Shin Jae Ha successfully left a deep impression on K-drama fans with his performance in “Taxi Driver 2”, following “Crash Course in Romance”.
SBS’s Fri-Sat drama “Taxi Driver 2”, which revolves around the Rainbow Taxi Company and taxi driver Kim Do Ki (Lee Je Hoon), who take revenge on behalf of victims, recently concluded successfully. Surpassing Season 1 (2021), which ended with a rating peak of 16%, Season 2 set a new record by achieving 21%.
Starring in this series as the villain Oh Ha Joon (real name Kim Dan Woo), Shin Jae Ha shared, “I’m glad that it ended successfully. I had high expectations that this season would do well because Season 1 was already a hit but didn’t expect the drama to be so successful that I even gained recognition from the viewers. I’m grateful to be remembered as an actor by so many people.”
Regarding the news of Season 3 production, Shin Jae Ha said, “Since Ha Joon is already dead in the drama, it is highly likely that I would not appear the next season, but I’m still cautiously hoping to join the team in Season 3”, adding “I had so much fun filming the drama with the seniors so I want to work with them again. I’m upset that my character has killed so many people, so I personally want Oh Ha Joon to return alive as a member of Rainbow Taxi Company. If not, I really want to come out as Ha Joon’s twin brother”.
Explaining the factor that helped “Taxi Driver 2” succeed, the actor said, “I think ‘Taxi Driver’ provides viewers with emotional satisfaction by resolving unfair cases by punishing the bad guys as well as relieving the stresses and worries of the victims”.
Then, when asked about his feelings when receiving the script for the first time, Shin Jae Ha shared, “I was very excited at first, but later on, I got scared, to be honest. Season 1 was a huge success and I also got a villain role, so I was very pressured”, adding “I tried to have as many conversations and discussions with the director and the writer as possible. I acted while paying attention to their comments about how they wanted my character to look like.”
Shin Jae Ha also impressed viewers with his villain role in “Crash Course in Romance” released in the first half of this year. However, some people expressed disappointment that he played similar characters in two works in a row. In this regard, the actor said, “As an actor, I’m sorry about that”, adding “However, I actually acted with two different characters in my mind. Since the backgrounds of ‘Taxi Driver 2’ Oh Ha Joon and ‘Crash Course in Romance’ Ji Dong Hee are already different, I didn’t purposely act differently but tried to stick to the scripts.”
Revealing the difficulties he experienced while filming both dramas, Shin Jae Ha said, “Being physically and emotionally exhausted was the greatest challenge to me. As the story progressed, the emotions of the two characters got deepened and I put more energy into my performances. In addition, both works were pre-produced so I had no time to receive feedback. There was a time when my schedules overlapped, I was very worried about how to differentiate the two characters”. He added, “Apart from that, I really enjoyed the filming and learned so many things.”
Despite successfully imprinting his name on viewers right after his military discharge, Shin Jae Ha also developed various concerns. He confessed, “When I was in my 20s, I always thought I should work continuously without taking a break and build a solid filmography before enlisting. Back then, I even did 4 projects in a year and became obsessed with working restlessly. That’s why I received the casting offers for both ‘Taxi Driver 2’ and ‘Crash Course in Romance’ right after finishing military service”, adding “It was so amazing that both works that I took after returning from the military as soon as I entered my 30s ended successfully. I felt like I have used up all the luck I needed for my 30s this year but I’m happy with it. But to be honest, I’m a little scared. I wonder when I will be able to meet such great works again.”
Lastly, Shin Jae Ha, who will celebrate his 10th debut anniversary next year, shared, “I’ve been acting for a long time but I’m still enjoying this job like the first time. I want to keep that mindset and continue working this year”, adding “My goal is to move forward with a more positive direction, rather than rushing with burden”.
Source: Daum
