Actor Lee Dongwook revealed behind-the-scenes stories about bulking up 8kg and even attending to aging for the return of "A Shop for Killers 2" after two years.
Lee Dongwook held an interview on the afternoon of the 23rd at a café in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. There, he met with domestic reporters and talked about the new Disney+ series "A Shop for Killers season 2 (abbreviated KillShow2)."
"A Shop for Killers season 2" is a stylish action series in which Jian (Kim Hye Jun) — who became the new head of the mall after a brutal handover — mounts a full-scale counterattack against the mercenary company Babylon Global forces together with Jeong Jin-man (Lee Dongwook), who returned alive. Season 1, released as an eight-episode series in 2024, not only ranked No. 1 on Disney+ for three consecutive weeks but also received praise from The New York Times that year as "the best Korean series of the year."
Thanks to that, it has returned with season 2 after two years. Lee Dongwook said, "I'm happy that season 1 received so much love that we were able to do season 2. Jeong Jin-man is a character I like and it's a work where you can feel something new while filming, so I'm very glad we could do it again."
Joking that "He's the lead but doesn't appear much," he emphasized the appeal of the work, saying, "The world of killers is unique and fun. Because it's a character I haven't played before, it felt even fresher." He continued, "When we started, we weren't thinking about season 2, but not long after it was released that conversation came up internally. So it wasn't entirely unfamiliar. Because it's a story that carries on the extension of season 1, we tried to preserve that." He added, "However, I thought it would be meaningless if season 2 wasn't more fun than season 1. I think the director and the writer worked very hard."
After the release, action received much praise. Lee Dongwook humbly said, "To be honest, whenever I'm asked how I prepared for the action scenes, I have nothing to tell. You shouldn't make things up. Saying I did what I usually do seems the safest response."
He added with emphasis, "It's not like I started action from scratch. I had action experience in works such as "Tale of the Nine Tailed." The most important thing was the trust in the action team. I think safety is the most important thing in action. Executing movements well is important, but if you don't avoid injury you can't continue filming. In that respect, my trust was great. I thought that even if I threw my body in, they would catch me."
Since the show system was not planned from the beginning, was there any concern about maintaining continuity during the gap between works? Lee Dongwook said, "Filming again after two years, I was nervous the day before the first shoot even though that's not my nature. When I arrived on set, the season 1 staff had all come over. It felt so familiar. I was so glad. The nervousness I felt the day before disappeared the moment I saw the staff's faces. We filmed while exchanging the same jokes as people who had shot yesterday and reunited, talking about the usual routines. Thanks to that, the tension eased quickly."
He also emphasized, "Externally, what I prepared was that I usually increase Jeong Jin-man's weight by about 8kg when I play him. Also, because I can't look older in the two years, I drank a lot of water to prevent 'aging.'" Lee Dongwook said, "Gaining 8kg is actually difficult. Honestly, I don't want to. But there's no choice. There has to be a change between Lee Dongwook's physique and Jeong Jin-man's physique. He has to stand against the opposing mercenary organization. I needed to feel like I could stand tall, so I ate a lot. Four or five meals a day, lots. Mainly protein. Eating like that feels less like eating and more like shoving food in. There's no choice," he said with a wry expression.
So are there parts that changed in season 2 compared with season 1? Lee Dongwook raised expectations by saying, "For my character, the amount of screen time itself has increased. It will probably be revealed later, but I think you'll be able to see new sides of Jeong Jin-man, including more brutal aspects that haven't been seen until now."
Nevertheless, he quipped in his characteristic joking manner, "There isn't exactly praise expecting increased action. I hope I at least don't hear that it's bad." He added, "I most want to hear that it's fun, that it was good to come back, that the wait was worth it. Jeong Jin-man didn't really ask to be seen in any particular way. The director knew what to do and filmed it well. For "A Shop for Killers," it's not about asking to be seen more; you can just give your body over. Please watch it comfortably like riding a roller coaster."
(Continued in interview ②)<
[Photo] King Kong by Starship, provided by Disney+.
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