EXCLUSIVE: Korean actor Ji Jin-hee, known for playing stoic roles, wants to give comedy a go

'I think it would be good to show you a more casual and fun side of Ji Jin-hee,' says the 50-year-old. Photo: tvN

Starring in a melodrama is something that Korean actor Ji Jin-hee admits to StarLifestyle, he’s still keen to do, especially as he grows older.

“People in love at different stages of life seem to be different,” the 50-year-old reasons behind his affinity for the genre in this email interview.

While his preference is for the heavy stuff, there is one genre that Ji hopes to explore in the near future.

“I am thankful I have experienced and played a wide variety of wonderful roles in my career. But, if I get a chance, I would like to try comedy someday.

"I think it would be good to show you a more casual and fun side of Ji Jin-hee,” says the actor who made his acting debut over two decades ago.

From his early works in the period dramas Jewel In The Palace (2003) and Dong Yi (2010), to the more recent roles in thrillers Misty (2018) and Designated Survivor: 60 Days (2019), Ji has brought forth many characters of integrity and serious demeanour to the small screen.

Who can forget his brief appearance in the touching drama Move To Heaven where he plays Jeong-u, a caring dad who teaches his son to always be upright and respectful.

Move To Heaven’s screenwriter Yoon Ji-ryun attests in the series’ production notes that she needed an actor with a strong presence to play Jeong-u as he is the start of the overall story and the embodiment of the theme of the series. And Ji was that actor.

Ji Jin-hee makes a brief appearance in Move To Heaven. Photo: Netflix

Similarly, Ji doesn’t disappoint with his latest series titled The Road: The Tragedy Of One, in which he once again portrays a resolute man who gains the audience’s admiration from the get-go.

In this K-drama, Ji portrays Baek Soo-hyun, South Korea’s most trusted anchor as he refuses to compromise on the truth in his reports.

At the start of The Road, Soo-hyun exposes a company’s slush fund accounts used to funnel a politician’s campaign.

Since the corruption incriminates powerful people, naturally there are those who want to stop Soo-hyun at all costs.

And they do this by kidnapping his son. And so, Soo-hyun gets on a distressful journey where he must often walk the line between what’s right and what’s wrong.

The balancing act is made even more complicated as he’s keeping a secret about his past from his wife Eun-soo (Yoon Se-ah).

At work too, he has to counter the station’s ambitious news presenter Cha Seo-young (Kim Hye-Eun).

Although Ji confesses there wasn’t a lot he could do to prepare for the role, he mentions that he watched newscasters presenting quite a bit to get a feel of the job.

It helps too that this is not his first time playing a broadcast news journalist; he played one in the 2008 series Spotlight.

“I wanted to make an image breakthrough from my previous production. Hence, I tried something new not only in my appearance, but also in terms of portraying the character’s emotions.”

According to the actor, he doesn’t usually worry too much about playing a new character as there are always some changes during the production. But he was anxious playing Soo-hyun as there were many challenging parts to the role.

He explains: “Soo-hyun is a character who possesses both a glamorous and a dark side, which – on paper – sounds difficult.

“Hence, I could not help but worry quite a lot about how to portray the character’s extreme and sophisticated inner struggles naturally and in detail.

“But I was able to overcome it with the director’s confidence in me.”

In our Q&A, he shares why audiences should tune in to The Road: The Tragedy Of One, what it means to him that Korean dramas are gaining popularity globally and what character he would like to revisit.

Although he was a little anxious about taking on the role in 'The Road: Tragedy Of One', Ji Jin-hee was excited with the new challenges it would bring. Photo tvN

When this role came your way, what was it that most appealed to you?

Firstly, the script intrigued me as soon as I read it. It seemed difficult but that actually made me dedicate myself into it even more.

I already felt the thrill when I was imagining how I would portray Baek Soo-hyun from the script.

I believed that The Road would be an outstanding production as long as I play him well.

You have a number of action sequences in the series. How did you prepare for them, and what was the hardest to accomplish?

