Shin Jae Ha has sat down for an interview following the successful conclusion of “taxi driver 2,” he discussed many things in the interview, lets go over them below!
NOTE: SPOILERS OF TAXI DRIVER 2 and Crash Course in Romance BELOW
The villain of the first half of this year could be said to have started and ended with actor Shin Jae Ha. He played the creepy serial killer Ji Dong-hee in tvN’s “Crash Course In Romance,” and in SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama “Taxi Driver” season 2 (hereafter “Taxi Driver 2”), which ended on the 15th, he played the “evil operator” Ohn Ha-joon, showing a heartless and tearless performance.
Especially in the final episode of “Taxi Driver 2,” Ohn Ha-joon’s real name, Kim Dan-woo, was revealed. As his heart-wrenching story of his parents who searched for him while he was kidnapped and raised as a murderer by a criminal organization was revealed, viewers were even more sympathetic.
At the beginning of the drama, he pretended to be a young man working for Mujigae Taxi Company, and later revealed his true identity and committed various crimes. Some viewers commented that this was not very different from the development and setting of “Crash Course In Romance,” in which Shin Jae-ha played the role of Ji Dong-hee, a righteous assistant who was revealed to be a serial killer. Despite this, Shin Jae-ha said, “I didn’t know these two works would be broadcast back to back like this. After watching these works, I couldn’t just let it go. I felt like I had to do it.”
The filming for “Crash Course In Romance” and “Taxi Driver 2” started almost at the same time and ended similarly. Prior to completing his military service, Shin Jae Ha had already been cast in “Crash Course In Romance,” and after being discharged, he received an offer to appear in “Taxi Driver 2.” Despite the demanding schedule, he never wanted to miss the opportunity to work with senior actors like Jeon Do-yeon and Jung Kyung-ho and appear in the “Taxi Driver” series. He made the decision quickly and started filming right away.
During his first shoot after being discharged from the military, Shin Jae Ha said that he was nervous and shaking while filming “Crash Course In Romance” and “Taxi Driver 2.” However, he was able to perfectly immerse himself in each character while going back and forth between the two sets. He also adjusted his diet and attended action school for non-stunt action scenes, in preparation for the topless scene in the “Burning Sun” episode of “Taxi Driver 2.” Although he lost weight as the shooting progressed, he expressed his gratitude for the help and support he received from his senior actors on set.
The actor said, “At first, I felt a lot of pressure joining ‘Taxi Driver 2’ as the villain since the previous season was so successful. However, my co-stars like Pyo Ye-jin and Bae Yoo-ram had worked with me before in previous works, and other senior actors understood my struggles and showed me consideration. They gave me a lot of time and support.”
As Shin Jae Ha’s popularity rose, he said he was delighted to hear his friend’s little brother say, “Is your older brother doing okay at home?” after seeing him on TV. He added, “I’ve been acting for ten years, and it’s harder to make a name for yourself than it is to get people to recognize your face. By appearing in “Crash Course In Romance” and ‘Taxi Driver 2,’ people recognize me as Shin Jae Ha. I used to be someone’s son or younger brother, but now I feel proud and fortunate. I can’t play young roles forever,” he said with a smile.
After finishing the filming for both dramas, Shin Jae Ha said he spent a solid month “bedridden” due to the aftereffects of the tension he felt during filming, which continued after his discharge from the military. Having set a goal to work on projects non-stop after completing his military service, Shin Jae Ha is now taking a breather and preparing for his next work.
“When I looked at myself calmly, I didn’t think I could become a top star actor. I decided to take it slow and do what I love for a long time. However, as I continued to work, I felt anxiety towards the end of each project. The pressure was severe, and I couldn’t even go out with friends comfortably. I couldn’t do many things that people in their 20s can do. Even serving in the military became a burden because I had to continue working on projects after discharge. The weight on my mind became so heavy that I thought, ‘I just want to leave now.’ So I volunteered for enlistment.”
After serving in the military and appearing in all successful productions, Shin Jae Ha humbly said, “I feel like I’ve used up years’ worth of luck.” Nevertheless, his relaxed smile and unwavering passion for acting gave hope for his future endeavors.
Shin Jae Ha talked about his future goals, he said, “My goal for the rest of this year is to maintain a calm mind and spend my time solely on my work and characters. While Crash Course In Romance’ and ‘Taxi Driver 2’ were physically challenging, I didn’t feel the stress that weighed me down throughout my 20s. I want to spend this year like that too. It’s my goal for my entire 30s.”
Did you enjoy Shin Jae Ha in “Taxi Driver 2”?
Source: (A)
He played his part as villain perfectly, however didn’t expect him to die on the last part of the episode 16too bad!