In an interview, actor Ryu Deok-hwan recalled a disturbing incident involving the mistreatment of a child actor that he witnessed in the past.
He shared: “I once wondered if anyone ever called me “Deok-hwan” on set. Usually it was just “Hey” or “Bring the child actor over here.” Looking back, I wasn’t treated much differently than a prop.”
He continued, ““There was a scene where the child actor had to cry, but he couldn’t do it right away. When the child couldn’t cry at the right time, the director slapped him. As soon as the child began to cry after being shot, the director shouted: “Shoot, shoot!” It was terrifying. He made me realize that if I couldn’t perform well, I would be in serious trouble,” recalling the fear and pressure he felt then.
Because of this experience, when Ryu Deok-hwan got his first leading role in the movie “Like a Virgin,” where he had a child actor play a younger version of his character, he felt a special connection with the child actor . Out of a sense of responsibility, he would visit the set even on days when there were no scenes, just to make sure the child actor was treated well.
Ryu Deok-hwan added, “I was only 19 at the time, so I was still young too. Although the industry has changed, I was terrified that even the kind staff members who treated me well might be harsh towards child actors. My experience as a child actor was scary and intense,” he explained as the reason for his visits.
Recently, Ryu Deok-hwan successfully completed the “Irreplaceable” exhibition. The show featured actors Ryu Seung-ryong, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jung-min and Ji Chang-wook and was designed around the concept of an interview. He shared that he hoped acting, like other art forms, could be better protected as a profession.
Source: Daum
