"I'm not yet a top-tier actor. I will expand my acting spectrum through diverse projects to leave a lasting impression on audiences."
Actor Moon Sang-min, who played Prince Dowol in KBS weekend drama "My Beloved Thief," gave this response when asked about becoming a breakout star during a recent interview with Seoul Economic Daily at a café in Gangnam-gu.
The drama concluded with ratings exceeding 7%, a notable achievement amid fierce competition in the weekend drama time slot. Critics attribute KBS's strong performance to Moon's compelling acting.
In the series, Moon portrayed Prince Dowol, a royal who deliberately cultivated a reputation as a libertine and playboy while concealing his handsome appearance and warm personality to avoid bloody palace power struggles. The story follows his romance with Hong Eun-jo (Nam Ji-hyun), an illegitimate-born court physician who moonlights as the righteous thief Gildong.
Lines such as "I want to go with you, wherever the end may be," "My dream has always been you," and "I'm going to marry you" resonated deeply with viewers when delivered in Moon's warm baritone, capturing the hearts of middle-aged female audiences.
When told he has become particularly popular among older women, Moon replied: "I was never really popular among my peers. My mother's friends seem to like me. I think they see me as a well-mannered son who would listen well."
Moon has earned a reputation for diligence on set. During filming of the Netflix film "Pavane," released on May 20, he reportedly arrived at 6 a.m. daily without a manager for three-hour acting sessions with director Lee Jong-pil, then bought coffee for the crew before leaving.
Asked about conveying warmth through his expressions and voice throughout the drama's emotional arc, Moon said: "Though it's about a woman who becomes a thief and the man who pursues her, I focused on the fact that it's ultimately a youth romance about two people protecting and saving each other."
He added: "The word 'eunae' means love, but I thought of it as questioning the essence of love. I tried to express the warm heart of cherishing someone, which is love's true nature."
"Pavane" also premiered on May 20. Moon plays Lee Kyung-rok, a department store worker who experiences first love with Kim Mi-jung (Go Ah-sung), an overlooked woman with inner strength.
Asked if he regretted the theatrical film going directly to Netflix, Moon said: "This project was made with great care over a long time. So I'm happy it can reach global audiences."
Early reviews praise the film as "another masterpiece" and call Moon "an icon of youth and first love." Some viewers note that Mi-jung appears more beautiful as the story progresses.
When asked if this resulted from the sincerity in his portrayal of first love, Moon replied: "What I know for certain is that love shines when you're together."
He continued: "Love is when two people shine together. Kyung-rok cherishes Mi-jung, Mi-jung cherishes Kyung-rok, and their senior Yo-han (Byun Yo-han) cherishes them both. I think it looked that way because the film captured this warm story of people caring for each other."
