′Gentleman′ Ju Ji-hoon, ′I wanted to look like an average middle aged man′

▲This photo, provided by Plus M Entertainment, shows movie 'Gentleman' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo, provided by Contents Wavve, shows actor Ju Ji-hoon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, December 23 (Yonhap) -- It is no exaggeration to say that the movie "Gentleman," which is set to be released on December 28, is a movie for Ju Ji-hoon. He plays Ji Hyun-soo, the head of the private investigation company with a case resolution rate of 100%. He captivates the audience with his unique sly acting, and. the appearance of him wearing a suit with his long and sleek body adds another charm.

Ju Ji-hoon explained what made him decide to play this role for his comeback to the screen after four years since the movie "Dark Figure of Crime," which was released in 2018, at a cafe in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on Friday, saying, "I decided to play this character because I felt the power of the story."

"The story gets unfolded in a very witty way, even though the message might seem heavy. Also, the story in which powerless people fight and win against powerful people may appear to be a loose one, leaving the audience to wonder, "Is that possible?" but the director used a variety of devices to make the story flow smoothly. The fact that it was easy to read the script despite the two plot twists was also a charm."

Director Kim Kyung-won revealed that he thought about Ju Ji-hoon as the main character while writing the scenario. Ju Ji-hoon said, "The way the character talks, his vocabulary, and the atmosphere seemed like the scenario was written with me in mind when I read the script," and continued, "It felt like the director saw a lot of my personalities that appeared in variety shows."

The movie "Gentleman" depicts the story of Ji Hyun-soo, the CEO of the private investigation company who struggles to reveal the truth of the kidnapping incident after becoming a suspect in it. Ji Hyun-soo steps inside the incident and escapes different conflicts with his skills and thoughtful decisions.

He shows a calm smile to people who think he is a prosecutor after the car accident without trying to explain. He says the sentence, "Do not buy, Adpot," with an innocent face, disguising himself as a dog lover when he needs to, and utilizes his "handsome privilege," whispering for no reason.

Ju Ji-hoon explained, "I thought all the characters should be on the ground as it is a movie where there is fantasy pleasure as the characters, including Hyun-soo, solve problems that seem impossible to solve." adding, "I wanted the audience to feel close to the character, like middle aged men and uncles around them."

"The shooting was done with almost no makeup. I used sunscreen sometimes, and my dark circles were concealed. At last, the audience will remember the face of the actor in the scene where they were mesmerized. The audience would not judge whether the actor is handsome or ugly even though the actor is wet from the rain. I think when the audience mentions how ugly the actor is, it implies that the movie did not touch their hearts and provide enjoyment. I always take care of my appearance, but only to the extent that it matches my character.

Ju Ji-hoon also shared a behind-the-scenes story about Wing, the dog with whom he shoot. Wing, who appears as the dog of the client who disappeared, stays with Hyun-soo, showing off his cuteness.

Ju Ji-hoon mentioned the scene where Wing licks his face, he laughed and said, "We filmed the scene after applying some wet treat on my face, and the part where Wing licked would become red because I have a dog allergy."

Ju Ji-joon is also set to have a busy year next week, beginning with the release of the film "Gentleman" at the end of the year, followed by the films "Silence" and "Kidnap," as well as his first fixed variety show, "Ticketing with Two Feet."

"I enjoy working and acting. These days, I'm struck by how grateful I am to my coworkers. I used to think that actors have the ability to make the impossible, possible, only if they try their best, but I realized that it is impossible without the director, including the shooting crew, lighting crew, and art crew. I love the progress where we make the story."

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Dowon Kim.)

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'Gentleman' Ju Ji-hoon, 'I wanted to look like an average middle aged man'