[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “I’m really happy I chose *The Boy in the Back Row*. I really like this kind of thing.”

Actor Choi Min-sik expressed his affection for the show and his performance during an interview held on the 2nd at a café in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to celebrate the release of the Netflix series *The Boy in the Back Row*.
“The Boy in the Back Row” is a suspense series that follows Heo Moon-oh (played by Choi Min-sik), a failed writer and professor of Korean literature, as he discovers the genius of Lee Kang (played by Choi Hyun-wook), a student sitting in the back row of his classroom, and becomes obsessed with his writing.

◇Choi Min-sik: An Actor Who Still Loves Acting
Choi Min-sik, who made his debut in the 1989 drama *Years of Ambition*, has starred in countless career-defining works. Moving seamlessly between film and television, he continues to deliver diverse performances to this day. This project marks his return two years after the film *Exhumation* became a 10-million-viewer hit.
Choi Min-sik said, “People call this my ‘second golden age,’ but I haven’t let such comments get to me for a long time. It’s not like I’ve gained some profound insight or anything.” He added, “I find myself thinking about the meaning of this project and how many more works I’ll be able to do in the future. All I want is to make the most of every opportunity.”
He continued, “It would be nice if the public liked it, but I’m going to be much more selfish in my work. If I keep worrying about what the public thinks, I’ll end up like Heo Mun-oh. I have to make films that satisfy me.” He added, “I’ve made films that drew 10 million viewers, and I’ve made films that flopped, but in the end, it’s about my own satisfaction. It’s about the sincerity and the texture with which I worked on it. In the end, that’s what remains.”
Choi Min-sik said, “‘Exhumation’ and ‘The Admiral: Roaring Currents’ both drew over 10 million viewers, but a film like ‘Piran’ left me feeling truly lonely. Still, I love ‘Piran’ so much.” He continued, “After ‘Shiri’ ended, people around me said something big was coming. I wondered, ‘What on earth is coming?’ ‘Piran’ was the film I chose to do instead of ‘Friend’ at that time.”
He joked, “If acting were a marriage, we’ve had plenty of fights, but I don’t want a divorce. If I thought the love was over, would I still be doing this? I’d rather pull my hair out trading stocks.”

◇Actor Choi Min-sik, Who Still Draws Inspiration from His Juniors
Born in 1962, Choi Min-sik worked seamlessly with Choi Hyun-wook, born in 2002, to meticulously drive the drama forward. During the interview, Choi Min-sik singled out Choi Hyun-wook as a junior who inspires him, saying, “I was surprised. I had no idea. I heard he appeared in the popular drama *(That Guy Is) The Black Dragon*. When Choi Hyun-wook came for his audition, the director asked me to watch him closely,” he explained.
Choi Min-sik, who had personally observed Choi Hyun-wook’s audition, said, “How could I really tell from just a few lines of dialogue in such a short time? But Choi Hyun-wook’s speech was a bit slow and deliberate, like an old man’s. He was mumbling, but I thought, ‘If he sits in the back row and looks at me with that kind of gaze, it might work.’”
He continued, “Once we actually started filming, I was completely surprised. I thought, ‘I just need to keep up with his acting.’ I wanted to play my part well in this drama,” he continued, adding, “After all, Choi Hyun-wook is the eye of the storm. Since I’m caught up in the scenario Lee Kang has set up and my character breaks down into pieces depending on what he does, I figured I just needed to react actively to Choi Hyun-wook’s performance.”
Choi Min-sik added, “I hear he was born in 2002, and I’m very pleased with him,” noting, “He’s the kind of junior who makes me look back and wonder if I acted like that at his age. Since he’s also appeared in dramas like *The Boy in the Back Row*, I hope he continues to take on diverse roles in various projects step by step.”
In a previous interview, Choi Hyun-wook had said, “My senior treated me to lots of delicious meals. I was always excited,” adding, “I hope he’ll give me a chance to treat him to a meal.” When this was relayed to Choi Min-sik, he jokingly replied, “I never told you not to treat me,” and shouted, “Hey! Buy me a meal right now!” drawing laughter.

