'I couldn't afford to slack off when I was younger': Ji Chang-wook on how things got better in showbiz for him

Looking at Ji Chang-wook's youthful looks, it's hard to imagine him with 16 years of acting experience under his belt, but his onscreen debut was back in 2006 with the film Days….

In a recent interview with AsiaOne, the 35-year-old discussed how being in showbiz has gotten easier for him.

"Back when I was younger, competition in the acting industry was very strong so I couldn't afford to slack off. I feel more at ease now," he said. "But feeling at ease doesn't mean acting for my roles has gotten easier.

"Rather, I can now afford to think about my roles from a variety of perspectives, while also discussing with the director and my colleagues on set while filming."

Despite a career spanning almost two decades, Chang-wook continues to look to senior colleagues for advice. He has fond memories of filming with veteran actor Sung Dong-il for their latest K-drama If You Wish Upon Me.

"Advice aside, he took care of me really well," Chang-wook said about the 58-year-old, known for his roles in 2006's 200 Pounds Beauty and 2012's Reply 1997. "We would talk about our scenes and there were times when we would joke around with each other."

If You Wish Upon Me sees Chang-wook playing Yoon Gyeo-rye, an orphan with a turbulent past in juvenile detention and prison, who is forced to do community service at a hospice. He is placed under volunteer team leader Kang Tae-Sik (Dong-il) and meets gym-rat nurse Seo Yeon-joo (Choi Soo-young), whom he shares a love-hate relationship with.

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While Chang-wook has played a variety of roles, from a historical hero in Warrior Baek Dong-soo (2011) to a childlike magician in 2022's The Sound of Magic, playing an ex-con is a brand new opportunity for him.

He said: "Gyeo-rye presents a side of me the audience hasn't seen before. That's what I'm looking forward to."

Another side of Chang-wook audiences may not know about is that he's an avid biker. And with If You Wish Upon Me being a K-drama about granting wishes, his own wish is to travel the world with his bike.

"I would like to travel around the world on a motorcycle — I want to go to places that I have not been to, and I feel free riding a motorcycle," he said. "Oh, I want to visit a desert."

With Chang-wook's history in musical theatre, viewers may want to stay tuned for episode three to catch a glimpse of his stage acting chops, where the volunteers and staff put on a musical performance in the hospice. Gyeo-rye shares a cute romantic moment with Yeon-joo, too.

Chang-wook gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the filming on his YouTube channel.

[embed]https://youtu.be/01paYNeyBzU[/embed]

Catch the Viu original If You Wish Upon Me on their streaming platform.

ALSO READ: 'I wondered if it was ok for us to laugh and chat about death': Girls' Generation's Choi Soo-young on her hospice drama If You Wish Upon Me

drimac@asiaone.com