Im Siwan: “I Didn’t Just Want the Jang Geu Rae Role, I Needed It”

Actor Im Siwan spoke about his thoughts on his lead role as Jang Geu Rae in tvN’s hit drama, “Misaeng” in a press conference.

“As a man who had been living the character of Jang Geu Rae in reality, I was really thrilled when I saw the synopsis for the series. I didn’t just want the role – I needed it,” said Im Siwan. “I felt like I couldn’t live without having played this role, and even if the series was a bust, I would’ve been satisfied just for having the chance to meet Jang Geu Rae.”

Im Siwan had a great experience developing Jang Geu Rae, and his enthusiasm was captured on camera as he acted out his role. Although he had a lot of fun with the character, he didn’t expect the character would grab the hearts of thousands of viewers.

“A lot of the viewers held Jang Geu Rae in high esteem, and that’s when I started to feel the pressure,” admitted Im Siwan.

Much of the audience felt a likeness for the show, mainly because it the series truly reflected the life of an office worker and the problems that go along with it. The last episode was aired on December 20 and it had the drama’s highest viewer ratings. The scene where Jang Geu Rae and Oh manager (Lee Sung Min) chased down an adversary in Jordan was a “fantasy present to the viewers” according to Im Siwan.

Many of the viewers thought it was something like a scene out of the “Bourne Trilogy” movies. They even nicknamed Jang Geu Rae as “Bourne Geu Rae.”

[tv] Watch the Misaeng series on Soompi TV! [/tv]