Song Seung-heon (right) and Oh Yeon-seo play characters who are intent in taking down the bad guys in the new season of 'The Player 2'. Photos: Handout
It was six years ago when audiences first met charming conman Kang Ha-ri (portrayed by Song Seung-heon) in the thrilling K-drama series The Player.
Every episode featured Ha-ri and his gang – comprising hacker Im Byung-min (Lee Si-eon), muscle man Do Jin-woong (Tae Won-suk) and getaway driver Cha Ah-ryeong (Krystal Jung) – pull off daring heists while punishing the bad guys.
Thanks to the camaraderie of “the players” and the exciting capers, the 14-episode show was a hit.
Now, the crew is back to deliver more of the same fun element in the second season of the series titled The Player 2: Master Of Swindlers.
Actor Song told StarLifestyle in an exclusive email interview that he wouldn’t mind if the series continued for many more seasons.
“The banter and the chemistry among all of us were so good that we were discussing how nice it would be if the series went on all the way to Season 10,” Song said.
The crew is back for another round of fun.
This is in contrast from what the Black actor said in an interview before Season One in 2018.
The 47-year-old was a tad worried about the “initial awkwardness” among the cast members. But, as it turned out, the actors had such a good time that besides Song, both Lee and Tae signed on for the second season.
“This time, it felt easier and more natural when we reunited to co-star again even after a long time has passed,” Song said, adding that he quickly got closer to new cast members Oh Yeon-seo and Jang Gyu-ri as well.
Actress Oh enters The Player 2 as the mysterious figure Jung Soo-min, who makes Ha-ri an offer he can’t refuse – work for her for a year and take out certain baddies, and she will wipe clean the players’ criminal records.
Meanwhile, Jang, of the K-pop outfit Fromis 9, takes over the role of the driver in the gang replacing Jung’s character who dies in the first episode in the hands of an enemy.
In a separate email interview, Oh shared with StarLifestyle that although she was nervous to join The Player 2, she was “blissful” when she received the offer.
“I really enjoy this genre, whether it’s movies or dramas, so when I first received the script, I read it with the excitement of a fan,” said Oh, who has acted in K-dramas like A Korean Odyssey, My Sassy Girl and Mad For Each Other.
“After going through the script, I liked the character Soo-min, but I felt both scared and challenged thinking about how to portray her. The initial excitement was mixed with a sense of unease about taking on the role.”
Oh says she doesn't recall any tough shoots for the series as she had such a good time making it.
Despite the trepidation, the 37-year-old was compelled to accept the role as she had watched the first season and totally enjoyed the series.
“My favourite part was the character play. Each player’s character and characteristics were well displayed, and it was fun watching them bicker.
“As Song mentioned during the production press release, each character has their shortcomings, but together their synergy turns these into strengths. These moments are heartwarming and interesting.
“The main highlight of the show is how they work together to solve the cases,” Oh said.
The actress’s fears were eased when she received a warm welcome from the cast and crew.
“From the first day of filming, all the actors were great at creating an enjoyable atmosphere, which helped me get into my role smoothly,” she said.
“On set, we often joked about how the director was like our primary school teacher because he showered us with lots of love and care.
“Thanks to this supportive environment, we were able to wrap up the filming successfully,” she added.
Oh went on to share that she had such a good time on set that she can’t recall any particularly tough scenes she had to do during production.
“The only tedious part was keeping track of the mole on Soo-min’s face. I had to remind myself to draw it during makeup (laughs).
“As I mentioned, there weren’t any difficult scenes. My character either disappears before the players start solving the case or appears afterward, so my role wasn’t physically demanding.
“Often, I would conclude the situation after the players had done the tough work, allowing me to film comfortably.”
Another highlight for Oh was getting the chance to work with Song, an actor she admired while growing up.
“He has been like a star to me since then. Just the fact that I get to co-star with him in a production makes me feel incredibly honoured and fascinated.
“While acting together on set, I noticed how considerate he is towards everyone and how well he takes care of us, which really touched me.
“Seeing him treat all the other actors and crew so kindly makes me want to do the same from now on,” Oh said.
Song hopes there will be more seasons of the series.
Song’s generosity came through even in this interview when he acknowledged the reason for a second season of The Player.
“It is thanks to all the love from the audience that we can have Season Two. I am very proud and thankful for that,” he said.
Stating that there’s more fun to be had in the new season with Ha-ri leading his team to take action in punishing evil, Song also said that he paid extra attention to Ha-ri’s various emotions that set him on another path for revenge.
In the first season, Ha-ri’s ultimate goal in creating the gang was to punish the men who got his father killed, depriving him of a parent and changing his life.
In Season Two, another incident drives Ha-ri to seek revenge with every con or heist he plans, instead of money.
The Voice 4 actor said this about playing his character in the series: “Ha-ri is a charismatic leader who displays affectionate leadership while guiding the team. Although he appears pleasant and witty on the outside, inside he is filled with vengeful desires.
“When he begins to execute a plan, he becomes ruthless, almost as if he becomes a totally different person. This duality is an intriguing aspect of his character.
“With all the changes Ha-ri undergoes, I hope the audience focuses on how he continues to confront the bad people.”
New episodes of The Player 2: Master Of Swindlers are available every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9.15pm on tvN (Astro Ch 395/unifi TV Ch 211) and tonton.
