Speaking at a wrap interview on Jan. 19 at a cafe in Seoul’s Yeoksam-dong, the actor reflected on the Season 3 finale of SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama "Taxi Driver 3". The last episode, which aired on the 10th, sparked buzz as Kim Do-gi (played by Lee) and the Rainbow Taxi crew teamed up with citizens to stop the declaration of martial law.
“In our country on December 3, 2024, there was an incident that made people around the world feel a sense of crisis, and that feeling lingered in people’s minds throughout last year,” Lee said, explaining how the arc came to be. “I think that had a big impact on the writer as the scripts were being developed in real time.”
He continued, “Even though 'Taxi Driver' starts from a fictional premise, the show has always drawn on stories that affect everyday people. What the writer wanted to explore in the final episode, I think, was the danger of power when it’s abused―and how citizens choose to act and stand together in response.”
“If earlier cases were about Kim Do-gi and the small organization of Rainbow Taxi trying to set things right, this one carried the hopes of everyone,” he added. “When I read the script, I wondered how to do it justice, so the Rainbow Taxi family and I put in a lot of work to bring those performances to life.”
SBS’s "Taxi Driver" launched in 2021 and wrapped its third season on the 10th. Centered on the covert taxi company Rainbow Taxi and driver Kim Do-gi, the vigilante thriller delivers justice on behalf of victims failed by the system. For five years across three seasons, Lee Je-hoon led the franchise, serving up cathartic payback, crackling team chemistry, slick action, and a slew of memorable alter egos. He also took home his second top honor at the SBS Drama Awards last year.
[Photo= Company On]
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)