Lee Moo-saeng “Please make my next nickname ‘Seum Baragi’” [IS Interview]

“Lee Moose Saint Laurent? Thank you for giving me such a fun nickname. However, rather than being stuck with a nickname, I hope to come up with a different nickname for a different role. This time, I personally hope it will be built with ‘Seum Baragi’. (laugh)”

Actor Lee Moo-saeng said this about his nickname, which was created to mean that he shows masterpiece-like acting every time.

He received favorable reviews for playing a creepy psychopath in ‘The Glory’, a Japanese general in the movie ‘Noryang: Sea of ​​Death’, and even a love interest in the tvN drama ‘Maestra’, which ended on the 14th, hence his nickname. This situation is not worthless. In a recent interview at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Lee Moo-saeng’s ambitions were much greater. ‘Maestra’ was also a work she encountered in the process.

‘Maestra’ is a mystery drama about female conductor Cha Se-eum (Lee Young-ae), who is called a genius or a legend, searches for the truth of the events surrounding her orchestra while hiding her secrets. all. It was a success, maintaining an average viewer rating of 5-6%. In the play, Lee Moo-saeng plays the role of Yoo Jeong-jae, the chairman of UC Financial.

Lee Moo-saeng is famous as a prolific actor. Regarding the reason why he decided to appear in ‘Maestra’, Lee Moo-saeng said, “I thought it was a drama made up of people with passion. He also expresses their stories,” he said, adding, “Chase’s voice is music, Yoo Jeongjae’s is love, Kim Pil’s is regret, and Lee Eun is yearning. “I thought it was a story about doing my best to express that passion as much as possible, regardless of whether it was right or wrong, and I was drawn to it,” he said.

Yoo Jeong-jae, played by Lee Moo-saeng, is interested in Cha Se-eum’s every move. At the beginning of the play, when Cha Se-eum kept pushing him away, he recklessly went to the orchestra and pressed the emergency bell, showing his reckless tendencies.

Lee Moo-saeng also shook his head and said, “Why did Jeong-jae do that then?” Although the character is difficult to understand in many ways, Lee Moo-saeng expressed his affection, saying, “Jung Jae has his own cute charm.”

“No matter what, Jeongjae’s charm is ‘purity.’ He says everyone gets bored while working, right? But I think Jeongjae’s big advantage is that he has the same old personality. Also, Cha Se-eum, whom I saw after a long time, was still full of desire and passion for music, and I think Jeong-jae fell in love with that consistency.”

The chemistry between Lee Moo-saeng and Lee Young-ae in ‘Maestra’ was also a hot topic. When Lee Moo-saeng’s name was mentioned, Lee Moo-saeng repeatedly expressed his gratitude, saying, “It’s just an honor.”

He said, “The aura felt at the scene was amazing. “When acting, he made the surroundings warm and comfortable so that the atmosphere did not become stiff,” he said. “Thanks to this, I think my acting came out naturally. “I am so grateful,” he said.

Lee Young-ae also had a hidden, unexpected charm. Lee Moo-saeng said with a smile, “I thought she only ate dew, but she was really serious about what she ate,” and she added, “One time, she went to eat samgyetang, and she brought her own lunch box with her. So I remember she kept taking it from the side. “Besides that, she gives out a lot of things like snacks,” she explained.

Unlike the strong impression shown in his works, Lee Moo-saeng also showed a lot of shyness. When asked, “It seems a little different from the ‘Maestra’ production presentation,” he jokingly asked if it would be okay to try it like Yoo Jeong-jae.

While working on ‘Maestra’, Lee Moo-saeng also revealed that there was one comment that particularly left an impression on him. The article said, ‘The suit fit is good.’ Lee Moo-saeng said, “I eat three meals a day and do bodyweight exercises. “He mainly does pull-ups or running, and for pull-ups, he does a total of 8 sets of 8 times,” he revealed.

Lee Moo-saeng, who has been running non-stop since last year, already has two next works in 2024, including the movie ‘Citizen Deok-hee’ and Season 2 of the Netflix series ‘Gyeongseong Creature’.

“The human Lee Moo-saeng is an ordinary person, but roles such as the chairman, voice phishing leader, and psychopath are things that cannot be done unless you are in a drama or movie. I think the charm of being an actor is being able to experience and challenge different jobs. “This is what keeps me going.”

Reporter Kim Ji-hye jahye2@edaily.co.kr