Joo Ji-hoon Says He Turned Down "The Remarried Empress" Three Times: "Acted Like It's a Musical"

Actor Joo Ji-hoon shared behind-the-scenes stories about his highly anticipated upcoming project, "The Remarried Empress".

Attending the Actor's House at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) held at the cultural hall on the 9th floor of Shinsegae Department Store's Centum City branch in Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the afternoon of October 9, Joo said, "I turned down this project about two or three times. It was because I didn't think my understanding of its worldview was high enough."

He added, "Someone I deeply trust even wrote me a letter to persuade me. Then I grew curious about why it receives so much love and what aspects audiences enjoy about it," explaining why he changed his mind and decided to join the cast.

The Disney+ original series "The Remarried Empress" is a grand romance fantasy epic. It unfolds as Navier (Shin Mina), the perfect empress of the Eastern Empire, is notified of a divorce by Emperor Sovieshu (Joo Ji-hoon)—who has fallen for the runaway slave Rashta (Lee Seyoung)—and instead of accepting it, demands approval for her remarriage to Prince Heinrey (Lee Jong-suk) of the Western Kingdom. In the series, Joo Ji-hoon plays Emperor Sovieshu.

Regarding the process of adapting to the setting and his character, Joo said, "(As actors) we are Asian, but the characters use foreign names, which was difficult, but I got a feel for it during the first script reading."

He continued, "I thought it would be more comfortable to approach it like doing a musical rather than a realistic tone. For instance, when performing 'Hamlet', people don't find it awkward. Approaching it that way broke down a lot of the walls in my mind."

"The Remarried Empress" shot on location in the Czech Republic for about a month. Recalling that time, he shared, "I cooked meals for the production team members in my accommodation. I asked staff members of various ages what charm they found in the project, and those friends explained a lot to me. To be honest, I didn't understand it at first. I tried to narrow the gap and understand."

Joo Ji-hoon made his debut in the 2006 drama "Palace" and has since appeared in dramas such as "The Devil", "Kingdom", "Hyena", "Jirisan", "Blood Free", "Light Shop", "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call", and "Climax".

His filmography is equally impressive. He has taken on diverse characters and acting challenges in films including "Antique", "Kitchen", "I Am the King", "Good Friends", "Asura: The City of Madness", "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds", "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days", "The Spy Gone North", "Dark Figure of Crime", "Gentleman", "Ransomed", and "Project Silence".

  

(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kim Ji-hye)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.