Ryu Deok-hwan Visited Set Even on His Days Off Out of Concern for Child Actors’ Mistreatment

In an interview, actor Ryu Deok-hwan recalled a disturbing incident related to child actor’s mistreatment that he witnessed in the past.

He shared, “I once wondered if anyone ever called me ‘Deok-hwan’ on set. It was usually just ‘Hey’ or ‘Bring the child actor over.’ Looking back, I wasn’t treated much differently than a prop.”

He continued, ““There was a scene where the child actor had to cry, but couldn’t do it right away. When the child couldn’t cry on cue, the director slapped them. As soon as the child started crying after being hit, the director shouted, ‘Shoot, shoot!’ It was terrifying. It made me realize that if I couldn’t perform well, I’d be in serious trouble,” recalling the fear and pressure he felt back then.

Because of this experience, when Ryu Deok-hwan got his first lead role in the movie “Like a Virgin”, where he had a child actor playing a younger version of his character, he felt a special connection to the child actor. Driven by a sense of responsibility, he would visit the set even on days he didn’t have scenes, just to ensure the child actor was treated well.

Ryu Deok-hwan added, “I was only 19 at the time, so I was still young myself. Although the industry has changed, I was terrified that even the kind staff members who treated me well might be harsh toward the child actors. My own experience as a child actor was scary and intense,” he explained as the reason behind his visits.

Recently, Ryu Deok-hwan successfully completed the exhibition “Irreplaceable.” The exhibition featured actors Ryu Seung-ryong, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jung-min, and Ji Chang-wook, and was designed around an interview concept. He shared that he hoped acting, like other forms of art, could be better protected as a craft.

Source: Daum