After "Inspiring Generation" ended Kim Hyun Joong had some time to discuss the drama's competition, the mega-hit "You Who Came From The Stars" and its star Kim Soo Hyun.
Even before "Inspiring Generation" aired, Kim Hyun Joong was sure the alien-human romance would be more popular because he said that Kim Soo Hyun was a more popular actor.
"Although we are with the same agency, he is the popular star," said Kim Hyun Joong, who is represented by Key East Entertainment.
He said that the star power behind "You Who Came From The Stars" made him feel uneasy. Kim Soo Hyun's most recent film "Secretly, Greatly" was wildly successful as was his last drama "The Moon Embracing The Sun."
And as far as ratings went, "You Who Came From The Stars" ruled while they were briefly in competition. But "Inspiring Generation" did well too, going neck and neck with Park Yoochun's drama "Three Days."
Now that the drama is over, Kim Hyun Joong has nothing but praise for Kim Soo Hyun and says the character of Do Min Joon was a character he could not have played.
In a TV Report interview, he said that if he had been offered the "You Who Came from The Stars" role, he modestly said that would not been able to do it.
"Kim Soo Hyun was able to play Do Mi Joon because he's a great actor. But if it were me in that role, I couldn't have pulled it off.
He's not a science fiction fan either and when choosing roles, looks for characters he can identify with.
"Do Min Joon could teleport and stop time, in addition to other powers, and I couldn't imagine that," said Kim Hyun Joong. "If I played the character I would have been stressed out."
That's not to say there was no stress involved in playing Shin Jung Tae in "Inspiring Generation. It's hard to imagine anyone taking as many blows as his character and still living to talk about it. He was so often bloody and bruised in that drama, they must have paid the makeup crew overtime.
To make his bare-fisted fight scenes realistic, he said that he would let himself get hit on purpose.
What's up next for the actor? He plans to enlist for military duty very soon but will take on one more project before he leaves. And he approaches the idea with a passion that Shin Jung Tae would be familiar with.
"I just want to be able to blaze through everything and do as much as I can," said Kim Hyun Joong. "People around me tell me to take a break since I completed many good projects. They tell me to look after my body while I still have a good image. But, even if I get criticized, I'd rather just push forward and instead of looking after my image, I prefer gaining a ton of experience so I can grow my talents. If I fail, then I fail, and if I succeed, then I succeed."
