The writer of 'Polaris' revealed the casting story of actors Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won.
Disney+ held a creators talk for the new original series 'Polaris' (written by Jeong Seo-kyung, directed by Kim Hee-won and Heo Myung-hyung) on the afternoon of the 20th at the CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan, Seoul. Present at the event were writer Jeong Seo-kyung, directors Kim Hee-won and Heo Myung-hyung, as well as art director Kim Byeong-han and VFX supervisor Hong Jeong-ho, who discussed 'Polaris' under the moderation of Baek Eun-ha, head of the actor research institute.
'Polaris' is a story depicting 'Moon-joo' (played by Jun Ji-hyun), who has built an international reputation as a United Nations (UN) ambassador, chasing after the behind-the-scenes of a presidential candidate shooting incident, alongside the unidentified special agent 'San-ho' (Gang Dong-won), who must protect her, as they confront a huge truth threatening the Korean Peninsula. It has drawn significant attention even before its release due to its unique casting lineup and the encounter of top creators.
In this regard, writer Jeong Seo-kyung said, "From the beginning of this project, Ji-hyun was Moon-joo. I couldn't imagine any other actor. Moon-joo has lived in a lonely, cold place. Watching Ji-hyun interpret and create the character made me feel grateful many times, thinking how lucky we were to have such a warm person take on our character. Additionally, when it was said that Gang Dong-won was cast, it felt like winning the lottery. I wondered if such luck existed in life. It could have been a very challenging character, but I thought about whether he could embody warmth while also being both an adult and a boy, and he did," adding to the anticipation.
Jeong Seo-kyung also emphasized, "I started with the expectation of Ji-hyun, but the director wanted to tell a powerful women's story and mentioned Ji-hyun as the actor. After that, I wrote thinking only of Ji-hyun. I thought it would be great if Ji-hyun became a presidential candidate, and I hoped she would take on an important role while writing."
In particular, he emphasized, "What I thought was truly the most wonderful about actress Ji-hyun is her composure. She follows her instincts. She makes decisions incredibly quickly and executes them boldly, with warmth inside. It seems she understands physically. Seeing the Moon-joo I imagined come to life in front of my eyes, I feel the depth that this person possesses as an actor. This actor has lived a life I respect. The first scene starts with Moon-joo running. When I asked if she liked exercising, she immediately replied without a second thought, 'I was always on the treadmill whenever I was happy or crying.' That's exactly Moon-joo; how did she know? The synchronization rate is such that Moon-joo was Ji-hyun. Ji-hyun created many facets of the character," he emphasized.
'Polaris' will be released for the first time on Disney+ on Sept. 10.
[Photo] OSEN reporter Ji Hyung-jun, provided by Disney+.
[OSEN]