Actor Jo Seong-ha revealed why the cast of 'The Mantis: Original Sin' voluntarily reduced their grants.
Jo Seong-ha played the role of Chief Inspector Choi Jung-ho, the detective in charge of the 'The Mantis' serial murder case from 20 years ago and the head of the investigative team handling the current copycat murder case, and he delivered a passionate performance that stably carried the drama's narrative in the SBS Fri-Sat drama 'The Mantis: Original Sin' (written by Lee Young-jong, directed by Byun Young-joo, hereafter The Mantis), which concluded on the 27th.
The Mantis is a high-density crime thriller in which a brutal serial killer known as 'The Mantis' was captured 20 years earlier, but copycat crimes occur two decades later, and to solve these cases a detective unexpectedly teams up with the killer's mother—whom he has hated his whole life—to carry out a joint investigation. The Mantis, which premiered on the 5th, received praise, recording a peak viewership rating of 7.5% (episode 4), and concluded its run with episode 8, which aired on the 27th.
Jo Seong-ha took on the role of Chief Inspector Choi Jung-ho, the detective who handled the 'The Mantis' serial murder case 20 years ago and now leads the team investigating the current copycat murders, and he anchored the drama's story with stability. Carrying the secret that he once made a transaction with serial killer Jung Yi-shin (Ko Hyun-jung) for political reasons and was forced to downplay and conceal the case, he fights to prevent the tragedy from restarting. Jo Seong-ha delicately portrayed the character's conflict between anguish and sense of justice, and his distinctive low voice and charismatic gaze perfectly conveyed the complex inner life of veteran detective Choi Jung-ho, enhancing audience immersion.
Reflecting on saying goodbye to The Mantis, Jo Seong-ha said, "I liked The Mantis from the moment I first received the project, but what made me especially happy and fulfilled was reuniting with director Byun Young-joo after 13 years. I had eagerly awaited meeting again since 'The Petal' and finally we met; from the moment we began until now I have been so happy. Director Byun created a happy and loving set, and actress Ko Hyun-jung took great care of the production staff and fellow actors and even gave generous gifts. Her efforts to make the The Mantis team happy were so beautiful. And Jang Dong-yoon is a remarkable friend, rare among young actors today. The warm, cooperative atmosphere on the set that director Byun created made everyone want to help and be considerate, making it a production you wanted to get back to quickly. When we met, people didn't want to go home—works like this are rare."
Director Byun Young-joo, who directed The Mantis, said the principal actors' voluntary reduction of grants allowed them to make a better work. Regarding the voluntary pay cuts by lead actors from Ko Hyun-jung to Jo Seong-ha, Jo Seong-ha said, "The production environment for The Mantis was poor, and the most important things were trust in the director, trust in the script, and trust among the actors working together. When those conditions aligned, we could put money aside and truly focus on the work and have a happy time."
Perhaps because of that, The Mantis started with ratings in the 7% range and ended its run to favorable reviews. Jo Seong-ha said, "These days, a 2 to 3% rating is often considered barely acceptable. The Mantis started out in the 7% range. I think our sacrifices and collective commitment paid off. When good actors pool their efforts, there's nothing they can't achieve." He added, "Director Byun's strength is that she makes thrillers very well. I believe a work has to be entertaining no matter what, and director Byun used her strengths to make a good piece. As a master of thriller, I hope she has more opportunities to make thrillers in environments that allow them to reach global audiences."
Such fond memories were left by The Mantis. Jo Seong-ha said of The Mantis, "Among thriller detective works, its level of completion is so high that future works will likely be compared to it and it will be talked about at the forefront; I feel proud of that level of completion. If the production environment had been better, perhaps we could have made it even more polished. Even so, achieving this degree of completion is, I believe, the power of director Byun Young-joo. The writer also wrote so well, and the music director's score deeply opened viewers' hearts. And the actors performed their roles so well that such a good work was produced."
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