Nam Joo Hyuk has revealed that filming difficult underwater scenes for “East Palace” left him with a new fear of water, even though he had always been a confident swimmer.
Nam Joo Hyuk and Roh Yoon Seo appeared on episode 148 of TEO’s web variety show “Salon Drip,” released on July 14, where they shared behind the scenes stories from the upcoming drama.
Nam Joo Hyuk explained that repeatedly filming in deep water was one of his biggest challenges.
“I grew up in Busan, so I was never afraid of water,” he said. “I enjoy swimming in the sea, and I am a good swimmer. I even won two gold medals in elementary school. But filming ‘East Palace’ gave me a fear of water.”
The actor revealed that he had to dive as deep as six meters for some scenes. He also held his breath underwater for more than a minute because he mistakenly believed Roh Yoon Seo had filmed at the same depth.
“I thought Yoon Seo had also gone down six meters,” he explained. “I kept thinking, ‘She is working hard, so I should do it too.’ I felt like I was running out of air, but I continued.”
However, when he later asked Roh Yoon Seo about the scene, she revealed that she had filmed at a depth of 2.6 meters.
Roh Yoon Seo said the experience was still frightening because it was her first time filming that deep underwater. She also described acting alone during a scene in which her character appeared to be pulled down by an unseen force.
“No one was actually holding me, but I had to struggle by myself as if someone were pulling me,” she said.
Nam Joo Hyuk shared that watching Roh Yoon Seo’s effort from a distance motivated him to work even harder.
The conversation later turned to supernatural experiences on set. Roh Yoon Seo said some staff members claimed they had seen ghosts during filming.
Nam Joo Hyuk said he does not believe in ghosts but admitted that he is still afraid of them.
“I cannot watch horror movies,” he said. However, he joked that he could escape because he is a fast runner and once completed the 100 meter dash in about 13 seconds.
His playful comments led Roh Yoon Seo to tease him, showing their comfortable friendship. Host Jang Do Yeon also jokingly told him to keep his comedy skills hidden, bringing laughter to the set.
