join the cast of the series? What drew you to this project?
ANGELA: Aside from the fact that this was a K-Pop show, what initially piqued my interest was how realistic and detailed the plot was. Reading about a Canadian-Korean teenager visiting her native country to teach English and discover more about her cultural background, this narrative and struggle of discovering your identity is incredibly relatable to so many people internationally. Gangnam Project delves deeper than just K-Pop, but further talks about being true to how you identify yourself and understanding your worth, and to not let other people’s ideas affect those feelings.
PAUL: I actually had no idea I would be interested in acting since I’ve never done it before, but my friend asked me to try auditioning for this series as they were looking for Korean actors who can also speak Korean. Because I’m able to speak Korean and because I was really interested in the theme of this project as well, I decided to give it a shot for the first time in the field of acting.
TARAN: Pretty much everything about the show drew me to it. While it may have been fitting for me and my skill set in an obvious way, I think the heart of the show; the idea of belonging, is what drew me to it the most. I’m not half Korean like Leo is, but growing up in Canada has made it really easy for me to understand and empathize with what Leo and Hannah struggle with when it comes to their culture. It was my first time auditioning for a series lead so I wasn’t expecting much, I just wanted to make a good impression. It just so happened that the showrunner saw me in a musical I did back in 2019 and I remember speaking with him after the show. Though I didn’t know him well (yet), it was great to see a familiar face in the callback who was obviously rooting for me. I’m so thankful for him and he continued that support throughout shooting.

What message do you hope audiences take away from the film?
ANGELA: I really hope people take away from this show that you can become anyone and anything you wish to be if you believe in it and act upon it. This story follows a girl who works extremely hard to achieve her goals in a country where she speaks little to no words of Korean, and that really sets the tone that your mindset can be the greatest weapon and your worst enemy. Although it doesn’t come easy for Hannah, the show does an amazing job of showing that if you have the ambition and put the effort into achieving your goals, you are truly invincible.
PAUL: This show is unique in the way that it focuses heavily on Korean culture but also has a universal message of following your dreams and not letting fear or doubt hold you back. So I hope that through this show, the audiences can not only have a chance to experience Korean culture even the slightest bit, but also a universal message to everyone to follow your dreams.
TARAN: The message I want people to take away from the series is that it is never too late to become closer with your roots and your culture. So many families come to Canada for a new life and it’s understandable that their roots from where they came from can get lost in that new life. I’m 24 and I’ve never really felt the need to get to know my Korean side until I came onto this show and met the most amazing Korean-Canadian and Korean-American actors. I was so fortunate to even go to Korea for the first time to shoot this series which was emotional and difficult and wonderful all at the same time. It’s not easy – I wish I had done this earlier, but it’s all part of the process and the show does a great job illustrating that to the wider audience as well. It doesn’t come easy to the characters, but what’s waiting for them at the end is an even richer sense of identity and belonging that is absolutely worth it.

Are there any specific types of roles or genres you hope to try out in your future projects?
ANGELA: I am honestly very open minded and would be so grateful to play any kind of roles, but I am such a sucker for melodramas and rom coms. I love to not just watch these, but I love looking at different essay videos and articles that dissect these movies and shows about its plot and the emotions that arise inside them. Some of my favorite films are those that I watch and get so sucked into them that I feel like I am living my life as the characters in the movies, and it would be really cool to one day actually be a part of these works.
PAUL: I would love to get into more dramatic acting – something more catered to a more mature audience because I want to try my hand at a variety of roles and I want to put myself out there to experience playing roles that are very polar opposites to my personality.
TARAN: This early in my career, to be honest, I’m just excited to play any role of any kind. Leo’s journey, while very important for young people to see, is still filled with so much levity and comedy. I’ve loved playing with the comedy and would love to do it more in different capacities and different characters. I think comedy is one of the hardest things an actor can do so I’d really love to take a crack at getting good at it. No character, even a comedic one, is one-dimensional so the more dramatic and heartfelt moments will always come. Leo has a few and it was definitely challenging to get to that place when so much of my content was the opposite. Hopefully it all came across in the performance and I’m hopeful all of us will get a chance to delve into these characters further.