INTERVIEW Ji Chang-wook shows tough side in 'Fabricated City'
Actor Ji Chang-wook poses during an interview at a cafe in Seoul, Monday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Jae-myung
By Kim Jae-heun
It has been nine years since actor Ji Chang-wook, 30, debuted on TV, but “Fabricated City” (2017) is his first starring movie role. Ji has preferred to appear in TV dramas rather than films and his previous movie roles have ended up on the cutting room floor.
Still, he has made the jump to the silver screen to continue his action scenes as an unemployed man falsely accused of murder when he accidently appears at a crime scene. Ji realizes he has been trapped by somebody and forms a team with his friends to find the truth.
Q. You are loved for your sweet image but appear as a fighter in almost all your works. Is there a reason?
A. I am not sure. I never chose to star in any TV dramas or movies because they were action. In the soap opera “The K2,” I took the role as a bodyguard, but my character was mostly seen as an honest lover who supports his woman secretly. In the action romance “Healer,” I focused more on the fantasy that my character owned, who fights against the men in power. Well, it seems like I have appeared in many action scenes but it was not intended.
Q. How do you feel about your film debut?
A. I watched the final version of “Fabricated City” at the press invitation and it really felt strange watching myself on the big screen. My palms were sweating. After the movie finished, people asked me many questions but I could not answer properly.
Well, my review on my film cannot be subjective, but I say it was a different tone in the film. It was not ordinary. I think audiences can watch it without thinking too much although it talks about a heavy subject. The film develops the story easily and there are many comedic scenes that audiences can find fresh and joyful.
Q. What was the most difficult scene while shooting the film?
A. The whole thing was difficult, physically and mentally. I can say that the scene where I was imprisoned was mentally the hardest. I have never been to jail but certainly there was an uneasy atmosphere that suppressed me since I arrived on set by bus. I instantly felt gloomy staying alone in the jail cell and getting beat up on the ground plus eating on the icy stone floor were all difficult.
Q. What did you focus on mostly in playing the role?
A. I focused mainly on the situation that my character was involved in. I put myself in the shoes of myself as Ji Chang-wook rather than my character Kwon-yoo, asking how I would feel if I am beat up in prison and how scary it would be.
Q. You will be enlisted in the army this year.
A. Yes. I should have served my time earlier but I was busy as I was fortunate with my previous TV dramas. Before, many actors had a hard time coming back to acting after military service but now things have changed. People wait for their celebrities and you are not forgotten.
I think I will appear in one more TV drama before I go, but nothing has been set yet.
Q. What role do you want to play in the future?
A. I want to portray a comedic role. There are three things that I consider when I choose a TV drama or film. Whether the script is joyful, if the character has charm and whether I can play the character well. I think I want to try being a super rich character too in the future.