Jang Hang-jun director revealed the behind-the-scenes story of casting actor Park Jihoon.
On the 23rd, at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, an interview was held with film director Jang Hang-jun for the movie "The man who lives with the king" (director Jang Hang-jun, distributed by SHOWBOX, produced by Onda Works Co., Ltd.·BAN Entertainment Co., Ltd.).
The film "The man who lives with the king" is set in 1457 at Cheongryeongpo and depicts the story of a village chief who volunteered for exile to revive the village and a young former king who was exiled from the throne.
That day, director Jang Hang-jun cited the drama "Weak Hero" as the reason he cast Park Jihoon as Danjong, saying, "It was his eyes. A gaze from the depths. I liked those things. I wondered if someone that age could do that. His anger and emotions were subdued, but the sense that they could explode at any moment gave power to the character. That moment of eruption was seen in Park Jihoon's "Weak Hero,"" he recalled.
Director Jang said, "The Danjong we wanted to portray was not simply a weak character. According to records, Danjong was extremely intelligent and even received King Sejong's favor. The ministers also said, 'He will become a great man,' and he was described as the only person to follow the course of crown prince, royal grandson, imperial grandson and king. He was someone who was a king from birth. His father and grandfather were kings, and his mother and grandmother were all queens. He was the legitimate heir among legitimate heirs. To say this person must have been weak or powerless seems like a retrospective speculation. He could have been a person of a completely different temperament. Records say he was good at archery and academically excellent. In his early years he reportedly tried to take the lead in governing affairs. At 12, that is not easy. He must have had determination," he explained.
In particular, Park Jihoon reportedly lost 15 kg for the role of Danjong. Director Jang Hang-jun also recalled the first time he met him, saying, "At first I thought he was a different person because he had gained so much weight. Someone about twice the size appeared in the film and I thought, 'This is a big problem.' I thought I would have to tell him to lose weight, but it didn't seem easy. It looked like muscle was covered by fat," he said, drawing laughter.
He continued, "When I asked why he had gained weight, he said, 'It's my vacation period.' He said he would lose it when he had to, but even though we kept meeting, he didn't lose weight. I thought, 'This will be my last work.' Around the fourth meeting, Park Jihoon decided to do the project. Until then he had said, 'I'm not sure yet,' but we kept meeting, persuading him while drinking and not letting him drink, trying to convince him. He said he was overwhelmed rather than confused by the project. He wondered, 'Can I play such a big role?' We kept persuading him and I really hoped he would do it. Then I met him one or two weeks later and he had lost a lot of weight," he recalled.
He added, "He said he shouldn't exercise. If you exercise while losing weight, you build muscle, and Danjong isn't that kind of character. He shouldn't have a pronounced trapezius. Every time I saw him, he kept getting thinner and thinner. It was astonishing. He's a very determined guy, and I thought, 'He will become a great actor.' Many of my initial concerns were eased," he joked.
About Park Jihoon's acting on set, he said, "He was really good but didn't show it. Jihoon is not the type to show off his personality. He doesn't have dramatic mood swings, and there is something not typical of someone in their 20s. I felt he was consistent. He is a big star now, and even if he becomes a bigger star, I don't think he will waver. I felt he is someone without wavering," he said, warming hearts.
(Continued in interview②)<
[Photo] Provided by SHOWBOX
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