Ryu Won-woo Opens Up About Jealousy in 'Drunk on Romance'

Actor Ryu Won-woo recently shared his candid feelings of jealousy regarding the love lines in the ENA drama 'Drunk on Romance' during an interview. The series features a passionate sales manager, Yong-joo (played by Kim Se-jeong), who hides her emotions, and a highly sensitive brewery CEO, Min-joo (played by Lee Jong-won), in a romantic storyline. Ryu portrays Kang-beom, a marketing team assistant who is deeply devoted to Yong-joo.

Kang-beom is characterized as a loyal follower of Yong-joo, but as the story progresses, he realizes that his feelings for her go beyond admiration and turn into love. Ryu explained, "There are moments in the drama where I express jealousy towards the male lead, Min-joo. Since we are close as actors, we communicated a lot during rehearsals, discussing how to make those moments more interesting."

He added, "Acting is a collaborative effort, so we exchanged advice and supported each other. I found it challenging to express the depth of Kang-beom's feelings for Yong-joo in the latter part of the series. Whenever I felt confused about whether it was love or respect, I tried to convey that confusion through my performance."

Min-joo was the first to notice Kang-beom's feelings for Yong-joo, bluntly asking him if he liked her early in the series, which he vehemently denied at the time. Ryu reflected on this moment, saying, "Initially, my feelings were purely respectful, like a senior in the military. I followed her out of admiration, and when Min-joo asked if I liked Yong-joo, I genuinely didn’t realize it yet. It was during a scene at a pub that I began to recognize my feelings when I saw Min-joo and Yong-joo being affectionate."

When asked if he felt disappointed about Kang-beom's unrequited love by the end of the series, Ryu admitted, "There were many scenes where I was physically close to Lee Jong-won and Kim Se-jeong. As the episodes progressed, watching them date made me feel jealous in real life. It was hard not to feel that way."

He also shared his thoughts on Kang-beom's late realization of Yong-joo and Min-joo's relationship, stating, "When I delivered the line, 'Was I the only one who didn’t know?' it felt even sadder internally. After the pub scene, I was secretly feeling jealous. It felt like I was losing someone I admired rather than feeling betrayed by Yong-joo."

Ryu concluded by reflecting on the series finale, where Yong-joo and Min-joo end up together. He noted that Kang-beom's feelings were a mix of admiration and love, and when he confessed in episode 12, he felt a twinge of sadness. However, seeing Yong-joo happy with Min-joo made him realize, 'If it’s that person, I can let go.' This realization led to his heartfelt confession.

The interview continues in part two.