"왕과 사는 남자" Park Jihoon confessed that he lost 15kg through a harrowing diet.
On the morning of the 27th at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, an interview was held with lead actor Park Jihoon of the film "왕과 사는 남자."
The film "왕과 사는 남자" (director Jang Hang-jun, distributed by SHOWBOX, produced by Onda Works · BA Entertainment) is set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo and depicts the story of a village head who volunteered for exile for the revival of the village and the young former king who was driven from the throne and exiled. It portrays the last year of the ill-fated King Danjong and the real-life figure Eom Heung-do (played by Yoo Hai Jin) who stayed by his side, and it is the first Korean film to include Danjong's hidden story.
Park Jihoon played the role of Joseon's sixth king, Danjong, Lee Hong-wi. He ascended the throne at the young age of 12, was usurped by his uncle, Grand Prince Suyang, and tragically died in exile; he was a ill-fated boy king. To portray his emaciation, he lost as much as 15kg. In this film, Park Jihoon, who began his career as a child actor, became a member of the idol group Wanna One through Mnet's audition program "Produce 101 Season 2" in 2017 and later pursued acting alongside his idol activities. He has appeared in "Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency," "Love Revolution," "At A Distance Spring is Green," "The World Is Really Pretty Audrey," and the "Weak Hero Class" series.
Park Jihoon, who lost a lot of weight, said, "The dieting method was simple yet really difficult; I just didn't eat. Eating only a slice of apple made me unable to sleep and I became emaciated. I wanted to capture that look well," adding, "Rather than saying I was gaunt, I wanted a higher-level expression, a look of emaciation to the point of bones showing. That couldn't be achieved by exercise. So I just starved myself."
Director Jang Hang-jun joked, "If Park Jihoon hadn't dieted, this work could have been his last," to which Park Jihoon replied, "I probably would have thought the same. (laughter) It was the off-season then. I was eating, sleeping and playing without any thought. It was my vacation period so I was playing without any stress. The director may have looked at me and said, 'Huh? That's not the image I remember.' I tried not to betray that trust. At the time I weighed a little over 70kg, and I lost about 15kg while dieting. I lost it in just two and a half months," he said.
He added, "There were scenes during the film shoot where I ate, but even just eating I would throw up. My physical condition was terrible," and "Even seeing food didn't make me want to eat. I maintained the diet until the end of filming."
Meanwhile, "왕과 사는 남자" opens on Feb. 4.
[Photo] SHOWBOX provided
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