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| yna@yna.co.kr 2026-07-21 16:14:15
SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- Actor Nam Joo-hyuk recalled feeling that Netflix's fantasy period series "The Eastern Palace" was "destiny" the moment he first read the script.
The world created by writers Kwon Sora and Seo Jae-won came vividly to life in his mind, he said, with the mysteries unfolding inside the royal palace branching out "like a mind map."
"I quickly felt that if I took on this project, I could make it both fun and compelling," Nam said during an interview with Yonhap News in Seoul's Samcheong-dong neighborhood on Tuesday.
Set in a fictional East Asian-inspired world, The Eastern Palace follows people who can hear or kill ghosts as they uncover secrets hidden within a cursed palace.
"Most of the roles I played in my 20s were romances, so The Eastern Palace was a new challenge," he said. "I thought that by continuing to challenge myself like this, I could show an even better side of myself in the future."
Nam plays Gucheon, a man with the ability to slay ghosts with a sword and travel between the human world and the realm of spirits through water.
Because his character can enter the spirit world only through water, Nam spent even more time immersed than he did while portraying a swimmer in the 2016 MBC drama Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo.
"I had to get into the water whether it was hot or cold," he said with a laugh. "At some point, I couldn't even tell if it was water or sweat. My skin became waterlogged. It felt like I had become one with the water."
The physically demanding action sequences, many involving wire work and elaborate stunt equipment, also tested him.
"We sometimes spent three or four days filming just one action scene to get it right," he said. "Doing action for more than eight hours every day eventually wore me down. My weight dropped from 85 kilograms to 78 kilograms."
"But even that felt like Gucheon," he added. "As someone constantly crossing into the spirit world, his life force gradually weakens and he grows gaunt. I tried to reflect my real physical condition in the character."
Nam began filming the series just three months after completing his mandatory military service and devoted nearly a full year to the production.
"Like Gucheon, who pours all of his energy into solving the mysteries inside the palace, I wanted to give everything I had," he said. "I wanted to pour all of my imagination and dreams into this project, and I think I gave it 120 percent."
Working alongside veteran actor Cho Seung-woo, whom Nam has long admired, was another highlight of the project.
"I don't think we shared even 10 scenes together," he said. "I really wished we could have filmed more."
"After filming wrapped, I wrote him a letter, and he texted me back saying, 'You did a great job. I'm proud of you,'" Nam said with a smile.
For Nam, growth remains a constant goal.
"I always want to become a better actor and show audiences something new," he said.
He also reflected on being the only Asian actor featured in Netflix's "2026 Global Lineup" promotional video released earlier this year.
"Moments like that make me feel like I'm continuing to grow," he said.
"I have a constant thirst to play more diverse characters," he added. "I always think I'm lacking, and I'll keep working hard with that mindset."
Nam also addressed school bullying allegations first raised in 2022, before his military enlistment.
"The facts are currently being clarified, and I'm quietly waiting for the process to unfold," he said. "I don't feel wronged. I'm simply letting time take its course."
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