Ji Chang-wook shares insights on his challenging role in "City of Lies," discussing the intense action scenes and character development.

This article contains content related to the story of the drama. Ji Chang-wook revealed his thoughts after finishing "City of Lies." Recently, an interview with Ji Chang-wook, the lead actor of the Disney+ original drama "City of Lies," was held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul. "City of Lies" is an action drama where Te-jun (Ji Chang-wook), who lived an ordinary life, gets caught up in a heinous crime and ends up in prison, only to learn that it was all planned by Johan (EXO's D.O.), leading him to seek revenge. When asked about his feelings after completing the work, Ji Chang-wook said, "It was a very challenging project. Still, I am glad that I was able to finish it safely. The fact that many people enjoyed it is my greatest joy," and reflected, "Thanks to my colleagues, I was able to endure this long and difficult project, and it was a meaningful endeavor." He mentioned the difficulties faced during production, saying, "It was physically very demanding, and personally, it was a project I was ambitious about, so it was tough for my own desires. The role itself was one of suffering and struggle, which was also challenging." "City of Lies" is a remake of the 2017 film "Fabricated City" directed by Park Kwang-hyun. As he played the protagonist in the original, he expressed, "There was pressure in adapting a project I filmed ten years ago into a series. Since it's a series, the story development has changed quite a bit. I think it can be said to be a different work with the same worldview. That itself was a big challenge for me, and I had a desire to further develop the work I did ten years ago." He conveyed the pressure while also stating, "Naturally, I felt, 'Isn't this something I should do?' When I first received the scripts for episodes 1 to 4, I found them really interesting. My first thought was, 'I want to perform it properly.'" The action scenes became more diverse. Ji Chang-wook said, "I did what I could myself, but for parts I couldn't do, I had the stunt team handle them. It's not easy to do 100% of the action myself, so I had the stunt team do the necessary parts, and for actions I thought I could do a bit better than the stunt team, I did them myself. In percentage terms, it was about 50-50." He added, "Compared to other works, there was really a lot of action. From the motorcycle in episode 1, I was constantly fighting in prison, and it was a series of actions. When I got out of prison, there was a major car chase, and after that, there was another big action scene." He continued, "The action scene I did with senior Yang Dong-geun in the prison took five days to shoot. There’s a scene where I escape from prison, get caught again, and then Yang Dong-geun and others break in, leading to a brawl. We filmed that one scene over five days. It was tough for me, but it was tough for the seniors too, and all the staff worked hard until the end, but when I saw the completed work, I felt relieved, happy, and had mixed feelings." He shared, "After finishing that day's shoot, I attended the Busan International Film Festival and then fell ill. It was really tough. I felt firsthand that the damage from the five days of shooting had accumulated." Given that it transitioned from a 126-minute movie to a 12-episode drama, there must have been changes to the characters. Regarding this, Ji Chang-wook said, "The fact that we could recreate a two-hour movie into many characters and stories was thanks to the screenwriter's efforts in many areas. Rather than creating and showing the character, I wanted to dramatically express the emotions that could be expressed in that situation. I projected a lot of Te-jun's suffering emotions onto myself. I wanted viewers to empathize with Te-jun's feelings and discussed with the director to ensure the entire work could be followed from Te-jun's perspective." He continued, "The part I was most careful about was how far to drag the protagonist down in the beginning. There’s a mechanism that inevitably drags the protagonist down to the bottom. I thought that only by hitting rock bottom could viewers become more immersed in the latter half." However, there were some negative reactions regarding the work's persuasiveness. He commented, "I think it's inevitable to have likes and dislikes. There are likes and dislikes in any work, and I think it's a process of reducing the 'dislikes.' Some people find a certain concept interesting, while others think it's boring and absurd. We held discussions on how to better resonate with viewers. 