While When Life Gives You Tangerines boasts star-studded leads like Park Bo-gum and IU, it’s Choi Dae-hoon, a lesser-known actor playing the gritty squid boat captain Bu Sang-gil, who’s quietly stealing the spotlight.
Portraying a gruff villain known for his dramatic outbursts of “Hak-ssi!”, Choi’s character has earned him the affectionate nickname ‘Hak-ssi Ajusshi’ among fans. His scenes are so memorable that a short video clip titled “Hak-ssi no, I mean Mr. Bu just shut up already!” posted on Netflix’s official YouTube has racked up over 550,000 views, proving his breakout appeal.
Choi recently appeared on episode 290 of tvN’s You Quiz on the Block, where he showcased an unexpectedly soft and sincere side. Speaking about his wife, former Miss Korea Jang Yoon-seo, he recalled their tough early years. He also shared a turning point in his career, when he asked for a pay raise for the first time ever.
Choi’s role in When Life Gives You Tangerines spans Sang-gil’s youth through old age, a range that challenged him as an actor. He admitted worrying about whether his elderly portrayal might come across as caricatured, so he closely observed real-life seniors in parks and subways. “There’s a part of my dad in Sang-gil,” he said. One outfit in the drama even mirrored his late father’s exact look, moving him to tears.
Tragically, Choi’s father suffered a stroke in his sleep and remained in a vegetative state for 11 years before passing away during the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospital visits were restricted.
Though not a household name yet, Choi Dae-hoon’s raw, deeply human performance in When Life Gives You Tangerines is making him one to watch.
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