Yoon Doo-joon picks up acting with 'Never Give Up'

Actor Yoon Doo-joon poses during an online press conference for the comedy series "Never Give Up," May 4. Courtesy of ENA

By Lee Gyu-lee

Singer and actor Yoon Doo-joon, the leader of K-pop boy group Highlight, has returned to the small screen with the new comedy series "Never Give Up," about four years after the romance series "Let's Eat 3" in 2018, resuming his acting career after completing his mandatory military service.

"I really enjoyed the script of the series. I was grateful to work with the series' co-stars, who are all great actors," Yoon said during an online press conference about the series, May 4.

Led by Choi Do-hoon, whose previous work includes the 2019 thriller series "Possessed," the new series, which premiered on May 4, revolves around restaurant owner Goo Pil-soo (Kwak Do-won), who is a patriarch in his 40s, and Jung Seok (Yoon), an aspiring entrepreneur in his 20s.

Pil-soo is a former athlete who has had a tumultuous life, going through different professions to make ends meet for his wife (Han Go-eun) and teenage son (Jung Dong-won). When Pil-soo and his family move into a new house, after getting kicked out of his former apartment, he comes to live with Seok.

The series is written by Son Keun-ju, who scripted the 2020 rom-com series "Backstreet Rookie."

Yoon plays a genius software developer who used to have everything from his wealthy father. One day, his father's company goes bankrupt, crushing his dream to found a startup.

"Jung Seok is in his mid-20s and has a bright future ahead," Yoon described his character. "He grew up in an affluent family … but after a series of incidents he gets indebted while his father is imprisoned, so he faces struggles."

The 32-year-old actor said he focused on using the language that people in their 20s would use to portray his character.

"Everything changes so quickly nowadays, so as I was playing my character, I would ask the production staff members who are in their 20s and confirm if they would use the language (in my lines) in real life," he said.

He added that the series will also include a coming-of-age story for Seok as he meets Pil-soo and his family.

"Pil-soo's family and Jung Seok get involved in each other's lives deeply. And as he spends time with the family, the story follows him growing up (throughout the process)," he said. "Although Jung Seok can't define the lives of everyone in their 20s, the key takeaway (of the story) is the importance of building relationships among people."

"Never Give Up" airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ENA and is also available on the local streaming platform seezn.

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