Actor Woo Do Hwan described his role as Hae Jo in Netflix’s 'Mr. Plankton' is ‘the most romantic character’ he has ever played.

In a recent interview with iMBC Entertainment at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Woo Do Hwan shared insights about the romantic comedy series 'Mr. Plankton,' which follows the journey of Hae Jo, a man who believes he was born by mistake. As he embarks on his last trip to find his biological father after receiving a terminal diagnosis, he is joined—reluctantly—by Jae Mi (played by Lee Yoo Mi), the unluckiest woman in the world and his former lover.

Woo Do Hwan portrays Hae Jo, a drifter likened to plankton floating aimlessly through life. After being abandoned at birth, Hae Jo chooses a life of wandering, but his journey takes a profound turn as he confronts his past and mortality.

Woo Do Hwan, known for his disciplined fitness routine, revealed he stopped exercising entirely during the filming of 'Mr. Plankton.' “I’ve always lived a very structured life, and I’m obsessed with exercise,” he said. “But for this role, I thought, ‘If Hae Jo only has a short time to live, would he care about working out?’ So I stopped. Surprisingly, I started losing weight. I was 78kg during Bloodhounds, but for this series, I dropped to 71kg.”

Woo Do Hwan explained what drew him to the character: “When I first read the script, I wanted to do this project because of Hae Jo’s free-spirited yet deeply wounded nature. He’s someone who has been betrayed and abandoned by people he loved, making him incredibly lonely.”

He continued, “People often say that my strength as an actor is portraying a sense of melancholy and childlike vulnerability. I wanted to express this character while I’m still at an age where I can fully embody him.”

Describing Hae Jo as his most romantic role yet, Woo Do Hwan added, “Most of my characters are action-heavy, fighting for survival, but this is the first time in six years I’ve played someone who loves just one woman. It’s not soft or sappy, but I wanted to show a realistic and relatable love story with Jae Mi.”

Woo Do Hwan even pushed his boundaries for the role, sharing that he started drinking alcohol—something he typically avoids. “I’ve never understood why people drink, but during this project, I learned there’s a reason people enjoy it, even if just to relax. In a way, it helped me let go of my usual rigid habits.”

He reflected on how the experience changed him: “On tough days, I’d think about having a drink. Before, I’d always relieve stress with exercise, but since I wasn’t working out, I turned to alcohol for a while. After filming wrapped, though, I stopped drinking entirely. I had too many things to focus on, and I wanted to get back to managing myself.”

The 10-episode series 'Mr. Plankton' is now available to stream in its entirety on Netflix. With a heartfelt story and Woo Do Hwan’s transformative performance, the show promises an emotional and romantic journey for viewers worldwide.