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When South Korean actor Jo Woo-jin saw himself on the monitors while filming his new K-drama Gangnam B-Side, he felt like he was looking at a different person.
AsiaOne attended the press conference for the series today (Oct 30) where the 45-year-old revealed he gained 18kg for his role.
“For the first time since my high school days, I ate a lot and worked out heavily. I tried all the burger restaurants in the neighbourhood to increase my weight,” he recalled.
“When I first saw myself on the monitors [while filming], it didn’t feel like I was looking at myself. That kind of body shape and face was something I’ve never seen myself with on the screens.”
In Gangnam B-Side, Woo-jin plays detective Kang Dong-woo who is demoted for exposing his colleagues’ wrongdoings but returns to work to solve a case involving a series of disappearances in Seoul’s Gangnam neighbourhood.
PHOTO: Disney+
Woo-jin said he tried to portray Dong-woo as “the typical uncle you have in your life”.
“I tried to get my character’s feelings across in a way that is convincing and get the viewers to root for him,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ji Chang-wook – who portrayed the hero in his shows such as The Worst of Evil and The K2 – stars as the bad guy this time round, playing notorious pimp Yoon Gil-ho.
“He’s a character that lives a tough life… To really show that visually, we put a lot of thought into his styling, like outfits and accessories,” said Chang-wook, 37.
PHOTO: Disney+
“If you look at his face, he’s always wounded. There’s always a scar or injury on his face, hinting that he’s often been in a fight.”
Gangnam B-Side, which also stars Bibi and Ha Yoon-kyung, premieres Nov 6 on Disney+.
ASIA ONE