Looking for a lighthearted drama this bed weather season? “HeartBeat” on Prime Video is the latest K-drama that is warming our hearts and tickling our funny bones. The fantasy romantic comedy stars Ok Taec-yeon who is back in his element. We are loving his comedic timing as he plays the role of Seon Woo-hyeol, a vampire who desires to be a human. Opposite him is Joo In-hae played by Won Ji-an, a school nurse who gets involved with Taec-yeon’s character after she unintentionally wakes him up from his deep slumber.
The series also stars Park Kang-hyun as Shin Do-sik, In-hae’s colleague from college and Yoon So-hee as Yoon Hae-seon, a woman from Woo-hyeol’s past. We caught up with the cast “HeartBeat” to talk about their K-drama and what it’s like working together on set.
Hallyudorama: Did you take any inspiration from other vampire roles for your portrayal of Sun Woo-hyeol?
Ok Taec-yeon: I did watch a lot of the classics and vampire movies. The ones that had the most impact would be “Interview with the Vampire,” “Nosferatu,” and “Twilight” series where I took away how to portray a vampire. However, because the strength or key of our drama series lies in it being a rom-com, so I drew inspiration from comedy as well. But to answer your question, the biggest reference would be “Interview With the Vampire.”
‘HeartBeat’ cast on Prime Video show their chemistry
Hallyudorama: What was your first impression of each other and has that changed after working together on “HeartBeat”?
Won Ji-an: When I first met Taec-yeon, my first impression of him was that he’s so full of passion and a lot of energy. And to this day, that impression has not changed.
Taec-yeon: My first impression of her was that she felt like a fresh breath of air. Clear and elegant. I also thought she was an actor capable of showing a lot of different colors. I think she’s someone who has the talent to not just be on a surface level but bring those different layers of charms and appeal as an actor – this is something I felt while working with her. And I think through our drama, the audience will also be able to see the diverse charms of the actress that she is.
Hallyudorama: Can you share any TMI while shooting “HeartBeat”?
Taec-yeon: So when you say TMI, it should be completely useless, right? So here goes. Everytime I’m on set filming, I like to go around saying “Hi Ho!” So hi ho to the cast, the crew, and just to everybody. I like to rush everybody, it’s almost like I’m holding a whip in my hand.
Ji-an: If I may add on to that, Taec-yeon told me that that phrase is actually the lyrics to some song.
Taec-yeon: This really is TMI.
Yoon So-hee: I think I’m the only person here who knows exactly from what song that is.
Taec-yeon: This is not TMI about Hi Ho, it’s about the set.
Park Kang-hyun: My TMI is that everytime it got tough on set, I relied on eating gummies. (jelly)
So-hee: Yes, and on set, when we were a little down, Kang-hyun would sing us a song. You can hear him sing. So I’d say our working environment is top notch.
Want to know more about this K-drama? Watch our first impressions review here.
“HeartBeat” is streaming on Prime Video with new episodes every Monday and Tuesday.