'City of Lies' is actually about how to effectively express 'the flavors we know.' We thought about how a unique tone and manner could leave a strong impression on people and be viewed without discomfort until the end. For that, I had many discussions with the director in the beginning. It may lack persuasiveness, but I think that within the genre of this work, that is persuasiveness. I hope there are no 'dislikes,' but I think it's a story that even those who 'dislike' it watched. I did my best." Regarding the ending where Johan was ultimately not killed, Ji Chang-wook said, "From the beginning, the screenwriter expressed, 'Te-jun is a person who touches the soil and saves lives.' They said they wanted him to be like a tree, so that was a major challenge from the beginning to the end. Even though there are many action scenes, he shouldn't hurt people. I consulted with the director many times about that. Te-jun is a person who saves others, so I was very concerned about how much violence he should exert in front of the villains while being in a position of revenge and how to express that. That was very tough, and it was the part I struggled with the most with the martial arts director during the action scenes." He continued, "The reason I didn't kill Johan in the end is that Te-jun believed Johan should atone for the sins he committed until the end. I thought that for Te-jun, making Johan unhappy and wanting to kill him wasn't revenge; making him atone for his sins until the end was revenge." Regarding the last scene where Johan is depicted as if he is alive, he expressed, "Actually, I was worried, 'Was it okay to have an open-ended shape?' But when I actually watched it, I was satisfied because it could stimulate curiosity and provoke imagination. I think it was really good to express Johan that way until the end." There was no talk at all about a season 2. When asked if he would be willing to participate if season 2 were to be produced, he replied, "The human heart can sometimes be born from a state of not thinking at all. Honestly, it was a very challenging project, so I don't want to do action for a while. However, if my work is successful and becomes a series, it is something to be grateful for as an actor, so if I were offered season 2, I think it would be something to be thankful for. I would be very happy." He continued, "After doing action, I always think, 'I really don't want to do action anymore.' It's very tough and physically demanding. During 'City of Lies,' I thought, 'This might be my last action.' I am getting older and there are moments when I can't do what I want. But every time I do action, I think, 'This might be the last,' and after it's over, I decide, 'I won't do it anymore,' but I always end up thinking, 'This might be the last' while doing action, and after it's over, I think, 'I won't do it anymore.' I think I will be repeating this for years to come," he said, eliciting laughter. Before "City of Lies," he appeared in Disney+ works like "The Worst Evil" and "Gangnam B-side," earning him nicknames like "Disney+’s Son" and "Disney+’s Public Servant." Regarding this, he said, "I am always grateful. Someone chooses me, invests in me, and receiving a guarantee means I am fulfilling my role as an actor. That itself is something to be thankful for. That's why I might be more greedy and suffering." He expressed, "In a sense, I think I am doing my best because I have received a salary. I am sincerely grateful to those who hired me as an employee and hope that I won't be a wrong decision for them, so I am working hard." He also mentioned the upcoming Japan-Korea co-production drama "Merry Berry Love (tentative title)," which will be released through Disney+. Ji Chang-wook said, "I wanted to participate in a Japan-Korea co-production and have been looking for a project for 2-3 years. I wanted to challenge myself with something new, and I received the offer for 'Merry Berry Love.' I was shooting until the day before yesterday and returned to Korea yesterday, and I am enjoying the shoot and feeling fresh. I want to try not only Japan-Korea co-productions but also dramas with various countries. Recently, I filmed a variety show in Indonesia and a variety show in the Philippines. I also filmed a Chinese drama, and I want to try various things. While gaining various experiences, I think it would be nice to sometimes play a Korean role abroad," he said, adding, "Although I can't communicate perfectly with my co-stars, who are not Korean actors, we are still having fun shooting. Communication may not be smooth, but it's not bad to look into each other's eyes, smile, talk, and act together. I find it interesting while shooting." He also expressed his anticipation for the romance he will showcase with Jeon Ji-hyun in the upcoming JTBC drama "Human x Nine-Tailed Fox." Ji Chang-wook said, "I first met senior Jeon Ji-hyun in the movie 'The Swarm.' Following 'The Swarm,' I will be co-starring with her in 'Human x Nine-Tailed Fox,' and I am really looking forward to it. I have high expectations for the nine-tailed fox she will portray. I thought, 'No one can play this role better than her,' and when I saw the script, I thought it would be great if Jeon Ji-hyun played it. It is an honor for me to be able to co-star with her, and I am looking forward to creating fun scenes together and having a good shoot."