Korean actor-interview
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| ▲ Jung Ji-hoon, who plays Baek-jung, is seen in this still from "Bloodhounds" Season 2, provided by Netflix. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Jung Ji-hoon, who plays Baek-jung, is seen in this still from the second season of "Bloodhounds" provided by Netflix. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ A poster for "Bloodhounds" Season 2, provided by Netflix (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Korean actor-interview
Jung Ji-hoon eyes 'natural' villain debut in 'Bloodhounds' Season 2
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, April 8 (Yonhap) -- Singer-actor Jung Ji-hoon, more widely known by his stage name Rain, initially found it hard to connect with his villain character Baek-jung in the Korean crime action series "Bloodhounds" Season 2.
"The script did not give Baek-jung any backstory. He's just described as a crazy man with anger management issues, so it was hard to portray him," he said during an interview with a group of reporters in Seoul on Wednesday.
"If he had some narrative, I could make sense of his actions, but he is just a narcissist who feels inferior to Kun-woo and finds every reason to target him," he said, referring to one of the series' two main characters. "As filming progressed, however, I came to understand him," he said, adding, "Ultimately it was important that the role felt natural rather than forced."
The second season of "Bloodhounds" dropped last Friday, less than three years after the first season concluded. The series is directed by Kim Joo-hwan whose works include the 2017 action comedy "Midnight Runners" and the 2024 crime action "Officer Black Belt."
The boxing saga centers around two young boxers, Kun-woo and Woo-jin, portrayed by Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi, respectively, who band together to fight against an underground syndicate operating an illegal boxing league. At the center of the evil gang is Baek-jung with a thirst for brutal violence and money.
The new season has received a positive response, garnering five million views and ranking second on Netflix's weekly non-English shows chart for the week ending Sunday.
The series marks the first time Jung has played a villain in his acting career, which began with a 2003 TV series debut, a role he said he had long been waiting for.
"I was particularly drawn to the fact that my character does boxing, which I had never done before," he said. "I learned the sport from scratch, and was confident I could bring the intensity to the action."
Even for him, known for his exceptional hard-core action skills as seen in his previous works like the 2009 action crime "Ninja Assassin," the relentless bare-knuckle action sequences proved both challenging and exhausting.
"It was tough on everyone. There wasn't a single person who came out unscathed," he said. "How could you not be, with 10 hours of action sequences a day?"
"But we pushed through it together. I kept going even through the pain," he said, hoping it would inspire the same fighting spirit in his fellow cast members.
Despite the sheer evilness of his character, the actor also drew comparisons to his character Baek-jung, noting that both share a strong desire to be recognized.
"I want to be rewarded for what I do, and at the same time I understand I must face the consequences if I make mistakes," he said. "I strive to be sincere in everything I do and don't want to come across as lazy."
Still recovering from the physical toll of the gruesome action sequences and all the effort to get in shape, the actor hoped to take it easy in his next project.
"I would like a part where I can afford to be a bit lazier, maybe a chubby serial killer," he joked.
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