 |
| ▲ This photo of the main cast of the film “Sigue Mi Voz” (“Follow My Voice”) is provided by Korean soccer player-turned-actor Yang Jae-woo (R), who plays the male lead of the Spanish film. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- For the first time, a Korean actor has been cast in the lead role of a Spanish commercial feature film.
According to the webtoon and broadcasting industry Wednesday, Korean soccer player-turned-actor Yang Jae-woo, 24, has been chosen as the male lead of the Spanish film “Sigue Mi Voz” (“Follow My Voice”).
While Korean actors have previously appeared in supporting roles in Spanish commercial films, this marks the first time one has taken a leading role. The casting decision reflects the producers’ intention to remain faithful to the original web novel, in which the main character Kang is described as a Korean man.
 |
| ▲ This photo of Korean soccer player-turned-actor Yang Jae-woo is provide by the actor. Yang plays the male lead of the Spanish film “Sigue Mi Voz” (“Follow My Voice”). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
The romance film tells the story of Clara, who has shut herself away for 76 days, listening only to the radio. She gradually opens her heart and reenters the world after falling for the voice of Kang, the host of a late-night radio program. The original novel, written in Spanish by Venezuelan author Ariana Godoy, has garnered 36.8 million views on Wattpad.
The film is co-produced by Webtoon Production, an affiliate of Naver Webtoon, together with Spain’s Zeta Studios and Beta Fiction Spain. Unlike the common practice of casting Chinese actors for Asian roles, the producers held an open audition specifically seeking a Korean actor fluent in Spanish to match the original setting.
Yang, who passed the audition, is a former soccer player. He moved to Spain at the age of 11 after receiving an offer to join the youth team of Villarreal CF in 2012. He currently plays for Móstoles CF and also serves as coach of Móstoles URJC Alevín B Football 11.
In an interview with Yonhap News Agency, Yang said, “A fan saw the casting notice and reached out to me. Out of curiosity, I applied, although I thought I might fail because I didn’t do well in the audition. But I ended up getting the role.”
Industry officials noted that Webtoon Production has been expanding its portfolio by producing various global video projects based on intellectual properties discovered overseas. Beyond adapting Korean webtoons and novels into global streaming content, the company is now turning foreign IPs into local films and dramas.
The company recently released the Netflix series “Mala Influencia” (“Bad Influence”) and is also producing the “Through My Window” trilogy, the Thai drama “Beauty Newbie” and the Indonesian series “Turn On.”
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
