Actor Byun Yo Han spoke about his affection for Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub (Tazza 4) and the intense preparation he underwent for the film during an interview held at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, on Sep 14th.
He said, “The Tazza series has an enormous universe, and the script was incredibly thick. The edited version initially ran for four and a half hours before being compressed. I can’t really evaluate my own performance, but I’d like to take this opportunity to say that the director and everyone on the Tazza 4 team worked incredibly hard.”
Having joined the beloved Tazza franchise, Byun Yo Han said he “worked incredibly hard.” In fact, the blood, sweat, and tears he poured into the production are evident throughout Tazza 4. He takes on scenes that make viewers wonder, “Did he really go this far?” while moving between different genres and emotional tones.
Byun Yo Han even prepared for exposure scenes and a bed scene, approaching them just like any other emotional scene. “It was difficult at times, though. I had to change my body twice,” he explained. “At the beginning, when he was doing well and drinking whiskey and wine, I had to create one physique, and after he was abandoned, I had to build another body that was supposed to become stronger. So there was definitely some physical exhaustion. But I thought that exhaustion actually matched Jang Tae Young’s condition at that point.”
Byun Yo Han revealed that he even visited the emergency room after rapidly losing weight. “There were times when my body couldn’t handle it. But the process of pushing myself so hard was actually very enjoyable. I believe the hardship shows on screen and is visible to the audience,” he said, expressing his deep passion for acting.
Regarding his bed scene with Miyoshi Ayaka, he said the two actors exchanged thoughts and wrestled with the fundamental question of “why we needed to do it.” With more than four hours of footage eventually edited down to approximately two hours and 20 minutes, they first discussed what role the bed scene should play in the story. Byun Yo Han said, “I wanted to make it confusing whether someone was on my side or the other side, and whether they could actually be trusted or possessed. I think we were able to have a productive process by actively sharing our opinions while also accepting each other’s ideas.”
After a preview screening, there were joking reactions telling people to “make sure Tiffany doesn’t watch it.” Byun Yo Han became shy when his wife and fellow actress Tiffany was mentioned, but he also broke into a bright smile. “Tiffany hasn’t seen it yet,” he said. “I’m embarrassed, but she’s someone who has really supported and trusted me throughout the entire process. She has been in the entertainment industry for a very long time, so she understands what it means to have a professional mindset. I think she’ll probably pat me on the back and tell me I worked hard.”
He also said that he “wouldn’t mind at all” if Tiffany filmed a romantic scene with another actor. “There’s trust between us, so I think work is simply work. We have a very clear sense of judgment about that,” he explained.
Byun Yo Han said he has often been told that he looks more comfortable since getting married. “I really am comfortable. Marriage has a very significant meaning in my life. I want to become an actor who takes good care of the person I love and my family while also doing my job well,” he said.
Tazza 4 is a crime film about Jang Tae Young (played by Byun Yo Han), a man who believed he had everything after building an online casino business, and Park Tae Young (played by Roh Jae Won), his best friend with the same name who takes everything away from him. The two eventually meet again in the global gambling world and engage in a high-stakes battle for revenge. Heo Young Man, the original creator of the Tazza series, has also named The Song of Beelzebub as his favorite story.
Byun Yo Han said that through Tazza 4, he wanted to express ambition, jealousy, envy, inferiority, and emotions people experience during their school years. “Even people who love each other can fall out over the smallest difference, can’t they?” he said. “I think these are emotions that have remained unchanged since the days of ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Everyone knows these feelings, but I wanted to portray them clearly. Finding clarity and precision is my job.”
The Song of Beelzebub is the final installment in the Tazza franchise, following Tazza: The High Rollers (2006), Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014), and Tazza: One Eyed Jack (2019).
Did he feel pressured about closing the chapter on a 20-year franchise? Byun Yo Han said, “The actors who worked on the second and third films must have felt pressure too, and I didn’t want to make excuses simply because Tazza 4 was going to bring the series to an end. I thought that if I avoided it, I might become an actor who only does the kind of acting I personally want to do. There was definitely pressure, but if someone was going to close the door, I wanted to be the one to close it.”
Byun Yo Han continued, “I had vague thoughts like, ‘Can I do this well? Can I make it my own with my own color? What exactly are my thoughts?’ But what allowed me to keep going was the feeling that I grow when I take on difficult projects.” He added, “I felt that I couldn’t afford to fail, and I really wanted to protect this project. There were many times when I found things in my fellow actors that I couldn’t find within myself, and I think it was a set where everyone worked passionately with one heart.”
He continued to praise his co-star Roh Jae Won. “Saying that he was good isn’t enough,” Byun Yo Han said. “The keyword I considered most important was concentration, and he never wanted to let go of that focus until the very end.”
“He was so meticulous that he could control every single finger and even every strand of hair. He loves acting so much that I felt a sense of kinship with him, and working together was incredibly enjoyable,” he said.
Byun Yo Han also added, “From my 20s through my 30s, I’ve worked with many senior actors and witnessed the love they have for their craft. I wanted to honestly convey and express that love. He is someone who moved me enough to awaken me. He was not stingy at all when expressing himself.”
He also spoke about another junior actor, Swings. After watching Swings’ acting practice videos, Byun Yo Han recommended him, eventually helping him make his screen debut. “I only built the bridge,” he said. “When it came to actually working on the project, he was truly just another actor. I could see firsthand how he was nervous, felt lonely, worried about things, and worked tirelessly to keep the promises he had made to the director and staff.”
He added, “When we were acting, his energy was so intense that there were many moments when it was even frightening. I never knew my throat could get that hoarse.”
Byun Yo Han is currently one of the most passionate and busiest actors in the industry. From the short-form drama My Father’s Table to The Journey to Gyeong-ju and Tazza 4, he is putting all his cards on the table in the world of Korean cinema.
“I really love movie theaters, which is why I became an actor. When I travel around for audience greetings, I see many people who are dreaming of becoming actors, as well as people who come to support us,” he said. “I often think that those moments are why we make films. I want to keep seeing those expressions on people’s faces.”
Tazza 4 stars Byun Yo Han, Roh Jae Won, Miyoshi Ayaka, Jo Woo Jin, Yoon Kyung Ho, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Hong Dao, Kim Min Ho, Im Se Mi, and Moon Ji Hoon (Swings). The film will be released on September 23.
Sources: Nate