Park Hae-joon Reflects on Working with IU in ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’: “She Felt Like My Daughter, I Saw Her Concert and Froze”
During a press interview held on April 1 at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel, Park Hae-joon discussed the unexpected emotions he felt both on and off screen while portraying the older version of Gwan-sik, a role that earned him both laughter and tears from viewers around the world.
The actor revealed that he, too, cried watching the drama sometimes at his own scenes, but most especially during the narration by IU (as Geum-myeong) and Moon So-ri (as older Ae-soon).
One scene in particular stood out: Geum-myeong’s wedding. He recalled, “It was so beautiful, yet so heartbreaking. I kept crying and laughing it was overwhelming. That scene made me think, ‘It’s a good thing I never had a daughter.’ If I did, I wouldn’t have been able to stay composed while filming. I acted as if IU were my daughter and gave it my all.”
Describing their working dynamic, Park Hae-joon admitted he was playful and relaxed around IU during filming. He confessed, “I joked around and said whatever I wanted with her. But then she invited me to her concert, and I was shocked. At the filming site, she’d be crouched in the corner, dozing off. But then onstage at a massive venue, she performed for 4 hours. It was incredible. I turned to Moon So-ri and said, ‘She’s not even human!’ That’s when I started getting nervous around her.”
He added, “After that, I was like, ‘Uh… IU, can I get your autograph?’ It’s a good thing the concert happened after we finished filming. If I’d seen it beforehand, I would’ve been too intimidated to act comfortably around her.”
Park Hae-joon also shared a funny story about IU sending him premium Korean beef for the holidays, joking that he felt bad for having treated her so casually on set. “She was just too precious. You don’t know what to do with someone like that.”
When asked how his real family reacted to the emotional performance, Park Hae-joon who has two sons in elementary school admitted they don’t usually watch his work. “But recently, my wife showed them one episode, and I kept getting calls. Apparently, when I looked sick in the show, they called every 30 minutes to ask if I was okay.”
“When Life Gives You Tangerines” follows the intertwined lives of Ae-sun (played by IU and Moon So-ri) and Gwan-sik (played by Park Bo-gum and Park Hae-joon), spanning decades from their youth in Jeju Island to the twilight of their lives. Written by “When the Camellia Blooms” Lim Sang-choon and directed by “My Mister” Kim Won-seok, the series has captivated viewers worldwide.
