At the production presentation for SBS’s new Friday-Saturday drama "Phantom Lawyer", held on March 11 at SBS headquarters in Mok-dong, Seoul, Yoo shared, “I filmed with the mindset that my life as an actor was on the line. For every possession scene, I kept asking myself, ‘Is it okay to let go this much?’ I let everything go and did my best, so I hope you’ll watch with lots of interest and love.”
"Phantom Lawyer" follows “spirit-possessed lawyer” Shin I-rang (played by Yoo Yeon-seok), who helps the dead release their unresolved grudges, and “cold-blooded elite lawyer” Han Na-hyeon (played by Esom), who puts everything on the line to win. It’s a strange yet heartwarming adventure of setting wronged spirits free.
Yoo’s character, Shin I-rang, is a late-blooming attorney. After opening his law office in Unit 501 of Okcheon Building―formerly a shaman’s residence―he starts seeing ghosts. He becomes a “spirit-possessed lawyer,” letting the vengeful dead ride along in his body to right their wrongs. That means Yoo plays multiple roles in one: a different spirit each episode. Sometimes he’s possessed by a young child; other times by a former idol-turned-high-schooler. His comedic, age- and gender-bending possession acting is a key highlight of the show.
On preparing for possession scenes, Yoo said, “I’ve never experienced possession myself, so I visited the shaman who consulted on our drama to ask for advice. They explained the things I was curious about in detail.” He added, “I also watched a lot of videos of people who appeared to be in real possession. I observed their feelings and behavior and tried to reflect that in my acting.”
What mattered most, he explained, was drawing a clear line between Shin I-rang’s normal state and his possessed state. “When I’m possessed, viewers need to immediately know it’s not Shin I-rang. So each episode, I observed the gestures, speech habits, and unique traits of the actor playing that ghost and worked with the director to build connective threads,” he said. “The actors playing the ghosts would perform what I’d later do during rehearsals, and I studied that to shape my take. I tried to make every possessed moment feel convincing.”
Despite his long career across many projects, this is Yoo’s first full-on comedy. “I’ve always tried to show a side of me you hadn’t seen before. When I read this script, I thought I could show a new side every week,” he said. “Getting to present many different characters within one project was exciting. I think viewers will enjoy the fresh looks each week and the variety of episodes that come from me being possessed by different spirits.”
"Phantom Lawyer" premieres March 13 at 9:50 p.m.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)