Director Jang Hang-jun, who helmed the historical drama "The King's Warden", opened up about casting Park Ji-hoon as the deposed monarch Danjong.
In an interview held Jan. 23 in Seoul’s Samcheong-dong to mark the film’s release, Jang said, “I first knew Park Ji-hoon not from 'Produce 101,' but as the lead of the series'Weak Hero Class 1.' I’m not big on competition shows―I’m always the one losing, so I don’t enjoy watching them,” he joked. “So even now, clips from his Wanna One days feel a little unfamiliar to me.”
On the especially deliberate process of casting Danjong, he recalled, “I sent him the script and we met, but he didn’t say yes or no. It wasn’t until our fourth meeting that he agreed. If he’d turned it down to the end, of course we would’ve cast someone else―but I’m not sure anyone else could have delivered this level of his character. He stood apart from other actors in their 20s.”
Park first broke out on the survival show "Produce 101" and debuted as the center of K-pop group Wanna One, later returning to his acting roots. He earned praise for his performance in "Weak Hero Class 1," and in "The King's Warden" he portrays the young, dethroned king Danjong.
As rave notices rolled in for Park’s aching, melancholic portrayal of the tragic crown prince, Jang shared, “We talked a lot even before cameras rolled. He might be the actor I did the most table reads with. He has a terrific attitude. When I explain what I’m after, his eyes just light up.”
“I prefer one-on-one conversations with actors,” he continued. “So Ji-hoon and I spent a lot of time preparing. For the late-film confrontation between Danjong and Han Myeonghoe, I brought in Park Ji-hoon and Yoo Ji-tae ahead of time to calibrate the emotional pitch and tone. It was all to ensure we’d nail it on set. Both actors were so focused and sincere―it was a joy. Films live or die on performances, and these two not only fit the roles perfectly, they delivered in a big way.”
Set in 1457 in Cheongnyeongpo, "The King's Warden" blends history and imagination to tell the moving story of a village head who chooses exile for the sake of his town and the young former king forced into banishment. Yoo Hae-jin plays Yeongwol’s village chief Eom Heung-do, with Park Ji-hoon as the deposed ruler King Danjong.
The film opens Feb. 4.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)