[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] "I worked incredibly hard."

Actor Byun Yo-han expressed his affection for the film and described his intense preparation process during an interview for the movie “Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub” (Tazza 4), held on the 14th at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.
“‘Tazza’ has a vast universe, and the script was incredibly thick,” he said. “The initial cut ran four and a half hours, but it was condensed. I can’t speak to how I’ll be evaluated, but I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the director and the ‘Tazza 4’ team for all their hard work.”
Byeon Yo-han, who joined the “Tazza” series—beloved by the entire nation—said, “I put in an immense amount of effort.” Indeed, “Tazza 4” is imbued with Byeon Yo-han’s blood, sweat, and tears. He portrays scenes that make viewers wonder, “Are they really going this far?” while seamlessly crossing genre boundaries.
Byeon Yo-han, who prepared for everything from nude scenes to bed scenes, approached these scenes just as he would any emotional scene. He said, “It was tough, though. I had to transform my body twice,” he explained. “I had to build two different physiques: one for the early part of the story when things were going well—when I was drinking whiskey and wine—and another for after I was cast aside, when I had to become even tougher. So, it’s true that I felt exhausted. But I thought that exhaustion would actually align well with Jang Tae-young’s current state.”
Byeon Yo-han, who visited the emergency room after losing weight rapidly, revealed his passion for acting, saying, “There were times when I pushed myself too hard. But the process, despite being difficult, was so much fun. I believe that when you go through hardships, it shows to the audience.”

Regarding the bed scene with Ayaka Miyoshi, he said they shared fundamental questions and concerns about “why it had to be done.” This began with the role the bed scene plays, given that it was edited down to about 2 hours and 20 minutes from over 4 hours of footage. Byun Yo-han said, “I wanted to create confusion—leaving the audience unsure whether she was on my side or the other side, or whether I could have her or not,” adding, “I think we filmed it well by actively sharing our opinions and being open to each other’s ideas.”
After the preview screening, there were even some playful reactions like, “Don’t let Tiffany see this.” Byun Yo-han smiled brightly, though he seemed a bit embarrassed when the conversation turned to his wife and fellow actress, Tiffany. “I haven’t shown it to Tiffany yet,” he said. “It’s a bit embarrassing, but she’s someone who really cheers me on throughout the process and believes in me. She’s been in the entertainment industry for so long and knows what it means to be professional. I think she’ll comfort me and tell me I worked hard.”
Conversely, he said he “wouldn’t mind at all” if Tiffany were to film a romantic scene. He continued, “Because I trust her, I see work as just work. I have a clear sense of discretion when it comes to that.”
Byun Yo-han often hears that he seems more at ease since getting married. He said, “I really am at ease. Marriage holds great significance in my life. I want to be an actor who loves the person I’m with, takes good care of my family, and does well in my career.”

“Tazza 4” is a crime film in which Jang Tae-young (played by Byun Yo-han)—who thought he had it all thanks to his online casino business—and his best friend of the same name, Park Tae-young (played by Noh Jae-won), who took everything from him, meet again on the global gambling scene to settle a score. Author Heo Young-man, the creator of the “Tazza” series, has even cited “The Song of Beelzebub” as his favorite story.
Byun Yo-han said he wanted to express ambition, jealousy, envy, and feelings of inferiority—emotions one might experience during their school days—through *Tazza 4*. “Even among people who love each other, things can go wrong by the slightest margin, right?” he remarked. “It seems like these are emotions that have remained unchanged since the days of ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Although they’re emotions everyone is familiar with, I wanted to portray them clearly. “Finding that clarity and sharpness is my job,” he explained.
*The Song of Beelzebub* is the final installment in the *Tazza* series, following *Tazza* (2006), *Tazza: The Hand of God* (2014), and *Tazza: One-Eyed Jack* (2019).
Didn’t he feel any pressure as he brought this 20-year chapter to a close? Byun Yo-han said, “The actors who appeared in the second and third installments must have felt pressure as well, and I didn’t want to make a fuss just because ‘Tazza 4’ was wrapping up the series,” adding, “I thought that if I avoided it, I’d end up becoming an actor who only does the roles I personally want to play. Of course, there was pressure, but I felt that if anyone was going to close this chapter, I wanted to be the one to do it.”
Byun Yo-han continued, “I had vague thoughts like, ‘Can I do this well? Can I put my own spin on it? What are my thoughts?” I had these vague thoughts. But the reason I was able to keep going was that I feel I grow when I take on challenging projects,” he said. He continued, expressing his affection for the project: “I felt I had to succeed, and I wanted to do this project justice. There were many times when I looked to my co-stars for the elements I couldn’t find in myself, and I think it was a set where everyone worked passionately as one.”

He continued to heap praise on his co-star, Noh Jae-won. Byun Yo-han said, “Saying ‘he was good’ doesn’t do him justice,” adding, “He prioritized focus above all else and made sure to stay committed until the very end.”
He continued, “He was incredibly meticulous—to the point of controlling every finger and every strand of hair. He loves acting so much that I felt a deep connection with him, and it was a real joy to work in sync with him.”
Byun Yo-han also added, “I wanted to honestly convey and express the love I’ve witnessed while working with senior actors from my 20s through my 30s,” noting, “He’s someone so moving that he awakened something in me. I never held back at all when it came to expressing myself.”
He also spoke about another junior actor, Swings. After watching Swings’ acting practice videos, Byun Yo-han recommended him, which ultimately led to Swings’ screen debut. Byun Yo-han said, “I just laid the groundwork,” adding, “When it came to working on the project, I think I was truly just an actor. I witnessed firsthand how he was nervous, lonely, and troubled, yet constantly striving to keep the promises he made to the director and crew.”
He added, “While acting, his energy was so intense that there were many moments when I was actually afraid. I never knew my voice could get that hoarse,” drawing attention.
Byun Yo-han is currently a more passionate and busier actor than anyone else. From the short drama *My Father’s Home-Cooked Meals* to *A Trip to Gyeongju* and *Tazza 4*, he is putting all his cards on the table in the world of Korean cinema.
He shared, “I became an actor because I really love movie theaters. When I go out for stage greetings, I see many young people there dreaming of a career in film, as well as many people who came to cheer us on.” He continued, “I often think that those moments are the very reason we make these films. I want to keep seeing those expressions on their faces.”
“Tazza 4” stars Byun Yo-han, Noh Jae-won, Ayaka Miyoshi, Jo Woo-jin, Yoon Kyung-ho, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Hong Dao, Kim Min-ho, Im Se-mi, and Moon Ji-hoon (Swings). It opens on the 23rd.