In MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “When the Phone Rings” (written by Kim Ji-woon, directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu), Yoo Yeon-seok portrays Baek Sa-eon, the male protagonist.
Based on a popular web novel, “When the Phone Rings” is a story that unfolds when a Show Window couple, who have been living without speaking to each other for three years in an arranged marriage, receive a threatening phone call from a kidnapper.
Thanks to word-of-mouth among viewers, the drama has steadily climbed in ratings. It topped the drama and cast categories in Good Data Corporation’s TV-OTT Topicality Rankings, proving its influence beyond just ratings numbers.
Yoo Yeon-seok’s performance as Baek Sa-eon has been hailed as a “true rediscovery”. Playing a former top news anchor turned presidential spokesperson with “national star” status, Yoo Yeon-seok is enjoying yet another peak in his career.
Baek Sa-eon might appear to have it all: he’s the grandson of Baek Jang-ho (Jung Dong-hwan), a political heavyweight, and the son of Baek Ui-yong (Yoo Sung-joo), a presidential candidate. However, the polished life he seems to lead is neither truly his nor one he ever desired. Behind his public persona lies a life of loneliness and despair, understood only by his family and a fishing pond owner, Jung Sang-hoon (Kim Jun-bae).
The light in his dark life was Hong Hee-joo (Chae Soo-bin). After witnessing Hee-joo, a modern-day “Little Mermaid” who lost her voice after a tragic accident, practice sign language to say “It’s okay“, Sa-eon found the will to live. Through an arranged marriage, he kept Hee-joo close while protecting her in his own cold yet fervent way.
As a romance novel adaptation, “When the Phone Rings” faced some criticism for being over-the-top. However, Yoo Yeon-seok’s nuanced acting turned skeptical viewers into ardent fans, moving them to tears with lines like, “Teach me, Hong Hee-joo, how to hate you. How not to love you” and “Hee-joo isn’t an appendix; she’s an entirely new language.”
Fans and critics alike have called Yoo Yeon-seok’s performance in this series his “life’s best acting”. Whether playing good or evil roles, Yoo Yeon-seok has steadily built his filmography, and in this drama, he channels all his experience into an emotional powerhouse.
Baek Sa-eon is a convergence of all the personas Yoo Yeon-seok has portrayed: the sharp coldness from “A Werewolf Boy” and “Architecture 101”, the explosive madness from “A Bloody Lucky Day”, the archness from “Narco-Saints”, the warmth and uprightness from “Dr. Romantic”… Yoo Yeon-seok’s skillful modulation prevented Baek Sa-eon from being confined to the exaggerated tropes of the romance genre, grounding the character in realism.
The drama reached a fever pitch with the disappearance of Hong Hee-joo. Sa-eon confessed everything at a tearful press conference, revealing that Hee-joo was his wife and expressing his regret, “I should’ve done everything for her when I had the chance.” Yoo Yeon-seok’s performance in this scene, marked by raw, desperate tears, resonated deeply with viewers, pushing the show’s ratings to new heights.
As the series approaches its finale, a shocking revelation—that Baek Sa-eon is an illegitimate child of Baek Jang-ho—adds another layer of intrigue. Regardless of the ending, Yoo Yeon-seok’s portrayal of Baek Sa-eon will remain a “life male lead” performance that drama fans won’t soon forget.
For those amazed by Yoo Yeon-seok’s versatility, from the charismatic Baek Sa-eon in “When the Phone Rings” to the lovable goofball co-hosting SBS’s variety show “Whenever Possible”, this drama is a must-watch to witness his “acting wizardry”.
The post Yoo Yeon-seok’s Stellar Performance in ‘When the Phone Rings’—Cementing His Status as “Life Male Lead” appeared first on KBIZoom. KBIZoom – Breaking news about K-pop, K-drama, Anime/Manga and worldwide entertainment KBIZoom – Breaking news about K-pop, K-drama, Anime/Manga and worldwide entertainment
