Title: Defying Gravity with Alex Hafner in 'When the Stars Gossip'
Alex Hafner found himself in South Korea, tackling a part in the Korean drama "When The Stars Gossip," despite his script being far from flawless due to its "wacky" translation. Born in Vienna and raised in multiple international cities, Hafner's fluency in German, Spanish, English, and French proved beneficial. However, his lack of proficiency in Korean posed a challenge.
Despite this, Hafner saw an opportunity and gave it his best shot, ultimately landing the role of Santiago Gonzalez Garcia, an astronaut. The show's narrative changed the game, featuring not just a brief appearance of a non-Korean actor, but a series regular character.
During his time in Korea, Hafner was surprised by the language barrier. As not everyone in the creative industry spoke English, communication was sometimes a challenge. His co-stars who could speak English, like Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Min-ho, became his closest companions on set.
Learning the Korean language was a trip. With its distinct differences from Western languages, Hafner found himself still an intermediate learner of the language. Acting amidst these language barriers required special adaptations, such as reading the room and judging when to chime in.
Sharing screen time with Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin during the space launch was an exciting experience. As the scenes unfolded, Hafner discovered the unique pleasure of Korean drama storytelling, featuring lengthier arcs for non-Korean actors like him. Hafner quickly warmed up to watching Korean dramas, especially after the global success of "Squid Game."
The grueling filming schedule necessary for zero gravity scenes presented fresh challenges. Harnesses and wires weren't always comfortable, but they were necessary. Hafner's castmates learned to adapt and mimic these movements to make filming smoother.
Despite the language barriers, cultural immersion helped Hafner succeed. Shared meals, experiences, and camaraderie broke down some of the barriers. For instance, Lee Min-ho even sponsored food trucks from different countries, appealing to international tastes.
The drama took twelve months to film, which stretched beyond its expected six-month duration. Although filming in Korea was fast-paced, zero gravity scenes were a game-changer. The long hours spent in the capsule helped foster strong relationships.
Hafner expressed joy at the possibility of revisiting the Korean drama scene in the future, hoping for a second season where he could deliver Korean dialogue with more confidence. As a fan of his co-stars' work, he named "Pachinko" and "When the Camellia Blooms" as favorites.
Hafner was excited to work with renowned Korean actor Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin, known for their roles in 'Pachinko' and 'When the Camellia Blooms' K-dramas respectively. Despite the challenges, Hafner appreciated Netflix's selection of him for 'When The Stars Gossip', a Vampire Academy adaptation with a space travel theme. His co-star Cho Jung-suk, who played a significant role in Vampire Academy, became a valuable resource for navigating the K-drama world. After wrapping up 'When the Stars Gossip', Hafner expressed interest in starring in another K-drama, prefacing it with his admiration for Minho's work in 'Minoz' and the popularity of 'Vampire Academy' on international platforms.