◇Choi Min-sik: A Great Actor Who Chose ‘The Boy in the Back Row’
“The Boy in the Back Row” is based on the Spanish play of the same name by playwright Juan Mayorga. He said, “I deliberately didn’t read the original play, but I’m planning to check it out now. While the original focused on voyeuristic elements and the relationship with art, I think we’ve added Korean-style thriller and suspense elements.”
He continued, “I saw a review that said, ‘(In the movie *Oldboy*) his tongue was cut off by Lee Woo-jin (played by Yoo Ji-tae) and he was beaten to a pulp, but now he’s not even coming to his senses and is being taken apart piece by piece.’ I wasn’t consciously thinking about *Oldboy* while filming, but once it was finished, I realized how similar it was.”
When asked why he chose this project, he said, “Even while acting, I felt stifled and unsettled. But isn’t that the appeal of a work like this? It brings out things you don’t want to reveal—it digs up and exposes what you’d rather leave buried. Through the character of Heo Mun-oh, the raw, unvarnished truth of human nature is laid bare.”
He added, “While humans possess very elegant and positive qualities, this play—through the character of Heo Mun-oh—seems to reveal a raw, unvarnished side that, in a way, can even be considered sordid. I think that’s what made it so compelling,” and remarked, “It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve done a play.”
Choi Min-sik used Heo Moon-oh’s character to bring out human inferiority complexes, a sense of defeat, and jealousy. Choi Min-sik said, “When I read the script, I thought (this character) was pathetic. On the other hand, I also felt sympathy and compassion for him.” He continued, “He seemed like such a fool. If he were someone I knew, I’d want to say, ‘Come here for a second. What on earth are you doing?’ I’d want to listen to him over a drink. He’s so weak, and he’s getting on in years—he’s a professor, after all, a so-called intellectual. But how could he end up falling apart like that?” his remarks drew laughter.
Nevertheless, Choi Min-sik took on the role of Heo Moon-oh. He expressed his affection for the character, saying, “I’ll stand by Heo Moon-oh more than anyone else. My actions are more justified than anyone else’s. If I didn’t truly believe that ‘Kim Su-hoon (played by Heo Jun-ho) is a son of a b*tch,’ I couldn’t pull this off. He’s a truly pitiable guy.”

◇Choi Min-sik, an Actor Who Connects with the Public
Choi Min-sik said he looked up reactions to *The Boy in the Back Row* on portal sites. “I was grateful for the overwhelmingly positive responses,” he said. “It seemed like opinions were somewhat divided. Since it’s a drama that makes you think a lot and doesn’t have many lighthearted moments, I think some viewers found it tiring.”
He continued, “When creating a work, how could you possibly win over all 10 people out of 10? Nevertheless, I felt that viewers were taking the drama seriously—a drama that offers room to reflect on fundamental issues. I’m very relieved, and since there are many layers of meaning we intended to convey, I’m glad we were able to connect with the audience.”
In *The Boy at the Very Back*, viewers can witness the concentrated emotional performance of actor Choi Min-sik, who even acts out the expression of wrinkles. In addition to his emotional acting, viewers can also see Choi Min-sik running around all over the place. Choi Min-sik, who works without a manager or agency, exclaimed, “I’m in perfect shape!”
“I knew that if I tried to cut corners, it would only make things harder for me, so I gave it my all. I told myself not to lose focus on the mental aspect over the physical one. Even the slightest slip-up could ruin everything, so I was extra sensitive about those details,” he said, adding with a smile, “But when you’re doing a drama like this, it’s only natural to face hardships. It’s a pleasant, uplifting kind of hardship.”
Choi Min-sik is an actor who connects with his fans. He even became a hot topic during the *Exhumation* stage greetings for his fan interaction, which rivaled that of an idol. A so-called “birthday cafe” (a fan-run online community to celebrate his birthday) was even set up.
Choi Min-sik laughed like a young boy, saying, “Weren’t you all feeling a bit down after COVID-19? I got a lot of flak, too. People would say things like, ‘Bro, what are you doing wearing that weird hat? What are you expecting us to do?’ or ‘That old man is just doing pointless stuff.’ But seeing the movie theaters packed to capacity really made me happy. Honestly, I was really excited.”
He added, “Things have changed drastically before and after COVID-19. People used to bring all sorts of stuff with them.(Laughs) I even have a pirate hat and stuff like that at home,” he said. “Of course, the film itself has to be good first and foremost. But if doing things like this helps foster a culture where many audiences enjoy going to the theater, isn’t that a good thing too? What’s wrong with that?” It was a side of him that was a complete 180-degree contrast to the “teacher” persona he usually projects.