New Delhi: Actor Moon Sang Min has been steadily climbing up the popularity charts. His charming good looks apart, it’s his screen presence and the ease with which he gets under the skin of his characters that have impressed viewers.

Studio Dragon’s “Wedding Impossible” which concluded with spectacular ratings is an unusual triangle of a closeted gay heir Lee Do Han( Kim Do Wan) who asks his best friend Na A-jeong(Jeong Jong Seo) to get into a contract marriage with him. But, enter Do Han’s ambitious and cocksure brother Lee Ji Han( Moon Sang Min) who tries every trick in the book to derail the marriage. But, the unlikely twist is when Ji Han finds himself falling in love with A Jeong.

Moon Sang Min came into the spotlight with his performance as the seemingly arrogant yet compassionate Crown Prince 

Seongnam in “Under The Queen’s Umbrella” which also won him the Best New Actor trophy at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards.

The actor who is all set to lead the drama Cinderella at 2 AM spoke to Puja Talwar. 

1. Your character Lee Ji Han has his plans and secrets. What was it like to play him and could you relate to him at any level?

Moon Sang Min: As you saw throughout the drama, Ji-han goes through various changes, not only externally but internally as well. I wanted to express these changes to the viewers. It was not easy to be Ji-han, but I had so much fun and also learned a lot. I think Ji-han and I have pretty much in common. First of all, Ji-han talks a lot, and I tend to talk a lot as well. My older brother was watching the drama and told me that Ji Han and how I behaved with my older brother in the show, was what I was like in real life. The difference is that Jihan is an overactive and over achiever which I am not. I think that is the main difference between us. And also of being a chaebol.

 

2. What drew you to The Wedding Impossible when you first read it? Was there any preparation in exploring your character and his mindset?

Moon Sang Min:  Wedding Impossible, the premise of the younger brother being against his older brother’s marriage, seemed like a novel story setting. So I found the triangle between the three main characters Ji-han, Do-han and Ah-jung more interesting. When I first read the script, there were many lines with wordplay, which made me laugh. Not only reading the script but also while acting, these wordplays had me laughing continuously. I initially felt Ji Han was a complicated character. I deeply thought about how could I express his various emotions well. So for the preparation, I read the script many times repeatedly and discussed deeply about this character with the director while acting.

 

3. After the success of Under The Queen’s Umbrella, you are being called the actor to watch out for. Are you aware of your popularity and do the expectations overwhelm you?

Moon Sang Min: I feel grateful and lucky that I received a lot of love working on ‘Under The Queen’s Umbrella’. I did feel a little famous, when the number of followers on my social media increased and people started recognising me. I do feel some kind of pressure, but am  learning from many people around me as well as through the process of filming, which helped me get confident. I try to enjoy every moment and do my best. ‘Wedding Impossible’ was a great opportunity and I’m very grateful for, since I got to work with wonderful colleagues and staff members.

 

4. After a period drama, now a rom-com is there a genre you want to try? Do you have a dream role? Describe yourself as an actor in one word.

 Moon Sang Min: I want to try period dramas one more time. I had such wonderful memories with ‘Under The Queen’s Umbrella’. Of course, I was also really happy with ‘Wedding Impossible’. But while working on modern dramas, I wanted to work on period dramas If I would describe myself in one word, I would say ‘happiness.’ For me, I am so grateful and happy with what I am doing right now!

 

5. You are hugely popular in India.Have you watched Indian films or tried Indian food. Would you like to visit India?

Moon Sang Min:First of all, I feel really honored for the huge popularity in India and I love Indian curry. I really want to visit India, to try some local foods, visit local restaurants and definitely meet my Indian fans in person.