Acting on stage is my true passion, says actor Park Eun-seok

Park Eun-seok, who became well known for his role as Logan Lee in the SBS drama Penthouse, made his debut on stage in Daehangno 10 years ago, when he was casted for the protagonist role of Kyung-min in the play 'Cats on the Roof.’ He was becoming more prominent in TV dramas when he was casted for SBS drama ‘Athena: Goddess for War and Take Care of Us, Captain,’ but his preferred choice of acting was on the stage, rather than TV.

"No one really supported my decision, advising me that I should pursue TV career when I am still young, but I didn't want to be an actor without basic skills," said Park, whom your reporter met with on Monday. “I thought that the basics of acting would be taught on the stage.”

Park has expanded his scope to drama since 2015, after playing on stage across diverse plays. He was hailed as the boy idol of Daehangno. He became more popular after playing as Logan Lee in the Penthouse drama series, but he still prefers to act on stage. After the drama Penthouse came to a close, Park played in the stage play Amadeus and will be taking on the role of Mark in the play ‘Art,’ which opened at the Yes24 Stage on Sept. 17.

The play ‘Art’ was written by French playwright Yasmina Reza in 1994 and won the Moliere Award in the following year. The play is based on the dialogue and dispute of three friends- intellectual aircraft engineer Mark, dermatologist Serge who has a passion for art, and indecisive salesperson Ivan. The three friends engage in a dispute after Serge purchases a painting, which drives their friendship apart.

"The play takes a close look at the nature of humans as well as social issues, but it is not too serious,” the 38-year-old actor said. “The characters are quite fun and the lines show off a good sense of humor.”

Park has played for the play ‘Art’ since 2018, when it was first performed in Korea. During the last decade, he performed as the premiere actor for several other plays including ‘Pride,’ ‘Elephant Song,’ and ‘Bunker Triology.’

"I prefer building and driving the character rather than fitting myself in a given character, which is why I like to perform as premiere actor,” Park said. “I feel very proud when I see plays that were aired for the first time seven or eight years ago are still quite popular.”

Park said that he wishes to take on the role of a true villain in his next play, after acting both kind and evil roles throughout his acting career. "Villains are furious and dramatic, which I find very attracting,” he said. “They hide secrets behind their backs, though they pretend not to. I would like to play a thorough and meticulous villain.”


Ji-Hoon Lee easyhoon@donga.com