Actor Ji Jin-hee drawn to his character in 'The Road: Tragedy of One' challenge

Actors Yoon Se-ah, from left, Ji Jin-hee and Kim Hye-eun pose for pictures during an online media conference for tvN's series “The Road: Tragedy of One,” Wednesday. Courtesy of tvN

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actor Ji Jin-hee has built an extensive portfolio across TV series and films, starring in different genre works, including the JTBC drama “Undercover” that ended in April.

Despite his previous experience, the actor is set on to take another challenge with tvN's new series “The Road: Tragedy of One,” which kicked off Wednesday.

“I wanted to take a break (after 'Undercover'), but when I read the script for this series, I was instantly drawn to it … The story was complex but I thought it would be great if we put it together well,” the actor said during an online media conference for the series, Wednesday.

“I knew that I would have to portray a character that I've never played before. So it was a challenge for me. I was worried but I was thankful that director Kim Noh-won convinced me and said he wants to capture a different side of me.”

Based on the Japanese crime novel of the same name by Rintaro Norizuki, the mystery thriller series revolves around an influential journalist and news presenter Baek Soo-hyun who is married to the heiress and miniature artist Seo Eun-soo (Yoon Se-ah).

Soo-hyun has been investigating corruption inside a conglomerate owned by Eun-soo's father, Seo Ki-tae (Chun Ho-jin), and its political ties with lawmakers. When he is about to break the story, his son gets kidnapped leading to the revelation of an even bigger secret.

A scene from the series / Courtesy of tvN

Ji said his character is a much-respected journalist with a secret past, which triggers tragedy in the story. He expressed that he didn't want to portray a stereotypical news presenter.

“Although he's an anchor, I wanted him to have more dimensions … There are a set of images when you think of an anchor,” he said. “But I wanted him to look natural, yet at the same time also have that charisma as an anchor. So I studied several people in setting the tone of my character.”

Director Kim noted that the mystery will unfold as the story follows the secret of each character.

“The mystery in our series is not only about finding out who is behind the crime and how it happened, but is also about how the characters define truth in their own terms,” he said, adding that the central theme of the series is how choices affect people's lives. “The collection of different choices we make define ourselves and our lives … each character has their own truth so it would be interesting to follow as you try to guess what they are.”

Actress Kim Hye-eun plays the antagonist, Cha Seo-young, who is a news presenter at the network where Soo-hyun works and is also a friend of Eun-soo. Although she has a successful job and lives affluently, her ambition continues to drive her to climb higher up the corporate ladder.

The actress expressed that the role was a turning point in her acting career.

“When I read the script, I loved the story but my character seemed so complex,” she said. “And as I started working on it, I realized that this series has taught me a lot. I had reached a certain limitation in action. But this series, unexpectedly, helped me to break that barrier.”

“The Road: Tragedy of One” airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:50 p.m.