Born and raised in Germany, educated in the United States and now based out of South Korea, BAFTA Awards-nominated actor Teo Yoo (“Past Lives,” “Decision to Leave”) doesn’t take any of his success for granted. He had already spent many years turning down parts that cast Asian characters in a disparaging light. In his latest role in the espionage series “The Recruit,” he plays Jang Kyu, a South Korean intelligence agent, who teams up with Noah Centineo (“To All the Boys” trilogy).
“This show is a testament to Alexi Hawley’s writing and also to the leadership of [executive producer and star] Noah, who created such a warm and lovely environment for us all,” Yoo said in an interview from The Plaza Hotel in New York City. “It was a very wholesome experience and a privilege to be part of the show.” The second season of “The Recruit” will drop on Netflix Jan.
30. Yoo stays in touch with fans on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.
com/teoyoo/ ). This interview was edited for length and clarity. Q: In “The Recruit,” you speak Korean and English, which aren’t your native language.
A: I grew up speaking German, then English, and then I learned Korean. On “The Recruit,” the translator was more of a cultural translator, who was on set for us to pick up on things, on my [Korean] dialect. Even for me, it feels like sometimes things can get lost in translation.
Q: This second season of “The Recruit” is set in South Korea. How much of it was filmed .