100% real action acting fills the living room. Kim Jin-young, who became an actor from the UDT creator 'Dex', is at the center of it all.
ENA's new Monday-Tuesday drama 'The Defects' (written by Ahn So-jung, directed by Oh Gi-hwan) is an action thriller that depicts the desperate survival and revenge of children who barely survived after being abandoned by their foster parents. Based on a Kakao webtoon that won the 'Best Creativity Award' at the International Content Market SPP 2017 and has recorded over 51 million views, it has garnered attention from both original webtoon enthusiasts and drama fans.
What draws interest in 'The Defects' is that it features actor 'Kim Jin-young', not the creator 'Dex'. Having built his favorability through 'Single's Inferno', 'The Universe's Star', and 'Fresh off the Sea', Kim Jin-young previously gained acting experience in 'Tarot: Seven Cards Story', but since 'The Defects' is his first TV drama, expectations are rising regarding his performance as an actor.
Director Oh Gi-hwan commented on Kim Jin-young, saying, "I didn't know the entertainer Dex well; I only knew the actor Kim Jin-young and we held the meeting based on that. I chose him because I saw potential as an actor. During the long shooting period, Kim Jin-young in the first month was clearly different from Kim Jin-young at the crank-up point. I can say that I cast him because I saw growth potential," and added, "I made the proposal first. When I saw potential through deep conversations in the meetings, Kim Jin-young also seemed to like the script, and I think we had great chemistry."
Kim Jin-young stated, "I personally believe that you only become clear about the reasons for wanting to act after trying it, and I thought it suited my natural style as Kim Jin-young, the human apart from Dex. I like to focus intensely when doing any task, and I was attracted to the idea that as an actor, I consistently explore and develop a character. I'm grateful to be working with good directors and actors. I sometimes feel guilty thinking that my presence might become a flaw among such excellent actors, but I did my best to compensate for those feelings during filming."
In the drama, Kim Jin-young plays the role of Jeong-hyun, a human weapon raised by Kim Se-hee (Yum Jung-ah) and a key operator of an illegal adoption organization. Jeong-hyun is a character who absolutely obeys Se-hee's orders and is expected to lead the tense developments.
Kim Jin-young is expected to enhance the immersion with his action performance. As a former UDT member skilled in real combat, he noted that action acting presents a different challenge. He remarked, "Action acting and actual action are different, so it was a bit difficult when performing. Real action is essential for the expression to emerge, and I put my strength into the acting as well. So there will be many scenes that feel real," and added, "When I was acting with senior Choi Young-jun, I thought it would be okay to use some strength, but I exerted too much, causing a blackout due to lack of oxygen to the brain, and my senior also got injured."
Choi Young-jun, who was fully engaged due to Kim Jin-young's 100% effort, said, "Dex's actual action is incredibly fast; when a punch comes, there's no time to evade, so I got hit as well. Dex is really strong. Honestly, it's right to do it this realistically." On the contrary, Won Jina playfully remarked, "Although Dex seemed worried, I was concerned that there wouldn't be any of me left after being hit by my punch."
Won Jina, who reportedly threatened Dex, showcases her first action performance in the debut. She said, "When I did interviews at my debut, I mentioned that I wanted to do action, and I'm happy to experience it so quickly in such a good project. I thought I had good athletic instincts, but it was completely a different level. It's not just about working hard; trust between us is also necessary, making it a more attractive genre than I thought. I approached filming with joy and a lot of tension." Notably, it was reported that Won Jina was taken to the emergency room while doing action acting, raising concerns.
While 'The Defects' contains such realistic action, it also encompasses heavy themes. Director Oh Gi-hwan commented on the process depicted in 'The Defects' of buying, selling, and refunding children, saying, "Our drama is literally a drama and I hope you think of it as a fantasy realm, not reality. Also, there are many demons that appear. I hope you think of them as existing somewhere and enjoy the drama as a drama. There are three strengths: high-level settings, intense narratives, and powerful actions. Please look forward to it."
ENA's new Monday-Tuesday drama 'The Defects' will premiere on the 21st at 10 p.m.
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