[CELEB] Choi Si-won draws on personal experience in new rom-com

Television

Published: 09 Oct. 2022, 15:49 Updated: 09 Oct. 2022, 16:07

[CELEB] Choi Si-won draws on personal experience in new rom-com

Choi Si-won during a scene of the ongoing ENA rom-com ″Love Is For Suckers″ [ENA]

Actor and K-pop singer Choi Si-won’s latest role shows that romantic attractions can’t be planned as he falls in love with a friend who he’s known for 20 years in the new ENA rom-com series “Love Is For Suckers.”

During a press conference for the series on Oct. 5, Choi said that he actually has a close female friend in real life who he has known since he was in fifth grade.

“Many people ask if I ever had any feelings for her, but I always give a definite negative answer,” he said. “We aren’t each other’s types and people’s ideal types don’t easily change. I think that was the biggest reason we were able to stay friends for over 20 years.”

In “Love Is For Suckers” Choi plays a plastic surgeon who is a cynic, especially when it comes to love. The drama’s plot kicks off when he is asked by his longtime friend who is a TV producer, portrayed by actor Lee Da-hee, to join her new dating reality show. As the two begin working together, they suddenly start to develop romantic feelings for one another.

Choi Si-won, left and Lee Da-hee during the online press conference for the ongoing ENA rom-rom ″Love Is For Suckers″ [YONHAP]

Director of the show Choi Gyu-sik described the series as a “light romantic comedy with a touch of realism so that many people can relate to the story” during the press conference. “To those who haven’t dated in a while, our show will awaken your love cells.”

The series slightly deviates from other Korean drams in that it depicts a show within a show, according to director Choi.

“There is our drama and in it, there is also a reality dating show,” he said.

To depict the reality dating show in the drama, director Choi actually visited the set of SBS’s ongoing dating reality show “I Am Solo.”

“During my visit to the show's set, I saw that the production team really tried to relay the raw emotions of the participants,” he said. “I wanted to reflect that in this drama as well.”

The series premiered Wednesday. The first two episodes of the show have aired and saw 0.8 percent and 1.2 percent in local viewership ratings, according to Nielson Korea.

“Love Is For Suckers” airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 9 p.m. The 16-part series is set to run through Nov. 24.

Choi Si-won performing as a member of boy band Super Junior during the 2010 Golden Disc Awards at Korea University Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seongbuk District, central Seoul, on Dec. 9, 2010 [JOONGANG ILBO]

Although Choi is best known as a member of boy band Super Junior, he initially debuted as an actor in March 2005 through KBS rom-com series “Eighteen, Twenty-Nine.” He has a degree in acting from Inha University.

A few months later, he made his debut on the K-pop scene. Super Junior has released hits such as “Rokuko” (2007), “Sorry, Sorry” (2009), “Mr. Simple” (2011) and “Mamacita” (2014). Currently, the group has 10 members: Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun and Choi. In 2008, Choi became part of the subunit Super Junior-M comprised of six of the band’s members — Donghae, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun and Choi — and Zhou Mi who is only part of the subunit.

As an actor, Choi’s received his first award, the New Star award, for his performance in SBS's “Oh! My Lady” at the 2010 SBS Drama Awards. He played a young, immature, famous actor who falls in love with a single mother portrayed by actor Chae Rim. The series was Choi’s second drama starring as a lead following MBC’s “Legend of Hyang Dan” in 2007.

Choi’s acting was also critically praised in MBC’s coming-of-age romantic comedy “She was Pretty” which aired in 2015. Choi played the supporting role of a free spirited and kind reporter alongside actors Park Seo-joon and Hwang Jung-eum. He received the Best Supporting Actor award at the Drama Fever Awards the same year for the role.

Actor Choi Si-won, left, during a scene of the hit tvN drama ″Work Later, Drink Now″ (2021) [TVN]

Most recently, Choi starred in tvN’s hit drama “Work Later, Drink Now” (2021). He portrayed a TV producer with a slightly eccentric personality. The second season of the drama is set to be released this year. Choi will star in the upcoming season in the same role, along with actors Lee Sun-bin, Han Sun-hwa and Jung Eun-ji.

Actor Choi Si- Won [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Choi Si-won

Date of birth: April. 7, 1986
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Gangdong District, eastern Seoul
Debut: 2005 through KBS drama series “Eighteen, Twenty-Nine”
Agency: SM Entertainment

Choi Si-won debuted in March 2005 through a supporting role in KBS drama series “Eighteen, Twenty-Nine.” In November of the same year, he debuted as a member of K-pop boy band Super Junior and released hits such as “Rokuko” (2007), “Sorry, Sorry” (2009), “Mr. Simple” (2011) and “Mamacita” (2014). Choi is also part of the boy band’s subunit Super Junior-M which formed in 2008. As an actor Choi has starred as lead in dramas such as MBC’s “Oh! My Lady” (2010), SBS’s “Athena: Goddess of War” (2010), KBS’s “Poseidon” (2011), SBS’s “King of the Drama” (2012), MBC’s “She Was Pretty” (2015) and tvN’s “Work Later, Drink Now” (2021).

This information was confirmed by SM Entertainment on Oct. 6, 2022.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]