"Oh Gwan-seok, Defined by His Gaze": Ryu Seung-ryong Masterfully Portrays 'Pine' Character with His Eyes

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"I acted with nothing but my eyes." (Ryu Seung-ryong)

The Disney+ series Pine was a feast of distinct personalities. There was no clear line between leading and supporting roles; every single character, like Jung Yun-ho's gangster, was meticulously crafted.

In contrast, Oh Gwan-seok was a protagonist without any flashy gimmicks. He didn't speak in a dialect or leap into the water. He was a man of few words, cautious in his actions—at first glance, he seemed like any ordinary neighborhood guy.

Yet, in the hands of actor Ryu Seung-ryong, this plain character came alive. He created a distinct presence with a single expression and a single gaze. Whenever the narrative threatened to lose its way, he would appear and firmly anchor the story.

Ryu Seung-ryong felt a strong sense of conviction after wrapping up filming for Pine. He had a premonition that it would be a hit. "As an actor, I had a feeling after we finished shooting. I just knew, 'This is going to do well,'" he said with a laugh. "If a Season 2 is made, maybe people will say, 'If Ryu Seung-ryong is in it, it's bound to get a Season 2'? I'm hoping for that too."

Dispatch recently met with Ryu Seung-ryong at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. We asked him how he brought Oh Gwan-seok to life and the secret to completing a character with just his eyes.

The Gaze: Ryu Seung-ryong's Secret Weapon

Oh Gwan-seok was a man who made a living from petty theft with his nephew, Oh Hee-dong (Yang Se-jong). He then gets involved in an accidental underwater treasure-hunting mission and eventually takes on the role of the crew's leader.

Ryu Seung-ryong was captivated by the sheer theme of desire in Pine. "The group tries to pull their desires from the bottom of a murky sea, but in the end, they get nothing. That sense of futility was the charm of this project," he explained.

However, bringing Oh Gwan-seok to life was not easy. Unlike the other villagers, the character's profile was relatively subdued. "The other actors were delivering such vibrant performances next to me, but there wasn't much I could do," he said.

As the episodes progressed, Ryu Seung-ryong's character gradually revealed his villainous side. Quietly but relentlessly, he spiraled out of control. One by one, he shed his humanity and became ruthless enough to eliminate people. What completed his transformation was his gaze.

"For me, the most important elements in completing the character were my eyes and reactions. I tried to use my gaze to show him listening to others and reading their next moves. I thought the audience had to be able to follow the story just by looking into my eyes."

Oh Gwan-seok: A Livelihood-Driven Villain

The villagers in Pine are all chasing their own desires. Blinded by money, they move without thinking, yet they aren't hoping for a huge windfall. They show a desperate, albeit humble, kind of ambition.

Gwan-seok was the same. He starts with a small desire but is ultimately destroyed by it. "Gwan-seok is a symbolic character. His desires accumulate like compound interest," he explained. "In the end, he crashes and burns with those desires."

Ryu Seung-ryong defined Gwan-seok as a "livelihood-driven villain." Gwan-seok doesn't kill anyone directly, but he stands by and watches others die, sometimes even using their deaths to his advantage. He even says, "Living rightly comes after you've made your money."

"The villagers were people who could be anyone—perhaps they were just clumsy human beings. That's why from a viewer's perspective, Gwan-seok and the other characters didn't feel like absolute evil or psychopaths."

He continued, "Nevertheless, Gwan-seok is a villain. It was a savage era where everything was possible with money. His initial desire to protect his family's livelihood gradually became distorted as he chased money."

Oh Gwan-seok, He Survived

In the final episode of Pine, a truck carrying the treasure plunges off a cliff. Oh Gwan-seok's death seemed certain, but he reappears in a post-credits scene. Netizens speculated, "Is he a twin brother?" as theories multiplied.

Ryu Seung-ryong confirmed, "It's true, Oh Gwan-seok survived." He revealed, "His final scene was filmed later after a thorough discussion with the director. The idea was that he was in the back seat, not the driver's seat, and because of his strong will to live, he was thrown out when the truck fell."

He also offered his own interpretation of the ending. "A villain deserves the punishment of death. However, Gwan-seok's desire is to 'do anything for his family.' His punishment is being unable to fulfill that desire."

"If he survived but his family all died, what could be a greater punishment than that? On the other hand, if his family had lived, I think in Season 2, Gwan-seok would meet an even more horrific end." He didn't hide his excitement for a potential Season 2. "This was not a project planned from the start to have a next season. If the reaction is good and a Season 2 is produced, it would be a huge honor for the cast and crew." He laughed, adding, "We joked among ourselves that if the next treasure-hunting story were set in Japan, viewers might be even more supportive of us. It would be like a pardon."

'Pine' Itself Was a Treasure

Ryu Seung-ryong compared the filming set of Pine to a treasure. "The treasure I found was this entire process. I was truly happy during filming. I wondered if I'd ever get to experience a set like this again. So I decided to just enjoy and feel every moment."

His bond with his fellow actors also became a special memory. "I never expected to grow so fond of the other actors. We comforted, supported, and felt like we were all in the same boat together," he said with a smile.

He also enjoyed watching his colleagues' performances. "I watched a rough stone turn into a jewel. It was a luxury to see the acclaimed performances of great actors live. Even the actors who appeared briefly perfectly fulfilled their roles." He also expressed deep respect for Director Kang Yoon-sung. "I can sum up this project as 'Kang Yoon-sung from beginning to end.' Even if we were given the same environment, this level of quality and teamwork wouldn't have been possible without him."

"Viewers kept asking, 'When is Season 2 coming out? Is it already over?' From an actor's perspective, that's the most rewarding thing to hear. I'm truly happy."

Finally, Ryu Seung-ryong said, "Just as I found treasure, I hope viewers also discover a treasure in their lives through this show."

Meanwhile, Ryu Seung-ryong's next project is the JTBC drama The Story of Manager Kim, a Major Company Employee Who Lives in Seoul. It will portray the relatable story of a middle-aged man who just wants to live well. He is set to return to viewers with a completely different look.