INTERVIEW Jang Hyuk radiates charisma as ruthless villain in 'Tomb of the River'

Actor Jang Hyuk / Courtesy of JNC Media Group

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Jang Hyuk, an actor who radiates one-of-a-kind charisma, is back in action. Best known for starring in the 2010 historical drama “The Slave Hunters,” the action star has been a fixture of the genre.

In the upcoming crime action film, “Tomb of the River,” Jang plays the villainous Min-suk who attempts to take over a luxury resort in Gangneung, owned by local gangster Gil-suk (Yu Oh-seong).

Describing his character as a ruthless villain, Jang said that he felt compassion and connection with Min-suk.

“When I read the script for the first time, I imagined Min-suk as a person who is not living in the present. He had gone through hard times, which left him mentally deranged, and he is still stuck in his own world, just drifting through life. His laid-back and aloof personality makes him only scarier,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times via Zoom, Tuesday.

Because there were not that many lines for Min-suk, Jang was given more freedom to express his character through facial expressions and his eyes.

“Obviously, there was a lot of effort on my part to show Min-suk's tortured soul and mysterious duality. He often shows aggressive tendencies, but it's not like he's a psychopath. He certainly has humanity and vulnerability underneath,” he said.

Actor Jang Hyuk, right, and Yu Oh-seong in a scene from the film “Tomb of the River” / Courtesy of JNC Media Group

Jang also expressed satisfaction with acting opposite Yu. The two starred previously in the 2015 KBS drama “Gaekjoo.”

“We had worked together for over a year on Gaekjoo, so it was comfortable acting with him. Since Yu has specialized skills in various forms of action and fight scenes, we had great chemistry. The pre-climatic confrontation scene set at a food tent was really fun to shoot,” he said.

The 45-year-old actor revealed that he lost weight to look sharp on screen. “I exercised more intensely and lost about 3 or 4 kilograms for the role. I wanted Min-suk to appear as an unconventional and edgy villain,” he said.

Over the past more than two decades, Jang has been a household name, having appeared in more than 50 dramas and films. He explained how his approach to acting has changed over time.

“When I filmed Volcano High School in 2001, I was 24. I don't know what I was thinking, but I always carried a chair around that had 'passionate Jang Hyuk' written on it. It's cringeworthy, but I really thought that passion was all I needed for acting,” Jang laughed.

“But now that I'm in my mid-40s, I've come to realize that age deepens a person's value and identity. I definitely have a wider range of understanding about the world, which is beneficial for me as an actor.”

“Tomb of the River” will hit local theaters, Nov. 10.