(following interview ②) Ju Jihoon expressed his convictions about the subject matter in "Climax."
On the afternoon of the 7th, at the ENA conference room located in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, an interview was held with Ju Jihoon, the lead actor of ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama "Climax."
"Climax" depicts prosecutor Bang Tae-seop, who jumps into a cartel of power to stand at the top position in Korea, and the fierce survival drama of those surrounding him. Ju Jihoon played the role of prosecutor Bang Tae-seop and delivered a passionate performance, and in the drama, provocative subjects surrounding business circles and the entertainment industry, including homosexuality, appeared and attracted attention.
Regarding this, Ju Jihoon opened by saying, "Originally the drama was rated 19, but it was changed to 15. After that (the reactions) were somewhat expected, but even so, when you encounter it on a channel it feels shocking. I also feel like I'm learning something very new."
He continued, "I expected (the reactions). We talked a lot with the production team during filming. Since we had worked on film and OTT, we discussed a lot while thinking. The same setting seems to get different reactions depending on where you see it. Like how the same ramen tastes different when eaten outdoors. I'm learning a lot too," he said.
He reflected, "By controlling the level, the early scenes with Sang-ah (played by Ha Jiwon) also... they look very detailed, or subjectively I don't feel excluded. There are moments of, oh, wow! Honestly, if you think you watched that in a movie theater, it's nothing special. In reality it's literally a kissing scene. The skinship between consenting adults doesn't seem to be depicted directly. On TV it felt a bit more provocative. In fact, aside from lips touching, there was nothing, but it can be tempting."
He also said, "If you look at the movie 'The Outlaws,' Dong-seok's character beats up the criminals, but that doesn't happen in reality, right? Yet in that scene you feel vicarious satisfaction and pleasure. In an unfair world, characters trying to claim a better environment felt like vicarious satisfaction within this worldview and genre. In that regard, the work approached me interestingly as a genre piece."
When asked specifically about the same-sex code in the drama, Ju Jihoon said, "If this had been seen on OTT or in a movie theater, would there be that much back-and-forth? But on a channel, I think (opinions) to some extent exist. Personally, to put it plainly, doesn't it exist in reality? There are sexual minorities. There's bisexuality too. I had no question about accepting that (as an actor)."
He added, "There are people who speak from social images or prejudices as members of society. They just don't say it aloud, but isn't everyone ambivalent in all situations?" and "If love exists between Sang-ah and Tae-seop, there were aspects that approached it as business. If they get physically close, a fondness can develop. Personally, I tend to think that within the word love there is affection, years, and comradeship as well."
[photo] Provided by KT Studio
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