Jung Il-woo debuts in Japan as a 'Criminal' with GD: "Global activities to advance further" [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Jung Il-woo took on his first global OTT original series and Japanese production through the Japanese drama "Criminal."

On the 30th, a press conference for Amazon Prime Video's original Japanese drama "Criminal" was held at CGV Yongsan i-Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Director Matsunaga Taishi and Jung Il-woo attended the event.

"Criminal" is a crime mystery depicting the journey of three people who would never have met—a detective, a reporter, and a survivor—as they pursue a life-or-death chase to uncover a massive truth.

The original work is a novel of the same name by screenwriter and novelist Ota Ai, who wrote Japan's popular TV series. It received widespread love from numerous readers for its ensemble drama intertwining police, politics, large corporations, and past events, its multi-layered narrative with intersecting timelines, and its overwhelming scale and tense progression.

This series is directed by Matsunaga Taishi, who helmed works such as "Pietà in the Bathroom," "Hanarey Bay," and "Egoist," based on this solid original novel.

Director Matsunaga Taishi stated, "There are many directors I admire in Korea, and I am nervous to bring my work here."

He further explained the reason he took on directing this project: "The producer greatly admired my previous work 'Egoist' and wanted to meet me. At that meeting, they proposed that I direct this series."

He said, "After receiving the proposal, I read the original novel. It was a debut work by such a renowned screenwriter, and I strongly felt the passion of an author launching a new work."

Continuing, he added, "Although I have been active as a director for about 10 years, rather than resting on my accumulated career, I wanted to return to my original intentions once more. With that mindset, I accepted the directing role to visualize the original author's passion."

Regarding this being his first OTT series, he shared candidly, "I kept checking the rankings via a proxy server in Daejeon and thought, 'Is this really being updated?'" while laughing.

He further remarked, "OTT series are clearly different from films. They are divided into episodes, creating an environment where viewers can stop watching at any time. I spent a lot of time thinking about how to make audiences immerse themselves in the work within that framework."

He concluded, "Ultimately, I believed that trusting the audience and creating good works is the only way to bring joy to viewers."

Jung Il-woo takes on his first global OTT original series through "Criminal."

Playing the mysterious character "Takigawa," Jung Il-woo drives the tension of the story. He stated, "This is my Japanese debut work, and I approached filming with the mindset of a newcomer. I am happy to be able to present this work at this event."

He continued, "Three years ago, the director saw my film 'Highway Family' and mentioned that he wanted to work together someday. Later, the director proposed that I take on a key role in 'Criminal,' and I immediately accepted."

He added, "I read the original novel three times while analyzing the character. Takigawa is a character who raises so much curiosity that it blurs the line between good and evil. I aimed to act by finding answers to the mysteries this character holds."

Jung Il-woo, who continues his global activities, said, "Since this is my Japanese debut work, I tried my best during filming."

Regarding the reason for casting Jung Il-woo, he explained, "Before seeing 'Highway Family,' we actually met and had a conversation. When casting actors, the most important factor is how they feel when you meet them in person. I felt a very interesting charm from actor Jung Il-woo."

He further added, "After watching 'Highway Family,' I sensed his potential as an actor who could deliver even better performances."

Regarding their actual collaboration, he said, "As an actor with a long career, I was impressed by his tremendous passion for acting. He offered various opinions on characters for every line and scene, and through that process, I could feel his deep dedication to acting."

He also noted, "While he is outstanding in personal charm, during our collaboration we focused more on what kind of acting challenges were possible. I believe we achieved satisfying results working with actor Jung Il-woo."

Jung Il-woo revealed that he stayed in Japan for about two months to film his first Japanese production. He laughed, "Although I was staying in Japan, there were situations where I couldn't reveal the filming, so I even posted 'business trip' on social media as an episode."

He continued, "There were difficulties arising from language and cultural differences, but the director provided a lot of help. Since I tried to focus on filming on set, I don't think there were any major hardships."

He also actively offered ideas during the process of adapting the character as Korean. Jung Il-woo explained, "In the original work, Takigawa is Japanese, but the director changed him into a Korean character. I thought adding Korean elements could make the character even richer."

He further added, "In the original, Takigawa touches an acupressure ball, so I suggested changing it to a walnut. I felt the sound of cracking walnuts would fit well with the eerie atmosphere, and the director accepted it as a good idea." He also added, "The combat boots worn in the work were actually ones I wore during my military service."

Regarding instructions he received during the directing process, he said, "Rather than telling me to do something, the director often told me to empty myself. Whenever I tried to prove something as an actor, he emphasized that I should approach only through the role itself. I made a lot of effort in those aspects."

Finally, Jung Il-woo stated, "I plan to not only work in Korea but also in various countries, and I will strive even harder to move forward." He had previously announced his exclusive contract with Galaxy Corporation on the 29th.

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*This content was translated by AI.