'Bloodhounds 2' Rain, ♥Kim Tae-hee also surprised by the villain's face... "Why is your gaze like that?" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Jung Ji-hoon made a shocking transformation as Baek Jeong, the head of a global criminal organization, in 'Bloodhounds' Season 2. His overwhelming aura reflects the physical and mental effort he poured into the role.

'Bloodhounds' Season 2 tells the story of Geon-woo (played by Woo Do-hwan) and Woo-jin (played by Lee Sang), who took down a ruthless illegal loan shark gang, delivering another satisfying straight hook against a global illegal boxing league ruled by money and violence.

Regarding his appearance in 'Bloodhounds' Season 2, Jung Ji-hoon stated, "As an actor, I always wanted to play a truly 'bad guy' at least once. But when I thought about whether my family would be able to see it later, I felt there was no justification. However, this work had a very clear justification, and I even met with the director without receiving the script."

He continued, "'Since the time of 'Youth Police', I have greatly admired the director, and I also loved 'Bloodhounds'. When I heard about Season 2, I felt a strong desire to show something new." He added, "When viewers watch this work and think, 'Why did Jung Ji-hoon do this?', that realization — 'He did it for this' — is the justification."

Jung Ji-hoon took on the role of Baek Jeong, the operator of the global illegal boxing league, creating a villain with overwhelming destructive power. He revealed that he put immense effort into the role, stating, "I always prepare diligently, but this was a character I researched extensively, so it was not easy to wash it off at first. Since the character was not a psychopath or sociopath, but a friend with anger management issues, I acted as if I were a runaway institutional investor."

He further explained, "After being cast and meeting with the director, I realized the narrative of the Baek Jeong character was not specific, so there was a period of setting it up, and the lingering feeling remains. The director emphasized that Baek Jeong's evil should not feel artificial or contrived. The action scenes were a major challenge for me."

Although it was a character he had never played before, Jung Ji-hoon admitted he could not enjoy it due to the intense 'evil'. He said, "I constantly wondered how to make Geon-woo and Woo-jin feel utterly hopeless and send them to the depths of despair. "I have played quite a few gentle and pure roles, so to subvert that image, I felt I had to completely wash away my previous persona. My task every moment was how to torment Geon-woo and Woo-jin."

He continued, "For Geon-woo and Woo-jin, their mother is the standard of their lives, and Baek Jeong knows that; that was the key point. I constantly pondered whether I could deliver the line 'Bring Geon-woo's mom' in a different tone. I thought even calling her 'Aemi' might be an exaggeration, but the director liked the idea, saying 'Baek Jeong is a character who could do that.' It seems he has used every curse he could possibly use in his lifetime."

However, he noted that this is a work he cannot show his daughters, stating, "The lines are too exaggerated. The children are too young, so they even wore earphones while watching at home. My wife said she watched it very well, but because I was so immersed, my wife (Kim Tae-hee) sometimes asked, 'Why is your gaze like that?'"

He shared, "In fact, we rarely discuss our works with each other and prefer to respect each other's space. However, she was the one who watched my struggles most closely from the side, and after seeing my appearance, she (being my wife) told me I looked cool."

He added, "Not only my family, but it was the first time I received calls from other actors after the work was released. Senior actors called and said, 'You've gone crazy.'" He concluded, "It feels refreshing that the ratings are out, and I am grateful that the reactions around me are even better than the ratings."

Jung Ji-hoon, who said "I suffered too much while acting this character", explained, "I am truly kind and have lived a relatively kind life. As someone who strives to live by moral principles, I had many concerns while acting. After reading the script, I thought, 'Can a person really do something like this?'"

Jung Ji-hoon stated, "I searched extensively for information about people who kill others and found they had somewhat different mindsets. I studied materials on serial killers who kill without reason. When looking at other devil-like characters, they use many weapons, but I had none." He added, "I had many discussions with the director."

He further explained, "The director's instruction regarding my body design was simply that I should look huge. I couldn't look too fit, but I also couldn't look fat. Although I had many concerns, I decided to make myself look like a killing machine."

He said, "I cannot make myself like that now, nor do I want to. During filming, it was not easy because it was a repetitive cycle of reading the script and exercising. Still, I think I managed to create it well." He continued, "If I become even a little lazy, they will say, 'He put it down.' So I have been exercising consistently. If I stop exercising and then try to start again, it becomes too hard."

He also revealed that thanks to consistent self-management, changing his body shape was not difficult. He stated, "This time, I just ate more and changed my exercise routine. Ta Won-seok's body was like the Hulk, so I needed to be on par or even bigger. I think I gained about 6 to 7 kg more than usual."

Jung Ji-hoon emphasized, "I think I should end building and stripping my body with this work." He added, "I endured while taking painkillers due to spinal stenosis. Since every scene is tough, I did not want to show signs of pain. Next time, I want to play a lazy character with a clear justification to ruin my body or gain weight."

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*This content was translated by AI.