Kim Ji Hoon, who recently wrapped up the TVING series Death’s Game, shared his sense of accomplishment in portraying a fearsome character. In an interview on the 11th, the actor expressed, “Every time I see comments saying I am scary, I think to myself, ‘I have done well,'” and with a smile added, “It feels amazing to be able to show my presence in a drama with a good story and message.”
Kim Ji Hoon’s character, Park Tae Woo, in Death’s Game is certainly an unforgettable villain. Park Tae Woo is a murderer who targets the reincarnations of the protagonist, who was subjected to live 12 different lives as punishment. His psychopathic role involves deriving pleasure from committing gruesome acts like dismembering artist Kim Jae Wook and running over model Lee Do Hyun with a car.
Talking about his experience, Kim Ji Hoon said, “It was another villain role, but I was so engrossed in the drama’s message and fun that I didn’t ponder anything else. The story of a mother’s great love and the meaning of life was truly moving. Some viewers wrote comments like, ‘I’m going through a rough patch, and this drama made me realize life is precious. I won’t think negatively anymore,’ and that made me really proud.”
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The drama’s success, which included ranking second globally on Amazon Prime Video – a first for Korean content on the platform – blew away the mental and physical toll of playing a murderer. “Honestly, playing a villain is very hard. You have to force yourself to feel emotions like murderous intent and pleasure from killing, which are not natural. This time, there were a lot of action scenes like being hit by a car and falling from an airplane, which were physically demanding. I once was hung on wires and spinning 360 degrees all day. Despite the hardships, I believe it’s my duty as an actor to immerse viewers in the story.”
Reflecting on his career, which has seen him play villainous roles in Flower of Evil and the Netflix film Ballerina, Kim Ji Hoon is not worried about being typecast. “Ten years ago, I had the ‘gentle manager’ image molded to me. I took on villain roles to break that image. And looking back, I succeeded in transforming my image. Since I’ve gone through it once, I’m not afraid of being stereotyped. It actually excites me; there’s fun in breaking it.”
The actor concluded, “I never intentionally sought out villainous roles. They just came along while I was looking for good stories. My primary criterion is always a ‘good story’, so I won’t shy away from villain roles in good dramas or movies in the future.”
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