[Interview] Jung Jin-woon wishes to be reckoned as actor rather than member of 2AM

연합뉴스 / 2023-04-04 09:19:22

▲ This photo, provided by Barunson Enter& Arts, shows Jung Jin-woon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Apr. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean singer-turned-actor Jung Jin-woon, a member of the boy band 2AM which is currently on hiatus, has celebrated his 15th debut anniversary. He is now ready to take a great leap forward as an actor via the upcoming basketball film “Rebound.”

Loosely based on the true story of Jung Ang High School basketball team in Busan, “Rebound” tells the story of a struggling under-sized and under-skilled high school basketball team defying the naysayers and making it through the finals of the 2012 national high school basketball league.

In the film, Jung suits up as an unfortunate basketball prodigy Kyu-hyuk. Jung made a breakthrough transformation as an actor by starring in multiple low-budget films and web series. Meanwhile, he has also been reckoned as one of the most adept basketball players in the entertainment industry.

Although he may have been more confident in playing basketball than any other South Korean actor, an even greater burden was pressuring him – he had to face the burden as an actor as he was given lead roles with more scenes than he did in his previous works.

During an interview held at a cafe in Seoul on Monday, the actor said with a smile, “It was my dream to take a role in ‘Rebound.’ I wish more people would recognize me as an actor, not as a member of 2AM.”

Jung added that even before he read the scenario, his agency decided to have him star in this film, expecting that the actor would come to love the film as soon as he read the script.

“I read the scenario, and I could totally understand why my agency made such a decision. I was grateful. When I had a meeting with director Jang Hang-joon, I really wanted to play the role of Kyu-hyuk, so I had everything prepared and told the director that there would be no one else who could play the role better than I do,” the actor said with a smile.

Jung also dreamed of becoming a basketball player as a child as Kyu-hyuk does in the film: He played in a middle school basketball team, but his repeated injuries made him give up his dream of becoming a professional player. He had to go through four surgeries on his ankle.

While shooting the film, Jung naturally was able to look back on his memories as a child who played basketball with a swollen ankle. “I did not play basketball for as long as Kyu-hyuk did, but I have had four ankle surgeries. I even did surgery on my ankle after enlisting in the military,” he added.

Jung, who made his breakout debut as a member of 2AM in his teen years, is already in his mid-30s, which implies that it definitely would have been physically demanding for him to try to get in sync with co-stars who are about 10 years younger than him in this basketball film.

When asked if he had any physical torments during the filming process, the singer answered, “I usually hate losing, and I was pretty confident that I am fairly sturdy than others,” adding, “However, it was obviously not easy.”

“Rebound” is Jung’s first work with director Jang Hang-joon. When asked how he felt about working with filmmaker Jang, who is known for his eloquence and wittiness, the singer-turned-actor praised him, saying, “He has an amazing charisma.”

“I realized how many people he observed and met so far to become such an interesting person. To recap, I think he is an amazing person with an outstanding charisma that just captivates people around him. It was as if he could just read my mind,” Jung said with a chuckle.

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)

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