Lee Jun Young shares why he chose 'Reborn Rookie'

Lee Jun Young has shared why he chose Reborn Rookie.

Reborn Rookie follows Kang Yong Ho (Son Hyun Joo), chairman of a leading corporation, who, after an accident, finds himself as soccer player Hwang Joon Hyun (Lee Jun Young) and ends up living a second life where he has to start over as a rookie employee at his own company.

In the drama, Hwang Jun Hyun used to be a promising soccer player, but after an unexpected accident, he becomes possessed by the soul of Kang Yong Ho. As a result, Lee Jun Young takes on the challenge of portraying two completely different personalities: soccer player Hwang Jun Hyun and Chairman Kang Yong Ho.

Explaining that the premise was what drew him to choose Reborn Rookie, Lee Jun Young said, "The fact that I could portray both Hwang Jun Hyun and Kang Yong Ho within a single project felt like a very appealing challenge for me as an actor," adding, "On top of that, the script itself was really fun, so I chose the project without hesitation."

He continued, "Soccer player Hwang Jun Hyun is someone with a healthier and brighter energy compared to anyone else, and he lives very diligently compared to anyone else in order to achieve his dreams," adding, "On the other hand, Hwang Jun Hyun, after Chairman Kang Yong Ho's soul inhabits his body, may look the same on the outside, but the sense of pressure and charisma [emanating from] within [him] are completely different."

Since the soul switch takes place as the plot unfolds, Lee Jun Young reportedly carried out a detailed analysis to portray even the nuances of Chairman Kang Yong Ho's character.

He shared, "I wanted soccer player Hwang Jun Hyun and Hwang Jun Hyun, after being inhabited by Kang Yong Ho's soul, to appear distinctly different," adding, "I put a lot of thought into Chairman Kang Yong Ho's unique way of speaking and emotional nuances."

He also recalled, "I carefully observed senior actor Son Hyun Joo's usual manner of speaking and behavior so I could give a natural portrayal," adding, "In particular, I watched a lot of videos of projects Son Hyun Joo sunbaenim appeared in."

As a key point to watch in Reborn Rookie, Lee Jun Young pointed to its wide-ranging emotional depth.

He said, "This is a project where waves of diverse emotions will come crashing in — from heavy storylines to nerve-racking tension," adding, "I think the biggest fun will be the unexpected situations Kang Yong Ho, inhabiting Hwang Jun Hyun’s body, encounters after joining Choi Sung Group. When the wonderful wave we created comes, I hope viewers will enjoy riding it together [with us], as if surfing."

Reborn Rookie will premiere on May 30. The K-drama will be streaming on Viki.

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