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| yna@yna.co.kr 2025-07-24 14:02:12
SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) -- “The part about fatherly love struck me hard. Becoming a dad and growing older naturally — the timing of this offer was just perfect.”
Actor Cho Jung-seok, who is a father to a six-year-old daughter in real life, shared his personal connection to the role of Jeong-hwan, a devoted father in the new film "My Daughter is a Zombie." Speaking in an interview held at a cafe in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, on Thursday, Cho reflected on how the film offered a profound opportunity for personal growth as a parent.
"Zombie Daughter" is a comedy film that follows Jeong-hwan (played by Cho), a zookeeper, as he fights to save his daughter Su-a (Choi Yu-ri) who becomes infected by a zombie virus. The film, based on a popular webtoon of the same name, is directed by Pil Gam-seong, known for works such as "Hostage: Missing Celebrity" (2021) and the drama series "A Day of Misfortune" (2023).
Cho said he became so immersed in the role that he occasionally struggled to control his emotions on set, leading to moments where filming had to be paused.
The film also stars Jo Yeo-jeong as Jeong-hwan’s first love, Yeon-hwa, and Yoon Kyung-ho as his longtime friend Dong-bae. Cho shared that their off-screen chemistry mirrored their on-screen friendship. "We even named our group chat ‘Zombie Girls' High School Reunion.’ It felt like a bunch of giggling high school girls having fun," he laughed.
The warm camaraderie among the cast naturally translated into the family-centered comedy. Cho recalled frequent bloopers due to uncontrollable laughter. “There were so many takes ruined by laughter even when no one was saying any lines,” he said.
He also spoke fondly of actress Lee Jung-eun, with whom he previously worked on the 2015 drama "Oh My Ghost." “Filming was as delightful as I had hoped,” he noted.
Regarding his on-screen daughter Choi Yu-ri, Cho praised her professionalism and manners. “She’s such a well-raised child that just watching her makes you want to meet her parents,” he said.
Although the film is based on a webtoon, Cho deliberately avoided reading the original until after filming had wrapped to focus on creating his own interpretation of the character. “The tone and feel of the character in the webtoon were a bit different from what I portrayed. That helped me create a more personal version of Jeong-hwan,” he explained.
He lauded Lee Jung-eun’s performance as Jeong-hwan’s mother Bamsun, saying she brought the comic book character to life so vividly that she could be called a "manjjit character" — a slang term for a character who looks as though they've stepped out of a comic.
Cho emphasized that even audiences unfamiliar with the original webtoon would enjoy the film. “I just want people to think, ‘That was really fun.’ What I most want to hear is that it’s a film that delivers both laughter and emotion.”
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