K-pop idol Hangyeom talks about her role in a BL drama, Bollywood and more

K-pop idol Hangyeom of boy band Omega X adds another feather to his illustrious cap. A singer, dancer and songwriter, he is now ready to make waves with his acting skills in the Korean BL drama. Jazz for two.

An adaptation of the webtoon of the same name, Jazz for two is the coming-of-age story of four students at Wooyeon Arts School and tells an evocative tale of friendship, love, life and everything in between. Hangyeom plays Seo Do-yoon, a drummer who is in love with a classmate but unable to express himself.

In an exclusive conversation with HELLO! India's K-pop idol-turned-actor opened up about his acting debut, his MBTI persona and his desire to compose songs for Bollywood

H! : Congratulations, Hangyeom! For someone who wears so many hats as singer, dancer and songwriter, you are now an actor. what was your acting debut like? Was there any initial nervousness on your side?

Hangyeom: Thank you very much for the congratulations! (Laughs) I'm really excited to make my acting debut, and it always feels surreal that people can watch me perform on the streaming platforms that I often watch. When the role was confirmed and I faced the camera for the first shoot, my biggest concern was not being embarrassed while acting.

H! : Have you always wanted to try your hand at acting? what was about this show Jazz for two, did that make you say yes? Have you read the webtoon yet?

Hangyeom: When my desire to act grew, I came across . Participating in the project fueled my passion even more, and naturally, I also looked into the original webtoon to deepen my understanding of the character Seo Do-yoon through the original webtoon.

H! : Your character is an optimistic and cheerful high school student, extroverted and intuitive. He is also a musician. Could you relate to him on any level or are you two very different?

Hangyeom: Do-yoons' vibe with his friends was very similar, and I thought there were similarities in the way he kindly approached Yoon Se-heon, who transferred to Wooyeon Arts School. A completely different aspect is that Do-yoon is good at playing the drums, but Hangyeom can't play the drums. (Laughs)

H! : Your MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) character is an ENFB (Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling and Perceiving) personality. If I asked you your MBTI, what would it be?

Hangyeom: This has changed several times, but recently my result became INTJ (Introversion, Intuition, Thinking and Judgment)

H! : What was the reaction of your bandmates when they saw you performing on screen?

Hangyeom: I received compliments on how natural my acting was. I think it's because he looks like me in real life. (Laughs)

H! : Your group Omega X also contributed to the soundtrack of the show, as well as director Song Soo-rims. A shoulder to cry on. Is it relatively easy to make music for a drama or is it difficult?

Hangyeom: While I can't say for certain that either is easy, I have found it quite comfortable to grasp the theme or subject of a song when composing and writing the lyrics for the song. soundtrack, taking into account the storyline of the drama or film. However, ironically, having a defined framework also posed some challenges because it limited me to thinking within certain boundaries. But all the works are equally interesting!

H! : What was it like working with director Song Soo-rim and on these kinds of stories?

Hangyeom: I received a lot of help from director Song Soo-rim, with direct and passionate words. I especially appreciated the advice she gave me while reading the script, as it was easy to understand and relate to. In addition, I felt even better during the monitoring thanks to the beautiful scenes produced under his direction!

H! : Would we see you in more dramas? What kind of dramas do you like? Actors you would like to work with?

Hangyeom: If we get the chance, of course! I can't wait to try not only dramas but also movies. I would love to try acting in romantic comedies or fantasy genres. Especially, I'm a fan of actors Kim Soo-hyun and Cho Jung-seok, so I would love to have the chance to film with them. (Laughs)

H! : Is it easier to play or make music? Describe yourself in one word as an actor and musician.

Hangyeom: I would say that nothing is easy. I think music comes a little easier to me because I've been making music longer, but I approach both activities with a spirit of challenge at all times. As an actor, Hangyeom can be described as passion and as a musician, Hangyeom can be described as life.

H! : With K-Pop and K-dramas being famous all over the world and since you are now part of both, what do you think makes Korean content so special?

Hangyeom: It’s still a bit surprising for me too! Personally, I think many people enjoy Korean content because it reflects the passion of Koreans very well, as I could see that everyone works hard on set and throughout the preparation process. (Laughs) Not only the artists, but also many staff members involved are striving for better results and content that more people can enjoy. So, I ask everyone to continue to show lots of love in the future!

H! : India loves K-Pop and K-Dramas. Do you know Indian films? Would you like to act or make music for a Bollywood film?

Hangyeom: I really enjoyed watching the movie 3 idiots! If I had the chance, I would also love to appear in Bollywood productions, of course! I especially love the dance and song filled scenes in Indian films, so one day I would like to produce soundtracks and even make guest appearances in them.

H! : How do you like to spend your free time?

Hangyeom. I tend to work on musical projects that resemble my life as described above, or study English. These days I also make a lot of effort to exercise!