Shin Jae Ha Reveals Negative Effects of Filming ‘Taxi Driver 2’ & ‘Crash Course in Romance’ At the Same Time
Shin Jae Ha got honest about the challenges in portraying villain roles in "Taxi Driver 2" and "Crash Course in Romance."
Interestingly, both series gained favorable responses from the public and are among the most talked-about K-dramas in the first half of 2023.
The rom-com series, which starred Jung Kyung Ho and Jeon Do Yeon, wrapped up the season with an impressive double-digit rating. "Crash Course in Romance" garnered an all-time high of 17.038 percent, as cited by Neilsen Korea.
On the other hand, "Taxi Driver 2," Lee Je Hoon's drama, concluded the series with an average nationwide rating of 21.0 percent, marking the highest rating of any mini-series for 2023.
Shin Jae Ha Felt 'Exhausted' While Filming 'Taxi Driver 2,' 'Crash Course in Romance'
As obtained by a news outlet, Shin Jae Ha did an interview where he spoke about his experience filming two K-dramas at the same time.
Besides filming schedules overlapping each other, the actor also portrayed villain roles in both K-dramas.
With this, he addressed the disappointment of some viewers who pointed out how he played almost similar characters.
However, for Shin Jae Ha, he said that playing the roles of On Ha Joon in "Taxi Driver 2" and Ji Dong Hee in "Crash Course in Romance" were very different.
"I actually acted with two different characters in my mind," he said, explaining that the backgrounds of the two series are very distinct.
"I didn't purposely act differently but tried to stick to the scripts," he added.
Although the characters harbored different perspectives, Shin Jae Ha said he felt "physically and emotionally exhausted" while filming it, and considered it "the greatest challenge" at the time.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lee Je Hoon's 'Taxi Driver 2' Remains Number 1 Most Buzzworthy Drama + Shin Jae Ha Enters Actor Rankings
He admitted that there were times when he felt "worried about how to differentiate the two characters." Despite it, he recalled enjoying the shoot and being able to "learn so many things" during the course of the filming.
"As the story progressed, the emotions of the two characters got deeper, and I put more energy into my performances," he said, adding that it even made it harder for him since he " had no time to receive feedback," given that both K-dramas were pre-produced.
Shin Jae Ha on 'Taxi Driver' Season 3
The actor appeared as the new villain in the much-awaited sequel to Lee Je Hoon's drama.
Shin Jae Ha admitted that he felt "pressure" since the first season garnered an overwhelming response from the public. However, he felt "grateful" after gaining "recognition from the viewers."
As for the upcoming sequel, Shin Jae Ha mentioned that he wants to be part of "Taxi Driver" season 3 if given the chance, but it might be impossible since his character, On Ha Joon, died in the episode finale.
