Actors Yang Dong-geun (left) and Ji Chang-wook. A scene from Disney Plus ‘Jogakdosi’. Provided by Walt Disney Korea

Actor Ji Chang-wook was floored by the aura of his senior Yang Dong-geun.

On the 11th, at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Ji Chang-wook met Sports Kyunghyang and shared exceptional trust in, and behind-the-scenes stories about, the fellow actors he worked with through the Disney+ original series ‘Jogakdosi’. In particular, regarding the overwhelming performance of the villain Yang Dong-geun, who relentlessly pursues him in the drama, he lavished praise, saying, “I felt fear even when he was just standing still.”

In this work, Ji plays ‘Tae-jung’, a man who had led an ordinary life but becomes shattered and falls into ruin. The main villain is Yohan (Do Kyung-soo), a psychopath who ‘carves’ incidents, but the person who drives him to the very limit is ‘Yeo Deok-su’, portrayed by Yang Dong-geun.

Asked about his chemistry with Yang Dong-geun, Ji confessed, “To be honest, on set I was watching the senior behind the monitor, and it was so striking that I thought, ‘Is that really a human gaze’.” He added, “Maybe because of the makeup, it even seemed like there were no eyebrows, and the energy emanating from that very look was tremendous,” recalling the shock of the moment.

Actor Ji Chang-wook. Provided by Walt Disney Korea

In the story, Yeo Deok-su is a former gang boss who reigns as the top figure inside the prison. He is depicted as someone with a history of having raped his own younger sister, and upon seeing Tae-jung, whom he meets in prison, he projects himself onto him and inflicts senseless torment. Ji explained, “For Tae-jung, Yeo Deok-su had to be fear itself that doggedly follows him. But the moment I saw senior Yang Dong-geun’s eyes, that fear completed itself even without me having to act more.” He continued, “I really looked forward to the scenes where we faced off, and it was a thrill to watch even on set,” expressing respect for his senior.

He also confessed an unexpected difficulty regarding his chemistry with another lead, Do Kyung-soo (as Yohan). Although the two characters are in conflict, their actual shooting schedules rarely overlapped, so there were few chances to meet.

Ji said, “I worried a lot because scenes where I met Kyung-soo were so rare. I wondered, ‘Will tension develop between the characters; should we meet a bit more to sync up’.” But the worry was unfounded. He added, “Contrary to my worries, when I watched the actual edit, the tension was taut and alive,” with relief.

Actors Ji Chang-wook (left) and Do Kyung-soo. A scene from Disney Plus ‘Jogakdosi’. Provided by Walt Disney Korea

Actors Ji Chang-wook (left) and Kim Jong-su. A scene from Disney Plus ‘Jogakdosi’. Provided by Walt Disney Korea

In addition, Ji expressed gratitude to colleagues who supported him throughout the shoot. He said, “Including the preparation period, it was a long race that lasted nearly a year. Whenever I wondered whether I could finish safely, I was able to hold on thanks to colleagues like Lee Kwang-soo, Do Kyung-soo, and senior Kim Jong-su, as well as the staff,” emphasizing the tight teamwork of the ‘Jogakdosi’ team.

True to his nickname ‘So Chang-wook’, his lineup of upcoming projects is dazzling. On Netflix’s ‘Scandal’, he teams up with Son Ye-jin, and in the film ‘Gunchae’ and the drama ‘Human X Gumiho (working title)’, he works with Jun Ji-hyun.

He said, “With ‘Scandal’ alongside senior Son Ye-jin, director Jung Ji-woo is driving me to the limit, so I expect a new side of me to emerge,” raising anticipation. Regarding his first zombie project and a romantic comedy with Jun Ji-hyun, he added, “Working across diverse genres with new actors is always exciting and fun,” revealing his undimmed passion for acting.