'Brave New World' Jang Seung-jo: "A Happy Set Working with Im Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-jun" Final Farewell

*This content was translated by AI.

He remained intense until the very end. Actor Jang Seung-jo, who portrayed the madness of Choi Moon-do with explosive acting, put a perfect period on the cruel narrative of evil in 'Brave New World' and offered his final farewell.

In the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Brave New World' (script by Kang Hyun-ju, directed by Han Tae-seop), which concluded on the 20th, Choi Moon-do (played by Jang Seung-jo) rose to the position of Lim Si (Chairman) at Cha-il Group, reaching the pinnacle of power. However, he began to waver under the counterattack of Cha-segye (played by Heo Nam-jun), including suspicions of construction corruption and a crisis to cancel the resort project. Ultimately, he faced destruction through immediate dismissal and emergency arrest, ending up imprisoned in a detention center.

Jang Seung-jo vividly portrayed the downfall of a capitalistic monster who had exploited and trampled others for his own desires, maintaining dramatic tension until the final moment. He skillfully controlled the pacing to reveal the anxiety hidden behind a relaxed smile, the flashes of madness that appeared whenever plans went awry, and the process of a seemingly unshakable character slowly developing cracks. In particular, even at the brink of disaster, his twisted nature that refused to let go of his pride until the end sent shivers down viewers' spines.

Jang Seung-jo's villainous performance, which allowed not a shred of pity at any moment, maximized viewer immersion. As the situation grew more unfavorable, his voice grew colder, his aura filled with chill, and the sharp madness erupting in his conflict with Cha Dal-soo (played by Yoon Ju-sang) froze the living rooms. His cold-blooded demeanor, which completely ignored others' suffering and treated people merely as tools to achieve his goals, completed Choi Moon-do as a villain with no room for sympathy.

From the face of a meticulous strategist designing the game in the early stages of the drama, to a power-hungry figure engulfed by desire, and finally to the end of a villain crumbling, Jang Seung-jo flawlessly portrayed Choi Moon-do's hypocrisy and ambition. He also perfectly embodied Ahn Jong, a character from a previous life. Demonstrating unparalleled acting prowess through a unique spectrum of playing two roles across time and space, Jang Seung-jo depicted the cruel absolute ruler Ahn Jong and the modern Choi Moon-do with distinct nuances, implementing kingly charisma and the desire for power with perfectly differentiated intensity, adding rich genre entertainment. We spoke with actor Jang Seung-jo, who unfolded a 'new world of evil' with such dense and intense acting, about his thoughts after finishing 'Brave New World'.

Meanwhile, Jang Seung-jo will appear on stage in the play 'The Lives of Others'. He will play Georg Dreyman, East Germany's greatest playwright, exploring the psychological changes he undergoes while becoming a surveillance target. 'The Lives of Others' will be performed from July 1 to September 13 at Seoul U+ Stage, LG Arts Center, Gangseo-gu, Seoul.

The following is a Q&A with Jang Seung-jo.

Q. I'm curious about your thoughts after finishing the drama.

A. I am deeply grateful and happy that 'Brave New World' has received so much love worldwide.

Q. As the drama progresses, Choi Moon-do gradually reveals his base nature from the appearance of a controlled elite. What part did you focus on most in your acting to express the character's transformation.

A. Choi Moon-do is a person who does not easily reveal himself. He is someone who knows how to wear a perfect mask. Rather than always stepping forward to take action, he is a person who quietly gives orders from behind. Therefore, he can always maintain a poker face, but only when he is eventually pushed into a situation beyond his control does his suppressed true nature burst forth. To show the explosive power of that decisive moment, I focused on restraining and hiding emotions as much as possible in the preceding processes.

Q. Both the modern Choi Moon-do and Lee Jae (Ahn Jong) of the Joseon Dynasty are characters with strong desires for power, but their methods of expression were completely different. I'm curious how you distinguished and approached these two characters that transcend time and space.

A. The biggest core keyword that runs through both characters was ultimately 'desire'. Although they may have been completely different in terms of time, space, social status, and outward expressions, I think the essential nature of approaching that burning desire and looking into the character's inner self was the same.

Q. Following your previous work 'You Killed Me', you perfectly embodied a 'two-role villain' with a completely different tone. How did you understand and try to convince viewers of the characters standing on the side of intense evil? Were there any difficulties with playing the villain.

A. It always seems terribly lonely to be an antagonist (a character who opposes or has an adversarial relationship with the protagonist in a work) in a drama. In fact, I think such characters are not meant to convince viewers, but rather to make viewers emotionally distressed and tense. As an actor, I also wanted to smile brightly within the work, but the situation of the character made it impossible to smile freely, which was quite difficult during the acting process. However, if I can collapse desperately so that viewers can feel catharsis and smile comfortably, I don't think there is any more satisfying reward for a villain.

Q. Scenes like Choi Moon-do kneeling before Cha Dal-su (Chairman), where humiliation and ambition are revealed simultaneously, were impressive. What was the most essential emotion of Choi Moon-do as you thought it.

A. While working on the project, I asked myself, "If Moon-do had inherited Cha-il Group normally, would there have been no problems?" He would have tried harder than anyone else to raise it to a world-class group. But at the same time, I think he would have remained ruthless, using any means necessary to achieve that goal. Ultimately, I think the unfillable void and endless desire eventually destroyed the human named Moon-do himself. I think the loneliness of that unstoppable desire was not Moon-do's essence.

Q. There were hot reactions and praise from viewers, such as "Please act a bit softer," and "I get too tense whenever Choi Moon-do appears." Is there a viewer reaction that stands out to you.

A. I read every comment left directly on my SNS. Rather than being hurt by the criticism of his evil deeds in the drama, I felt fortunate and deeply grateful as an actor that viewers were immersed in the character to that extent. Among them, the words "I really hate Choi Moon-do, but I like actor Jang Seung-jo" are the most memorable and gave me strength.

Q. How was your chemistry with the actors you worked with, including Im Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-jun, who created a breathless tension by setting up opposing angles in the drama.

A. All the actors I worked with were so excellent and talented that we could exchange tremendous energy and act every moment on set. Although the relationships in the drama were not always sharp and pleasant scenes, it was a truly happy set where we could fully unfold and respect each other's acting worlds during the production. In particular, it was a great honor for me to be able to work with Yoon Ju-sang, who was a sturdy support on set.

Q. If you could say one last thing to Choi Moon-do.

A. Moon-do, let it go.. That's enough now..

Q. What are your plans for future activities.

A. I am diligently preparing for my next work, the play 'The Lives of Others'.

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*This content was translated by AI.