Doh Kyung-soo's first time as a villain in Disney+'s recently ended action thriller series “The Manipulated” has been a liberating experience, the singer-actor said, as he ventured into new depths of human brutality and ruthlessness.

The EXO member portrays Yo-han, a psychopathic sculptor who ruins innocent people's lives in exchange for money — a striking departure from Doh's long-held image as a gentle and upright sweetheart. Through this role, the 32-year-old said he tapped into emotions he had never accessed or expressed before.


“I really never had the opportunity to push [myself] to the limit during my acting career, but playing Yo-han really took me to an emotional level I'd never experienced before,” he said during a roundtable interview at a cafe in central Seoul on Thursday.

"[Playing Yo-han] actually helped me blow off some steam. It was fun.”

Doh debuted as a member of the K-pop boy band EXO in 2012 and began acting in 2014, starring in films such as “My Annoying Brother” (2016), “Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds” (2017) and “The Moon” (2023).

Doh noted that being offered his first villain role was a personal delight. “When the offer first came in, I was honestly pretty excited. It sounded fun and it was something I’d always wanted to try,” he said, adding he “didn’t really feel worried or pressured.” Instead, the first thought that came to mind was that portraying Yo-han would be fun.

The 12-episode show follows Park Tae-joong, played by Ji Chang-wook, whose ordinary life is turned upside down after being framed for a crime. He later finds out that the scheme was orchestrated by Yo-han and vows to take revenge.

Viewers have praised Doh's performance, and many agree that one of the most striking elements of Yo-han’s on-screen presence was his expressive eyes, a feature the actor is well known for. Fans joked that his intense gaze looked as if he really had “snapped.”

“My eyes aren’t exactly small to begin with, so when I express certain emotions, they tend to grow even bigger. I think people pick up on those [physical] changes,” said Doh before clarifying with a laugh that he didn’t actually “go crazy.”

To get into character — especially a merciless, guiltless villain like Yo-han, who uses and kills people without hesitation — Doh changed his style, avoiding conventional or plain outfits and accessories. He went as far as damaging his hair by bleaching, perming and re-dying it black, which was a four-hour process.

Doh even put careful thought into Yo-han’s action scenes, including deeply considering which type of weapon he should use.

“When it came to the action scenes, I remember thinking a lot about how to make them look even more brutal,” he said, adding that during the ending action sequence with Ji, he intentionally selected a longsword over a dagger.

“Yo-han could’ve just used his fists. That would’ve worked, but I wanted [the fight] to feel more brutal. So, I spent a lot of time considering what kinds of tools or weapons he’d use — things that could take someone out in an instant and make the violence feel more ruthless.”

On the topic of Yo-han's cruelty, Doh revealed that some of his scenes were cut from the show for being, in his opinion, too vicious.

One such scene involved Yo-han ordering his assistant to chop off a man's finger.

"[I shot a scene] in which I get out of my car, pick up the finger and thank the victim,” Doh said. Though he was fine with his other scenes being cut, he felt disappointed that particular moment didn't make it to the final version.

“I felt like [that scene], during which he shows that type of [sadistic] gratitude, could have shown more of Yo-han’s personality.”

The series ends on an open note. Yo-han's death occurs off-screen, and one of the last scenes shows a mysterious figure sitting in Yo-han's special “sculpting” room, where he planned his crimes throughout the show, making viewers question whether he may still be alive.

However, Doh's personal take on Yo-han's status conflicts with viewers’ hopes. “I think that Yo-han really died,” he said.

“I think that people like Yo-han shouldn’t be saved,” he added. “I hope he is truly dead.”

Still, he said that if there is a second season, he would gladly return as Yo-han.

The actor also addressed the online buzz surrounding his absence from actors Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-ah’s wedding — a result of EXO’s busy schedule in preparation for the Melon Music Awards on Dec. 20. Doh is known to be close friends with Kim.

“I was honestly really upset,” he said. "[Kim and I] had already discussed me singing for them at their wedding. Of course, he understood, and overall, EXO does come first. But I can’t help but feel a little sad about it.”

Doh remains active as a solo singer and as a member of EXO. The band is set to make a comeback as a whole unit early next year — including member Lay, who rejoined the group after two and a half years.

“It’s been a really long time since we last got together in 2018,” Doh said. “I’m having a great time [...] and it’s fun to dance again, which I haven’t done for a while.”

He continued, “We’re all working hard to bring back the kind of energy we had in our 20s. We’ve already wrapped the big shoot, so you can definitely look forward to it.”

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]