Jang Seung-jo's acting is a feat of strength. "As You Stood By" Jang Seung-jo shocked viewers as a chilling two-faced villain.
As You Stood By, released on July 7, is a Netflix series that tells the story of two women who decide to commit murder in the face of a reality they cannot escape unless they die or kill, and who become embroiled in unexpected events. Jang Seung-jo delivered a powerful performance in the dual roles of Noh Jin-pyo, a husband who is socially accepted by everyone but does not allow freedom to his wife, and Jang Gang, who has the same face but exudes a completely opposite atmosphere.
Noh Jin-pyo (played by Jang Seung-jo) is a man who hides abnormal obsession and violent behavior toward his wife behind his neat appearance and outstanding ability. Repeatedly thwarting his wife's attempts to escape him, he tightened Hye-su's (played by Lee Yoo-mi) throat with unprovoked violence while caring only about his social reputation, making him a chilling villain who kept the drama tense. In particular, Noh Jin-pyo's behavior — placing a home cam in the middle of the living room to watch his wife 24 hours a day and trying to control her every move — revealed his obsessive need for control and shocked viewers.
Before the wife who intends to kill him appears Jang Gang (played by Jang Seung-jo), who has the same face. Though their looks are identical, Jang Gang emerges as someone who could replace Noh Jin-pyo, with a simple and guileless demeanor. What maximized the gap between the two characters, Noh Jin-pyo and Jang Gang, was Jang Seung-jo's performance, which made their eyes and even the same face convey contrasting atmospheres.
Jang Seung-jo boldly portrayed the contrast between Noh Jin-pyo and Jang Gang through delicate character expression. The acting skills he has built through various works deeply embodied the characters' inner lives through his eyes, breath and posture. In addition, Jang Seung-jo's detailed character variation, including his flawless rendering of Jang Gang's Joseonjok speech pattern, amplified each character's duality and kept viewers from letting go of their suspicions, making them curious about the outcome to come.
Indeed, Jang Seung-jo's feat of strength in acting synchronized the fear and contempt Hye-su would feel during Noh Jin-pyo's appearances to the viewers, tightening their breath and driving the drama's overall tension to its peak. For that reason, the appearance of Jang Gang, who has the same face, felt like an opportunity to viewers and gave the drama the power to keep them watching until the end.
Moreover, the variations in Jang Seung-jo's acting that intensified toward the end of the drama revealed a new face of limitless evil, offering an overwhelming immersion that caused complete identification with the character beyond the actor.
After delivering a feat of strength in acting through "As You Stood By," Jang Seung-jo has confirmed his next project as SBS's new Friday-Saturday drama "Shinsegae." Shinsegae is a drama that tells the "hate-love" romance between the astonishing Joseon-era villain Shin Seori (Lim Ji-yeon) and South Korea's vicious chaebol Cha Segye (Heo Nam-jun). Jang Seung-jo will play Choi Moon-do, president of Chail Construction, the core enterprise of the leading corporation Chail Group. Portraying an ambitious character outstanding in ability and external image, anticipation is rising for Jang Seung-jo's new work.
[photo] Netflix
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