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[HanCinema's News] Lee Je-hoon Talks About "Taxi Driver"

A recent interview from Lee Je-hoon about his recently completed drama "Taxi Driver" has grabbed attention thanks in part to his outspoken stance on the social value of his work. "Taxi Driver" attracted much attention for its discussion of serious social issues, and Lee Je-hoon stated that this aspect of the drama was at the forefront of his mind during filming. Lee Je-hoon explained in the interview that as an actor, he is in a unique position to express a voice against that which ought not occur.

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In "Taxi Driver" Lee Je-hoon played the title character Dogi, a dark hero who takes on tasks of vengeance for those wronged by society. From cruelty against the disabled to schoolyard violence, Lee Je-hoon ran across many hot button social issues throughout the drama's run. Lee Je-hoon claimed that some of the scripts made him genuinely angry, but he could not bring himself to raise an objection because he firmly believed in the importance of the messaging.

This, even as episodes received a 18+ age rating as necessary. Lee Je-hoon's character engages in explicitly illegal actions, typically at the request of people who have been failed by systems that were supposed to protect them. Lee Je-hoon claimed that while he believes in legal measures, he knows the reality of how they often don't work. This has been a theme through his career, with the drama "Signal" and the films "Anarchist from Colony" and "I Can Speak" being other examples.

Lee Je-hoon was no slouch with action scenes either. "Taxi Driver" was noteworthy for extensive use of single shot takes, common in such classic South Korean films as "Oldboy" but more uncommon with television dramas. Lee Je-hoon claimed to have wanted to do work like this for a long time, and that he had prepared diligently for the moment. Nevertheless, Lee Je-hoon credited production staff for amazing work, able to work through any difficulties with the challenging shooting style.

Lee Je-hoon has been busy. He moved straight from production on "Collectors" to "Taxi Driver" with no break in-between. And even now he's hard at work with "Unframed" which will premiere on Watcha later this year. Lee Je-hoon will write and direct his own part of the project, alongside Choi Hee-seo, Park Jung-min, and Son Sukku. Lee Je-hoon claims this is another project he's long had an interest in, nervous as he is to finally put it into execution. Nevertheless, he has high hopes.

Written by William Schwartz

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