Actor Park Ji-hoon, who plays Danjong Lee Hongwi in director Jang Hang-jun’s film ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’. Photo ㈜Showbox

Back in 2022, anyone who saw actor Park Ji-hoon in the Wavve original drama ‘Weak Hero Class 1’, where he played the lead Yeon Si-eun, likely felt at least a little surprised. Yeon Si-eun, who excelled at his studies yet kept others at a distance and learned to survive alone in a classroom ruled by the law of the jungle, had a hollow gaze that was nothing like the Park Ji-hoon from the idol group Wanna One we knew. It was worlds apart from the image of him who embodied cuteness with “Save it in my heart~!”

Now, in just four years, he has shifted to the big screen, marking the start of an ambitious run as a fresh face. That stage is director Jang Hang-jun’s film ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’ (hereafter Wangsanam). The one-line logline, ‘the story of Danjong, deposed and then exiled’, makes it clear that Park Ji-hoon is both the beginning and the end of the film. For a newcomer, that is an enormous weight. In fact, because of that weight, Park Ji-hoon declined the role several times.

Actor Park Ji-hoon, who plays Danjong Lee Hongwi in director Jang Hang-jun’s film ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’. Photo ㈜Showbox

“When I read the script, my heart felt heavy. The idea of playing a tragic king made me feel apologetic in a way. I also doubted my own acting a lot, wondering, ‘Can I really fathom that face and those emotions?’ At the fourth meeting, director Jang told me, ‘Ji-hoon, Danjong has to be you.’ After hearing that, I thought maybe I could try to take on the challenge.”

Director Jang Hang-jun saw something of Danjong in Yeon Si-eun from ‘Weak Hero’ and boldly bet on him. For Park Ji-hoon, this was truly a debut in a feature-length commercial film. Since the story begins at the greatest crisis, after the Gyeyu coup, when Danjong departs into exile, he set out to embody a ‘skin-and-bones’ Danjong. He lasted two and a half months eating only a slice of apple at each meal and lost 15㎏. Wanting to convey dryness in his lips and even in his voice, he did not drink water during the shoot.

A scene featuring actor Park Ji-hoon as Danjong Lee Hongwi in director Jang Hang-jun’s film ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’. Photo ㈜Showbox

“I learned that the director wanted to portray Danjong Lee Hongwi as not merely weak. Although it is fictionalized history, I felt it was important that, as he meets villagers and builds relationships in exile, you come to think, ‘This man really was a king.’ Rather than simple feelings of sadness or emptiness, I thought there had to be something submerged inside.”

While watching the released film, there are a couple of moments when Park Ji-hoon’s Danjong surprisingly erupts. They come in scenes where he roars, one during a crisis for the villagers, and the other during a crisis for Eom Heung-do’s (Yoo Hae-jin) son Taesan (Kim Min). He said that if Yeon Si-eun’s gaze was that of a young friend left out, Danjong’s gaze had to convey powerlessness within a space severed by sorrow.

A scene featuring actor Park Ji-hoon (left) as Danjong Lee Hongwi in director Jang Hang-jun’s film ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’. Photo ㈜Showbox

“I was influenced by the environment on the Yeongwol set, where, once you arrive, only quiet birdsong and the sound of water can be heard, as well as by the many props. Above all, I cannot leave out Yoo Hae-jin. The energy he gave was so tremendous that it felt good simply to receive it. In the final scene, emotions are exchanged, and I sensed something when he would not look at me on set. I thought that if he looked at me his emotions might break. It was a rehearsal, but I remember crying so much from the very beginning of that scene. As an actor, it felt like the best day, one where I shed tears to the point of heartache.”

Beyond Yoo Hae-jin’s energy, he felt many new things while making the film, including the fear inspired by Yoo Ji-tae as an imposing Han Myeong-hoe and the bond with the villagers. Above all, although he has often been described as taciturn and serious in his acting, he learned the courage to approach many people more proactively on set. This also became a significant milestone in how he looks at the choices he must make as an actor going forward.

Character poster of actor Park Ji-hoon as Danjong Lee Hongwi in director Jang Hang-jun’s film ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’. Photo ㈜Showbox

“To be honest, I would say I was crazy about acting up through middle school. I even studied acting at a national traditional arts high school. After appearing on ‘Produce 101’ and being in the team called Wanna One, I came to love dance and worked as a singer, but when I was by myself I realized I was someone who likes being alone. Returning to acting, I feel that my experience as a former child actor was significant for me, and I have developed the desire to do well at both singing and acting.”

Poised to open the counterattack of Korean cinema at the box office in 2026, Park Ji-hoon also plans to return this year as part of the group Wanna One for the first time in seven years. He is now 26. With assessments that, below the mid thirties, there are few reliable up-and-comers and the available POOL to expect from is small, Park Ji-hoon may serve as one alternative. That confidence was the driving force that allowed him to take on Danjong.

Actor Park Ji-hoon, who plays Danjong Lee Hongwi in director Jang Hang-jun’s film ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’. Photo ㈜Showbox

“People say the film market is difficult, but I think I am fortunate to have made beautiful memories with a wonderful senior and the director. It would be nice if a project came alive or succeeded because of me, but I do not think I am that kind of person. I do not think I am yet in a position even to feel that kind of pressure. I will continue to work harder and strive to reach a position where I can reflect on many things.”