‘When the Phone Rings’ Yoo Yeon-seok “Marriage with Chae Soo-bin? It’s Not Something I Can Decide Alone”
On the morning of Jan 6th, Yoo Yeon-seok met with Sports Chosun at the King Kong by Starship office in Gangnam, Seoul for a wrap-up interview about MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “When the Phone Rings” (written by Kim Ji-woon, directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu). During the interview, he spoke about his romantic scenes with Chae Soo-bin.
Regarding the bed scene in the final episode, Yoo Yeon-seok explained, “It was a significant moment for the couple, who had been disconnected emotionally and communicatively as a married couple of three years. They rediscovered their feelings for each other through a threatening phone call and, after many ups and downs, finally reunited. I thought of it as their actual ‘first night’. We wanted to portray it beautifully, focusing on the intimacy of a long-time couple. I discussed this with Hee-joo (Chae Soo-bin) and shared my thoughts on the tone and feel of the scene. We carefully planned the shots and even reviewed them on video together. I didn’t expect such a strong reaction, especially from viewers watching abroad, but I’m glad people found it lovely and well-done. I think it received positive feedback, even from the cast who watched the finale together.”
Discussing the romantic lines in the script, he said, “By the time we were filming episodes 2~3, the script for episode 6 was already out. Seeing the intense lines for episode 10 made me wonder, ‘Do we really need to go this far?’ Initially, my delivery was cold and distant, even almost like a monologue for about two months. When I read the lines for later episodes, I was unsure how to approach them. But by the time we filmed those scenes, the emotional exchanges felt more natural, and I didn’t need to suppress any laughter. I was able to focus more deeply.”
Chae Soo-bin, who affectionately called Yoo Yeon-seok “Captain Yoo” on set, often leaned on him for support. Yoo Yeon-seok explained “Since there weren’t many senior actors on set when the parental characters weren’t around, I naturally became the most senior actor. I ended up taking on tasks like setting the atmosphere on set, discussing plans with the director and cinematographer, and coordinating safety for dangerous scenes. I guess that’s why she called me ‘captain’. I’d also treat the cast to meals when I could, which probably contributed to the nickname” then laughed.
Fans overseas, captivated by their chemistry, even expressed wishes for them to date or marry. Yoo Yeon-seok commented, “I’m grateful because it means people enjoyed our chemistry. It shows how immersed they were in our romance and our portrayal as a ‘destined couple’. As for marriage? That’s not something I can decide on my own. But I appreciate the support. While the drama is primarily a thriller, we wanted the romance to shine through. The blend of romance, comedy and suspense worked well to draw viewers into this couple’s love story. It was intentional, and I think it succeeded.” Reflecting on his initial awkwardness with Chae Soo-bin, he said, “It took some time for us to become comfortable since I’m naturally shy. Initially, I was delivering most of the lines alone, almost like a monologue. But as we worked together, we gradually got closer. Since we’re from the same agency, that helped too. Soo-bin turned out to be brighter and more outgoing than I expected. I’m thankful she did her best, even during challenging scenes.”
Based on the web novel of the same name, “When the Phone Rings” is a story that unfolds when a Show Window couple, who have been living without speaking to each other for three years in an arranged marriage, receive a threatening phone call from a kidnapper. Yoo Yeon-seok portrayed Baek Sa-eon, a spokesperson for the presidential office, opposite Chae Soo-bin’s Hong Hee-joo. The drama concluded with an 8.6% viewership rating (Nielsen Korea, nationwide) and ranked 4th globally in Netflix’s non-English TV shows during the fourth week of December (23rd~29th).
