Ahn Hyo-seop opened up about working with Lee Min-ho in the highly anticipated action-fantasy film Omniscient Reader: The Prophet.
Taking place in a world where a long-running novel suddenly comes to life on the day of its conclusion, the movie tells the story of Kim Dok-ja (Hyo-seop), the novel’s only reader, who finds himself thrust into its apocalyptic setting and joining forces with the novel’s hero, Yoo Joong-hyuk (Min-ho), and other companions to navigate and survive the chaos.
"It was really comfortable," Hyo-seop remarked on working with Min-ho as per English translation in an interview with iMBC Entertainment.
Hyo-seop recalled how he used to watched Min-ho on TV during his younger days. "When I was a student in Canada, the celebrity I used to see on TV was Lee Min-ho. He’s someone who has remained a top star for such a long time—and that’s exactly what Yoo Joong-hyuk is to Kim Dok-ja," he stated.
That parallel, Hyo-seop explained, helped him dive deeper into his character. "That connection helped my acting. Whenever characters like Yoo Joong-hyuk or Jung Hee-won appeared, I approached the scene as if I were a fan meeting a celebrity. Yoo Joong-hyuk, especially, felt like the top star," he shared.
Hyo-seop admitted that seeing himself with Min-ho on the film's poster was an emotional moment. "It felt so surreal to be in a poster alongside my ‘celebrity’ Lee Min-ho. I didn’t think much during filming because everything was so hectic, but now looking back, it’s truly amazing and emotional," he said.
Hyo-seop was all praises for Min-hoo as a co-star saying: "[He] was so warm and approachable on set that it didn’t feel like there was a 10-year gap between us."
Omniscient Reader: The Prophet will be released in the Philippines on August 6.
Hyo-seop recently became part of the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters as a voice actor.
In an interview with My Daily, the Korean actor relayed that he wanted to do the project for the fans.
"I was curious about exploring a new genre and the unique process of voice acting. I also had a strong desire to create an enjoyable memory for fans overseas who have shown me so much love. The way the project conveys the message of 'love' through music and K-pop also felt very unique to me," he said as per English translation.
Hyo-seop shared that the film's director had also personally reached out to him. "Before joining the project, director Maggie Kang sent me a letter. Through it, I could feel her warmth and her deep love for the project," he recounted.