By Lee Gyu-lee
Actor Noh Sang-hyun, who found fame after landing a supporting role in Pachinko on Apple TV+ in 2022, has taken on his first lead role with the latest Korean original series on Disney+, Soundtrack #2.
“I had a lot of fun working on this series. There were a lot of enjoyable moments where I would feel so lighthearted to dance or play around by myself (on screen),” Noh said during a recent interview.
“Thanks to the director who gave me (creative) freedom, (saying) ‘Do everything you want to do’, I was able to feel comfortable during the shoot, even though it was my first leading role.”
K-drama casting latest: Jeon Do-yeon tipped for crime thriller series
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The second season of Soundtrack, which premiered on December 6, follows the love story between two former lovers – Ji Su-ho (Noh) and Do Hyun-seo (Geum Sae-rok) – who have dated for six years.
Four years after their break-up, the two meet again when Do takes a job teaching piano to Ji, now the successful chief executive of a content agency.
They become involved in a musical project with musician Kei (Sohn Jeong-hyuck) and find themselves entangled in a love triangle.
The six-part series is co-directed by the first season’s director, Kim Hee-won, known for the hit crime series Vincenzo (2021), and Choi Jung-gyu, who previously led the crime series The Devil Judge (2021).
“It would be a lie if I said there was no pressure. I just wanted to fulfil my responsibilities and role to the best of my ability. Although there was pressure, I tried to approach it with a positive and excited mindset,” he said.
“The storyline and characters are all different from Season 1. So I considered it a new project. But since the director is the same person, I tried to follow her style in a positive direction.”
Noh says the lines from the series resonated with him, and he felt a lot of people could relate to Ji and Do’s love story.
“I thought this could be a series that can resonate with many people. It portrayed the conflicts of realistic couples,” he said.
Noh’s character is an aspiring YouTuber who found success after breaking up with Do. When they meet again, he finds himself drawn to her and hoping to rekindle their relationship.
“The character was relatively humorous and cheesy. However, as a successful chief executive, I tried to keep his serious side as well,” he said, adding that Ji’s lingering feelings towards his ex-girlfriend were difficult to understand at first.
“The biggest difference (between me and the character) is I cannot reunite with my ex-partner, because we are more likely to break up again for the same reasons … When I first read the script, I couldn’t quite grasp Ji’s unconditional love. So I sought advice from a friend who has such an affectionate style of relationship.”
Born in Korea, Noh grew up in the United States, but returned to his homeland for his military service and to start a modelling career.
He rose to prominence in 2022 with his role in Pachinko, where he portrays Baek Isak, a Christian pastor from Pyongyang (in communist North Korea) who marries the protagonist, Sunja.
Noh said the show was a huge turning point in his career. “Thanks to Pachinko, opportunities and more projects opened up for me. Before that, everything felt uncertain.