K-drama fans can expect a whole new level of performance from the cast of Bad and Crazy, an iQiyi original series that premiered on Dec. 17.
During a virtual press conference held recently, Lee Dong Wook, Wi Ha Jun, Cha Hak Yeon, and Han Ji Eun shared how they all stepped outside their usual roles and personalities to portray their characters in the new drama thriller.
“The script was very fun to read for me and, I think, the character that I played was very different from the ones I have played before. I was very curious about how this character was going to be depicted so you will see,” said Lee Dong Wook.
He also shared frankly that the series features a side of him that viewers have never seen before. He spoke at length with Director You Soon Dong on many character details and the director eventually let the actor act on how he thought he should.
Lee Dong Wook plays Ryu Soo Yeol, a police inspector who has a bad “side” and eventually meets Wi Ha Jun’s character, K, who’s “crazy” but righteous. The latter describes his character to be a “tough guy who likes to swing his fists. He calls himself a hero since he’s naive and innocent as a child.”
Wi Ha Jun also sees his character as intense because there are so many sides to K. He admitted that he had trouble adapting to this new role but managed to pull it off. And since Bad and Crazy is a drama action series, viewers can expect several action scenes.
It’s customary for actors to use stunt doubles during major scenes for safety but Wi Ha Jun opted not to use his and perform the difficult scenes himself. He shared that the most challenging part of production is wearing a leather ensemble and filming in the heat of summer.
On the other hand, Lee Dong Wook didn’t undergo special training for the action scenes yet had to endure long hours of filming.
Aside from the overall chemistry of the cast members, the series also features exhilarating large-scale action scenes such as the motorcycle chase in trailers and crime-busting operations, which undoubtedly tested the stars’ physical endurance.
Han Ji Eun’s role in Bad and Crazy had her stepping out of her comfort zone. The actress is famous for portraying sweet and perky characters in series such as Lovestruck in the City and Be Melodramatic. But for her role of hot-blooded narcotics police officer Lee Hu Gyeom in the new series, she admitted that her character’s personality tends to be dull so she tried not to improvise.
While Bad and Crazy is new territory for the three actors, the series is Cha Hak Yeon’s first project since leaving the military. He plays the role of Oh Kyung-Tae who he describes as “pure but will get to the bottom of things in investigations.”
Cha Hak Yeon also revealed that the greatest challenge for him in filming the series was to cut his hair again after growing it longer for quite some time. He joined the military on March 3, 2019, and has been growing his hair freely since he got out.
Living up to the series title Bad and Crazy, the characters are set to showcase the “bad” and “crazy” sides of their personalities. The series weaves together themes including action, dark comedy, suspense, and crime for a satisfying and exciting series of vengeance in an insane society.
Bad and Crazy streams exclusively on iQiyi, across 191 territories, simulcast with South Korea. New episode drops every Friday and Saturday.