[Interview] Kim A-Joong And Kim Moo-Yul Talk About Their Mystery-Tracking Thriller Drama, Grid
“Grid” is a Disney+ Hotstar original mystery-tracking thriller drama that follows the story between a police officer and a detective who uncover the truth about the mysterious existence that saved mankind in a crisis.
Kim A-Joong plays Jung Sae-byeok, a stoic cop intent on bringing the killer and his accomplice to justice.
Kim Moo-Yul plays Song Eo-jin, a member of the Bureau of Administration who is in search of the mysterious Ghost with hidden motives.
Check out our interview with Kim A-Joong and Kim Moo-Yul below:
1. Can you introduce the show and your characters in your own words? What excites you about the show and what are you excited for audiences to see?
Kim A-Joong: This show is a mystery-chaser thriller. So, it is a genre series that will excite many people if you enjoy such things.
I play the role of Jung Sae-byeok, a homicide detective who is one of the many people who are after the character known as The Ghost, who is at the core of this mystery.
Kim Moo-Yul: I play the role of Song Eo-jin who is an employee and a secretariat of the bureau management of the Grid. This bureau acts to ensure the Grid is working fine. The secretariat is a group of people who are after the mysterious being that created the Grid.
Eo-jin has been at this bureau as a secretariat for a very long time. Even though Eo-jin is a little bit sceptical about the existence of the Ghost, he executes his job so well that he ends up playing a major role in chasing the Ghost.
Eo-jin and A-Joong’s character, Sae-byeok are a divorced couple. So, when we first encounter each other in the drama, there was some tension and clashes between us.
Things that you should look forward to I would say, the whole world that has been built is amazing to see. As actors reading the script, it was difficult to understand because the world that’s been constructed was so large and complicated. The story goes beyond space and time. It can be difficult to follow, but as each episode progresses, the world expands, the story deepens and the fun factor duplicates. It’s a whole new type of great ride to enjoy.
2. During the two years the world was in the pandemic, the only entertainment industry that flourished was Korea. Going forward, how do you perceive this movement in Korean entertainment? Does it put a responsibility on you as actors and ambassadors of Korean entertainment?
Kim Moo-Yul: Oh, I’m just thankful for all the love and support pouring from the fans. I feel very much feel responsible that I have to carry on that momentum. We, as actors, have to do whatever we can to maintain the momentum that you’ve just talked about. And with The Grid too, it is going to be shown not only to a Korean audience but to the international audience through Disney+ Hotstar.
We worked on this just as we have been doing in Korea. We poured everything we had into this project and I’m sure it will exceed expectations of the international audience. The Grid may be one of those most representative content that will contribute greatly to the advancement of K-content globally.
3. As a crime-mystery drama, we can look forward to some action scenes from the actors. Was there any specific training that was done for the scenes?
Kim A-Joong: I have to be honest, I didn’t go through any training for a long time but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t prepare for my role. The reason behind this because it would seem a bit odd if my character, who is one of the police detectives, can do these flashy, action moves that the CIA agents would do. I kept my character faithful to the reality of Korean detectives. Though, I did receive some training for shooting, so you will be able to see what I can offer in terms of shooting and action when Grid airs.
Kim Moo-Yul: I just want to add on to what she said because she’s just being humble. A-Joong did everything she could do and poured her heart into the action scenes.
One of the anecdotes that I remember, is that we were shooting a car chase scene and all the actors were driving the cars themselves with no stuntmen / stunt doubles. And then there’s a small accident that happened because the cars were moving really fast. Thankfully no one got hurt but this shows how serious we were about making sure the authenticity of the action scenes.
4. How it was like acting with Seo Kang-joon and were there any memorable anecdotes?
Kim Moo-Yul: Yes, Seo Kang-joon plays the character Sae-ha, the character who chose this lonely, gruesome, and struggling path. Seo Kang-joon was really good at bringing out the sadness, loneliness and the scars from the past. He was able to arouse those emotions through his eyes. He’s more than just a pretty face. I could definitely see that he was playing this role in multifaceted ways, and you will be able to see those new faces of him in The Grid when it airs.
Kim A-Joong: I have to agree with him. There’s something special about Kang-joon’s eyes and you can definitely see that he is very serious about what he does, and he loves what he does.
The Grid will be the series through which we will be able to see a new side of him and how he brings this character, Sae-ha to life. It will leave a good, long-lasting impression about him.
5. You play a divorced couple in the drama. How did you prepare to portray this relationship in this drama?
Kim Moo-Yul: I would say I did my best not to show any emotions about my past with her. You know, I made sure I pretended that I didn’t know her. Even if people did find out about our past, it’s okay. I’m not going to show any emotions. So that was my state of mind when I was shooting the scenes with her.
Kim A-Joong: Well, I didn’t actually plan anything or prepare anything in terms of our relationship. I was just curious how we’d perform in action when it comes to that kind of emotion. I just kind of went with the flow? And you know though he (Moo-Yul) just said he tried not to show any emotions, I think I was the one who was kind of trying to spill the beans without actually spilling the beans. I wanted the viewers to find out that something is going on with these two. The more we resist that kind of revelation, I was the one who wanted the world to know but in a kind of nuanced way.
Because when it comes to relationships, human relationship, romantic relationship or whatnot, you cannot actually define it. Which means when I act with someone, I have to make sure that I feed from that person’s performance. It takes two to tango, I think that’s how it happened. And it’s almost risky to define that relationship beforehand because you don’t know what’s going to happen on screen. And I think that was the approach I took.
6. Is there any differences between working for a TV and a web series like Disney+? The workflow, the work style?
Kim A-Joong: For actors like myself, I think the approach is all the same, you know? It’ll be different for the director or the writer in terms of how much they’re going to show because of the episodic nature of those series, and the direction of those twists and turns. When is that going to happen, or how much they’re going to show in terms of the themes and the materials, so they are the ones who have a difficult job of adjusting the gears towards the media, but I don’t think that applies to acting.
Kim Moo-Yul: I totally agree with her. We just give our all, that’s all.
7. My question is for Ms Kim. It’s been 5 years since you took part in a drama series. What took you so long?
Kim A-Joong: I know, it took me too long, right? I wish I came back to TV dramas a little sooner. I did my best though. I never took a break, I never told myself “Ah, A-joong, let’s take a break”. I didn’t do anything like that. I kept on receiving scripts, and I kept on reviewing these projects but it just didn’t happen. That’s all I can tell you right now. But I am very much happy and thankful that I’m back with something that I can feel very proud of.
Just to clarify, it’s not like my hiatus that lasted for 5 years. There was a film that I worked on, it’s called “Bad Guys”. I don’t know if it was released in Hong Kong, but it’s a remake of a Korean TV series.
8. If ghosts really exist in this world, what would you do? Would you try to fight them or just let others be responsible?
Kim Moo-Yul: If the Grid was real, I would be very thankful that we have the Grid because it protects us from the crisis right? And I mean, if people need to find the creator, the Ghost, if that’s an absolute necessity, then I will probably participate in the chase.
Kim A-Joong: If The Grid is real, that means the solar wind crisis or any type of that doom scenario, is also real, right? And that frightens and saddens me more than the existence of the Grid. As a human being and as a person, I’m very conscious about the possibility of an ongoing global crisis and I think that kind of crisis can happen anytime. So as a human being, I will find anything I can do to help mankind save ourselves.
That’s the end of the short interview session. Don’t forget to stream Grid on Disney+ Hotstar.