Of late, I have filmed many productions that frequently involve action scenes.

I am thankful for being able to show my acting skills in action scenes which I have always dreamed of doing before it’s too late.

Action does not purely mean utilising one’s body with fanciful skills, but it’s more about portraying the character’s situation where he has no other choice.

What was the hardest? Instead of some splendid action, the scenes of me running around the forest in the rain were not easy. I felt exhausted after a few takes.

There are a number of action sequences that Ji Jin-hee (left) ends up executing in 'The Road: The Tragedy Of One'. Photo: tvN

What was it like working with actresses Yoon and Kim?

I have played a married couple with Yoon in a movie called Parallel Life in 2009. Even though we met a long time ago, there was no big difficulty in working together as a couple (again).

In fact, unlike Eun-soo’s calm and quiet character, Yoon is a bright person who’s full of energy.

I was able to act comfortably because she is an actress who can adjust to the tempo according to her partner.

I met Kim Hye-eun for the first time through this project, but there are many similarities between Soo-hyun and Seo-young in the drama.

Hence, we were able to understand and resonate with each other’s characters well, and we became close quickly after filming many scenes together. Kim’s really charismatic when she’s fully immersed in the role.

Both of them are indeed actresses with outstanding acting skills. I felt greatly inspired by these two actresses.

Why should the audience tune in to The Road: The Tragedy Of One?

Although it was a difficult production, I think it clearly portrayed the dark side of our reality.

I hope the tragic incidents in the drama would make us reflect on the messages hidden behind them.

It deals with the intrinsic and philosophical question of whether the choices we encounter in moments of our lives would come together and contribute to an ending.

Of course, resolving the entangled relationships and interpreting the incidents are also interesting.

One of his early roles was in the hit historical drama 'Dong Yi'. Photo: Handout

How do you choose your projects?

The way I choose my projects seems to be constantly torn between the reality and the ideal.

I’m sure the public would have certain expectations of my image, but there are also things I would like to pursue out of my passion.

It seems that I need to look for a point of compromise by making some adjustments.

I still have the desire to challenge myself doing new things.

Even if it’s not a very big change, I still want to show myself extending my productions in various kinds of images as far as I am able to, which will serve as the direction for me to choose my future projects.

Is there one role in your career you enjoyed playing the most?

I don’t have a role that I like more than others. The great advantage of being an actor is that you can live the lives of many people in the world for a while. It’s delightful and exciting.

So, I am very attached to all the characters I’ve done in all my productions.

Recently, I acted as a president. Several years ago, I went undercover, and now I am news anchor Baek Soo-hyun.

Each character has its own life implications, which gives me a chance to experience a wide range of things.

The actor says he had a lot of fun on the set of Designated Survivor: 60 Days and would like to see a second season of the show. - Ji Jin-hee/Instagram

Which of the dramas you have acted in the past would you like to see a second season?

I’d like to pick Designated Survivor: 60 Days. I liked the character Park Moo-jin’s reasonable approach in portraying personal development.

If Season Two were to be made, I think I would be able to show even more diverse images. I’m also curious because I think there’s a lot more to explore and talk about.

Personally, I had fond memories on this set, but I think it also was because the actors played their roles faithfully.

It would be really great to meet them again for Season Two.

Korean dramas have gotten global attention. What does this mean to you personally as an actor and what are your future goals?

It seems that the interest in culture itself has increased far beyond the dramas. So as a member of the industry, I am proud and grateful.

I think it’s because there are now more ways to access Korean contents thanks to OTT service. Older contents can be found and revisited within just a few clicks.

Feedback on productions has also been accelerated, and that the influx of overseas fans has increased. It seems to be a positive influence.

I think that’s why the quality of content is increasing day by day so I should also try my best to be a good actor.

Catch the final episode of The Road: The Tragedy Of One tonight (Sept 10) at 9.15pm on tvN (Astro Ch 395/unifi TV Ch 211). Watch from the beginning on Astro Go, On Demand and unifi playTV