July 2021
July 2021
What job other than acting is so age sensitive? The constant influx of young stars and the ravages of age can easily deprive actors of choices. In film productions, audiences often find fine actors past the age of 50 playing minor or supporting roles. Not so for Korean actor Ji Jin Hee, however. He has just finished starring in the television action-drama series ¡°Undercover,¡± and is immediately starting another television mystery thriller, ¡°The Road: The Tragedy of One,¡± to be aired in August. Ji just turned 50—¡°past one¡¯s prime¡± as they say, but terms like ¡°minor¡± or ¡°past his prime¡± are not in his dictionary. Ji remains one of Korea¡¯s most sought-after actors.
Written by
Yu Pureum
Photo courtesy of
IKKLE Entertainment
Ji Jin Hee earned a name for himself through the 2003 television series ¡°Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace).¡± The drama¡¯s popularity was sensational, not only in Japan and China but also in far-off lands such as Iran, Romania, and Zimbabwe. The series¡¯s stars were so well-liked that the Iranian national broadcasting company requested interviews. Ji, who portrayed the male lead ¡°Min Jeong-ho,¡± rose to stardom overnight, and audiences wanted to know what he would do next. ¡°Dae Jang Geum was a precious work for me,¡± he says. ¡°[Through the drama], I was able to make a name for myself as an actor and receive a blessing that is hard to come by for any actor. But I didn¡¯t want to be remembered only as Min Jeong-ho from Dae Jang Geum.¡±
After ¡°Dae Jang Geum,¡± Ji chose a romantic comedy. He wanted to show audiences a character much different from Min Jeong-ho. ¡°As an actor, it truly is a blessing to be able to widen your spectrum in acting,¡± he says. ¡°Instead of being content with popularity at the time, I decided that I should go for a wide range of experiences to broaden my acting spectrum. I wanted to show audiences the diverse characters I could perform, and I¡¯ve felt the same to this day.¡±
Ji on the set of the historical drama series ¡®Dong Yi.¡¯
As was the case with ¡®Dae Jang Geum,¡¯ the show has
garnered many overseas fans. © YonhapNews
Ji began his acting career with a music video appearance in 1999, when he was working as an assistant photographer in an advertising studio. © YonhapNews
Ji is now a veteran actor with a prolific career of 23 years. He says, ¡°An actor is in a position to be chosen [to play a role].¡± He means ¡°chosen¡± by the creator and the audience. The unchosen ones must leave the stage. What is the secret behind his long-time career, behind being continuously chosen by creators and viewers alike? ¡°Actually, I was not trained professionally to become an actor, so I¡¯ve always felt inadequate in terms of my acting skills,¡± he says. ¡°So, I had a learning attitude every time I worked on a production and did my very best in my role. I think this aspect was much appreciated by the viewers.¡±
During his long career, he also experienced low points. He managed to overcome the worst days by thinking of life as a cycle of ¡°best days¡± followed by waiting for ¡°more best days.¡± ¡°There were many opportunities that I missed,¡± he says. ¡°Instead of regretting those things, I try to do my best at the present moment so that I can grab my next chance. Looking back, I think as time passes, seemingly huge problems turn out to be trivial.¡±
Adhering to this belief, Ji is doing his very best in the here and now. At 50, he continues to stay in good shape so that his physical age will not deter him from expanding his acting spectrum. He does not smoke, and he quit drinking wine despite his serious interest in oenology. In his spare time, the health-conscious actor vigorously exercises to train his body and mind. ¡°Whenever I feel lazy, like ¡®Maybe I can take a day off,¡¯ I think of the producers who would cast me or viewers who would watch me,¡± he says. ¡°Then the thought of skipping my daily regimen vanishes.¡±
Overseas fans in the global market are also an impetus in his daily life. His social media account is full of fans who write comments and share news of his daily life. Ji says he felt a big change when over-the-top (OTT) media services became popular. ¡°Nowadays, you can easily find content that is more than 10 years old online, and actors hear feedback on their work in real time,¡± he says. ¡°Thanks to the large number of overseas fans who are active online, I¡¯m really feeling it, that real-time communication with viewers around the world is possible.¡±
He adds, ¡°I¡¯m amazed by this change, but on the other hand, I feel a bit more burdened, for we¡¯re living in a world where it only takes a few clicks for anyone around the world to be able to watch my work.¡±
This change in communication has affected not only overseas fans, but also fans in Korea since local viewers can access high-quality overseas productions through OTT services. Because of higher expectations from Korean fans, Ji began feeling a heavy sense of responsibility as an actor. ¡°There are many elements contributing to a great work, and I believe an actor¡¯s performance takes up a good part,¡± he says. ¡°As an actor, I think performing well to make a high-quality production is a way to reciprocate support from all fans. I will continue to learn so that I can deliver better performances.¡±
Ji usually recharges through hobbies such as crafts and exercise.
Through consistency and genuine passion without excess, Ji can enjoy a welcome renaissance in his career. ¡°As an actor, I have set goals and made plans before, but this was meaningless,¡± he says when asked about his future plans. ¡°Most often than not, things didn¡¯t work out as intended. I received unexpected roles and faced unexpected situations every time. Life works the same way. So I am simply doing my very best under the given circumstances. When such experiences accumulate over time, don¡¯t you think I might be able to perform just about any role someday?¡±
