Lee Jun-young has opened up about his upcoming drama Four Hands, Two Sonatas and the personal factors that drew him to the project. The series marks his final acting role before he begins his mandatory military service. He reflected on wanting a different collaborative experience this time around.
Four Hands, Two Sonatas centers on the friendship, love, rivalry, and growth of young people who meet at an arts high school while chasing their dreams of becoming professional pianists. The title draws from the piano term “four hands,” which describes two people playing a single piano together. Lee Jun-young portrays Choi Jeong-yo, a tragic genius pianist of exceptional talent who ultimately stepped away from the instrument after confronting harsh realities in his life.
Choi Jeong-yo lost his mother at a young age and became the sole caretaker of his alcoholic father, taking on the role of family breadwinner while still a child. Although he loved the piano more than anyone, he spent years holding onto a dream he had to keep at arm’s length. Lee Jun-young explained the character’s complicated relationship with the instrument, stating, “For Choi Jeong Yo, the piano is something he wants to face but cannot bring himself to face.”
The actor continued describing Choi Jeong-yo’s emotional state. “After distancing himself from the piano following a series of events, Choi Jeong Yo remains stuck in that period of his life, but he begins to heal after meeting Kang Pio (Song Kang).” Lee Jun-young selected “freedom” as the keyword that best captures the character. He elaborated, “‘Freedom’ seems to suit Choi Jeong Yo’s everyday life best, as he is someone who is reluctant to live within a set mold.”
Four Hands, Two Sonatas is Lee Jun-young’s final project before enlisting in the military. Reflecting on his decision to star in the drama, he shared, “I mainly worked with senior actors and learned a lot from them, but before enlisting, I really wanted to act alongside actors my own age as well.” Music provided another strong pull for the actor, who has always been drawn to the subject.
He shared, “‘Four Hands, Two Sonatas’ was also a project with the appealing subject of music, which I had always been interested in.” He added, “That gave me a strong desire to challenge myself and explore it more deeply as an actor, so I chose the drama without hesitation.” Although Lee Jun-young was practically unfamiliar with classical music before taking on the role, the preparation process changed that.
While preparing for Choi Jeong-yo, he naturally began searching for and listening to classical pieces. He remarked, “While playing Choi Jeong Yo and figuring out the character’s emotions, I naturally found myself listening to classical music. I came to realize that ‘the power of classical music is incredibly strong.’ It was a meaningful experience in which I learned about the unique resonance and emotional depth that classical music can offer.” The process deepened his appreciation for the genre in unexpected ways.
Lee Jun-young also spoke candidly about his hopes for how audiences will receive his performance. He said, “Through the character of Choi Jeong Yo, I want to hear people say, ‘So this actor can pull off a role like this, too.’” He added, “It would be truly meaningful if I could be recognized as an actor who doesn’t limit himself and can portray a wide range of roles.” The role has allowed him to stretch into new territory as a performer.
Four Hands, Two Sonatas is set to premiere on August 29 at 9:10 p.m. KST. The drama will air on tvN and stream globally on Netflix.
You can watch the latest trailer for Four Hands, Two Sonatas below:
Sources: Naver and tvN
