It’s hard being half vampire and half human. The character Woo-hyeol, played by Ok Taecyeon, finds himself in this difficult situation in the Korean fantasy drama Heartbeat. He would really rather be human, despite the vampiric advantage of looking great forever. To become human, he’s convinced that he must sleep in a coffin for exactly one hundred years. He’s willing to endure that, but the plan is foiled when the woman who inherits the house opens his coffin a day early. Is he a little more human after 99 years and 364 days or is he back to square one? Not only must Woo-hyeol remain a vampire for a while longer, he must adapt to a world that’s changed considerably in the last century.

To play the role of Woo-hyeol, Taecyeon had plenty of cinematic vampires to draw inspiration from. Actors from Lon Chaney to Alexander Skarsgard to Ethan Hawke and Ian Somerhalder have played vampires. There’s something about these creatures that audiences find endlessly fascinating.

“Vampires do not exist in reality so I imagined what increasingly humanized vampires would look like,” said Taecyeon. “Before filming I watched several works featuring vampires, such as Interview With A Vampire. Since Heartbeat is a romantic comedy, I acted while focusing on portraying his ups and downs as a vampire who has to hide his true identity in the human world in a funnier way.”

What is it that’s so fascinating about these alluring yet dangerous creatures? What makes vampire tales so seductive?

‘I think the fantasy of things that humans cannot have,” said Taecyeon. “Such as a vampire’s superpowers and immortality, that transcends limits, and is attractive to viewers.”

Acting in a fantasy drama came with certain challenges and required him to deal with one of his own fears.

“Due to the fantasy drama and scenes being completed with CG later, I had to act using my imagination more than I usually do,” said Taecyeon. “In that sense, I had a lot of discussions with the director regarding the technical aspects of how those elements would be combined. I personally have a fear of heights so it was difficult to film scenes where I have to hang from a wire, but I was able to have fun filming thanks to the action team who prepared well.”

Taecyeon, who is also a member of the k-pop group 2PM, has taken roles in various genres of TV dramas and films. He appeared in the epic battle film Hansan: Rising Dragon, played a Joseon-era inspector in Secret Royal Inspector and Joy and a seemingly nice guy with a villainous side in the drama Vincenzo, as well as appearing in the dramas The Game Toward Zero, Save Me and Bring It On Ghost.

“The hardest thing when creating a character is finding a way to express the character I play,” said Taecyeon. “It’s always difficult to think about how to express the lines in the script, how I should move, what kind of gaze I should have and figuring out what suits my character best. The emotions that I feel when making a character after contemplating like that—that is the various emotions I feel as I speak, move and become the character—brings me the most joy.”

The woman who opens Woo-hyeol’s coffin may actually hold the secret to his becoming completely human. Played by Won Ji-an, she is somehow related to his long lost love. Love does conquer all—at least in romantic comedies. With all its perks, does the idea of special vampire abilities even remotely appealing to Taecyeon? Not at all, although it’s certainly fun to play one.

“I don’t think there’s anything I want,” he said. “I want to achieve something through my own efforts rather than through my innate abilities. I am very happy as myself right now.”

Heartbeat is available on Amazon Prime. Video