Hwang In-yeop addresses why he is playing the role of a student for the third time in his 30s

The upcoming thriller Korean series Why Her? is all set to see actor Hwang In-yeop as a high school student who gets caught up in a complicated relationship. Korean dramas are known for their penchant for depicting storylines originating, and sometimes continuing, in schools.

While shows like the zombie horror drama All of Us Are Dead feature actors in their early 20s and sometimes in their late teens, Why Her? has cast Hwang In-yeop as a high school student even though he has already turned 30. According to Hwang In-yeop, however, he is usually cast as a high-schooler only because the director sees potential in him. He goes to audition for a role regardless of the age of the character.

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Hwang In-yeop has been seen as a school student in many shows

The actor has portrayed the character of a school-going male lead in many shows so far, including the 2020 series 18 Again wherein he was seen as a school bully. The internationally loved tvN series True Beauty saw him as Han Seo-jun, a high schooler who posed a tough exterior but was actually kind and soft-hearted. Seo-jun was in love with the same girl his ex-best friend liked.

2022 saw Hwang In-yeop once again don a school uniform for the hit Netflix series The Sound of Magic. In the show, he plays the character of Na Il-deung, a genius and wealthy high school student who is unable to express his feelings for Yoon Ah-yi. Moreover, he lacks agency and struggles to pursue dreams of his own.

The actor shared in a recent interview (translated via Soompi) that things started changing for his character only after he met the eccentric magician Rieul (Ji Chang-wook).

“He thinks that he will be successful as long as he studies like his parents have told him to. That’s why he doesn’t know what he likes. Then he meets Rieul and starts thinking about himself. He struggles to express his emotions in front of the girl he likes. He’s a pretty boy who suits his age.”

The conversation then shifted to addressing the elephant in the room, which is Hwang In-yeop’s latest string of projects in which he plays a high school student. As mentioned before, even his upcoming drama Why Her will see him flaunting his boyish charm to pass off as a school-going teenager. He said:

“I started doing student roles in my thirties. I wasn’t thinking about age when I went to my audition. The director cast me after only looking at my potential, so I’m working while doing my best. I feel thankful that I’ve received lots of love.”

The actor will be seen in the mystery romance series Why Her? alongside Seo Hyun-jin and Huh Joon-ho. It premieres on Netflix this June 3, 2022.