[On the Record] Jo Jin-woong "You say I'm righteous? The movie is my teacher"

Actor Jo Jin-woong Interview

Film 'Dokjeon 2' Detective Won-ho Role
"A Role I Am Deeply Attached To... Saying Goodbye by Setting Free"

"Jo Jin-woong is often misunderstood as having a righteous personality, but that's absolutely not the case. As someone working in film, I always learn from the character's temperament. The rapid-fire scenes in 'Assassination' (2015) were impressive. I also remember Yeom Seok-jin's (Lee Jung-jae) line, 'I didn't know it would lead to independence.' The same goes for 'The Boys' and 'Black Money' (2019), 'The Great Battle Kim Chang-soo' (2017). Films serve as a record. In that sense, the work I do must have meaning. You have to approach your projects seriously and keep an open mind during collaboration with many people. Thanks to living as an actor, I live younger than my peers."

Actor Jo Jin-woong [Photo by Netflix]

Actor Jo Jin-woong (47, Jo Won-jun) has returned as detective Won-ho. Again, a detective role. What's surprising is that the layers of the detectives he portrays all feel different. The characters he plays are particularly righteous. Even if they are villains, they rush toward messages of social justice and retribution. When I said that Jo Jin-woong himself seems righteous, he waved his hand and said this. He smiled brightly while talking about the 'power of film.'

Recently, at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Jo Jin-woong met with Asia Economy and said, "I didn't expect the film 'Believer 2' (director Baek Jong-yeol) to make me reflect on myself." He said, "Won-ho is someone who goes into details and depth for something. To understand the role, I kept asking questions and seeking answers. Watching 'Believer 2' at home, I felt, 'We are like tiny specks of dust.'"

'Believer 2,' released on the online video service (OTT) Netflix on the 17th, is the sequel to 'Believer,' which was released in 2018 and attracted 5.2 million viewers. It was produced in a midquel format, depicting events that occurred during the timeline of the previous film, a first in Korean cinema.

The film depicts the fierce battle at Yongsan Station, followed by detective Won-ho (Jo Jin-woong) still chasing Mr. Lee, the missing Rak (Oh Seung-hoon), the reappearance of Brian (Cha Seung-won), and the ruthless war led by Geun-kal (Han Hyo-joo) who came from China to manage the situation.

'Believer 2' stills [Photo by Netflix]

Jo Jin-woong gained popularity by portraying the intense detective Won-ho in the previous film. Was there any pressure in taking on the sequel? He began, "I didn't think it would be made, but there was still some story." He added, "Won-ho is a character I truly love. I created him fiercely and cherished him a lot. I decided to appear because I thought I should look deeply into and embrace this guy." He also said, "It didn't matter whether the script was good or the amount of screen time was more or less."

"I decided to appear in the sequel because I felt I had to free Won-ho from confusing questions. In the end, it felt like that. I said, 'Won-ho, take care. You did well,' and sent him off. After filming the last scene, I happily went home as Jo Jin-woong. I tend to erase the character cleanly after the project ends. When promoting, it actually felt awkward. (laughs) After the film ended, I felt a bit empty."

Jo Jin-woong started filming 'Believer 2' right after finishing the movie 'Confidential Assignment.' He recalled, "There was no difficult part. It felt like meeting an old friend." He continued, "Could I plant the confusing emotions more deeply? What was the reason that brought us this far? Is Won-ho standing in front of the cabin, or am I at the end of my thoughts? I felt I had to carefully soothe many questions."

Filming the second installment in the summer, Jo Jin-woong endured the hot weather. He laughed, "'Believer' was really hot and cold. This time, it was so hot I couldn't breathe. It gets worse as I get older."

"I usually don't wear thermal underwear even in December. I was proud as a man, saying, 'What thermal underwear?' But now, if I don't stick hot packs on like Iron Man, I can't move. Actors come together more tightly when it's tough. We take care of each other. During 'Believer 2,' scenes involving firearms were filmed with thorough training."

Actor Jo Jin-woong [Photo by Netflix]

'Believer' gained popularity for its intense character play. Were expectations for the sequel high? Reactions were mixed. If anything, negative reviews were more prevalent. The responses from newly joined actors Han Hyo-joo and Oh Seung-hoon, who replaced Ryu Jun-yeol, were also divided.

Jo Jin-woong said, "It must not have been easy for the new actors to decide to appear. There are ambiguous points. Both friends worked hard," defending them. He added, "We had candid talks over dinner, and through that, we became closer."

Again, he plays a detective. But it's different. Even if the work is different, when the same actor plays the same profession, some overlap is inevitable. The detectives Jo Jin-woong portrays strangely always have different faces. He said, "No director has ever asked me to act like the detective from 'Signal.' There are limits to what I can express. So I rely solely on the script. I follow it while thinking about where it goes and where the sequence ends."

"Won-ho in 'Believer' was imagined as dry firewood. Fragile, so when touched, dust flies up. Dry firewood that bursts into flames with just one spark. When someone walks on the railroad tracks, sometimes they walk on the tracks, sometimes beside them. That difference exists. I share those parts with the director and create the character. The process is painful but fun. I wish all humanity could try acting. That's how fun it is. (laughs)"

Actor Jo Jin-woong [Photo by Netflix]

Jo Jin-woong said that when filming the last scene, he quickly gets into his car and leaves the set as soon as the director says 'cut.' This explains how quickly he detaches from the role. When asked about the character he stayed with the longest, he mentioned Jo Hong-gyu from the film 'Violent Circle' (2006) and Mu-hyul from 'Deep-rooted Tree' (2011).

"Hong-gyu from 'Violent Circle' is a kid full of affection and righteousness. He's big. An orphan living alone but steadfastly attending school. One day, he gets involved in something and gets expelled. I couldn't get out of that role for a while. I kept thinking about that guy. Mu-hyul from 'Deep-rooted Tree' was a character whose speech I kept using even after filming ended. I had meals without alcohol with senior actor Han Suk-kyu and chatted for two hours. The senior said, 'You always told me to stay three steps behind, so where did you go?' and looked for me. At that time, I was filming 'Nameless Gangster' (2012) and 'Perfect Game' (2011) simultaneously, and I found myself slipping into that speech unconsciously."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.