[Interview] Heo Nam-jun Gets a Call From Father Figure Kim Mu-yeol

Actor Heo Nam-jun expressed his gratitude toward senior actor Kim Mu-yeol, who has been a steadfast source of support throughout his career, as well as his close friend Young K.

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On June 18, Heo Nam-jun sat down with Newsen in Seoul's Gangnam District for an interview commemorating the conclusion of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "My Royal Nemesis".

Heo Nam-jun and Kim Mu-yeol are alumni of the Department of Acting Arts at Sungkyunkwan University, sharing a senior-junior relationship. The two previously worked together on the Netflix series "Sweet Home", where they first became acquainted.

Recalling their simultaneous success, Heo Nam-jun revealed that Kim Mu-yeol had been the first to send him a congratulatory message. "After receiving his message, I replied, 'Congratulations to you as well. I can't believe a day like this has come for me too'," he said.

Heo Nam-jun continued, "I met him when I was still a complete rookie. He took great care of me and taught me so much. He feels almost like a father figure, which always warms my heart. Even while filming "My Royal Nemesis", whenever I hit a wall in my acting, I would call him for advice".

Regarding being frequently mentioned as one of the industry's rising stars, Heo Nam-jun said, "I often find myself thinking, 'Has a day like this really come for me too?' Since I've moved straight from one project to another after finishing the drama, it hasn't fully sunk in yet, but it feels incredibly rewarding".

He also shared a behind-the-scenes story about "The Season Returns", an OST song for "My Royal Nemesis" performed by Young K. Heo Nam-jun and Young K became close friends after appearing together on the ENA variety show "Our Neighborhood Puppy" last year.

"My message of gratitude to Young K was edited out of a variety show once", Heo Nam-jun said with a laugh. "The director of "My Royal Nemesis" played me a song, saying it might be used as the ending theme for Episode 3, and I thought it was fantastic. They were looking for someone talented to work on the music, and since I'm close with Young K, they asked if I could reach out to him".

He added, "Even when you're friends, making such a request can feel burdensome. So I called Young K and asked if he could listen to the song first and decide. He immediately and happily said, ' I'll do it. ' I then went straight back to the director, feeling pretty proud, and said, 'He said he'd do it!'" he recalled with a smile.