"Three hours of filming... I'm the victim." Joo Ji-hoon responds to the 'Pinggego' target with a 12 million-view excuse [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

"Actor Joo Ji-hoon, a 'National MC' alongside Yoo Jae-suk, showcased the talkative charm of a 'Pinggego'-recognized 'Too Much Talker'.

"Joo Ji-hoon, a 'Veteran Actor' in his 23rd year since debut, recently received unexpected attention for his unique conversational skills. This followed the explosive reaction to Yoo Jae-suk's web variety show 'Pinggego', which he appeared in with close actor friends Kim Nam-gil and Yoon Kyung-ho. The video, released on the 14th of last month, has already reached 12.47 million views as of the 18th, despite its 115-minute runtime. Joo Ji-hoon, along with Kim Nam-gil and Yoon Kyung-ho, firmly captured the hearts of netizens with the charm of 'Too Much Talkers', where no one could be ranked above the other.

"In a recent interview with StarNews, Joo Ji-hoon shared an interesting anecdote regarding his appearance on 'Pinggego'. He recalled, "'Pinggego' was not an appearance for any work promotion. In fact, the invitation came quite a while ago. At that time, everyone said they would do it, but we ended up appearing this time due to scheduling conflicts".

"Regarding the 'Too Much Talker' showdown with Kim Nam-gil and Yoon Kyung-ho, he firmly shook his head, eliciting laughter. Joo Ji-hoon drew a clear line, stating, "'As you saw in 'Pinggego", it's unpleasant. I am the victim. Because I don't say useless things. The edited version was two hours, but the actual filming lasted over three hours.

"He continued, "If I only say what's necessary, (Kim) Nam-gil keeps talking like a child who just learned to speak. I don't say anything if there's no episode. And when I'm actually talking with (Yoon) Kyung-ho in private, I cut him off", showing a reaction of exasperation at the two actors' 'gossip instincts'.

"So, what are his thoughts on the 'Pinggego' popularity that truly sparked a 'huge hit' in viewership? Joo Ji-hoon responded, "I learned from watching this. It was a story we all knew and could predict, so I never expected such a huge reaction. Of course, Kyung-ho spoke deliciously, but since we had talked so much over time, I found it boring when he spoke. So I felt 'It must be so fun for someone hearing it for the first time' and also thought 'This is why excellent production teams are needed'", viewing it coolly.

"As the viewership continues to rise even a month later, a question was asked: "'Do you not expect 'Pinggego' to win the 'Grand Prize" at an awards ceremony?". However, Joo Ji-hoon firmly stated, "I am a very cold-blooded person. Just looking at the runtime, the protagonist of our segment was Kyung-ho. When looking at my performance and screen time, I don't think I can aim for the Grand Prize".

"He then added, "If I am a cold-blooded person, Nam-gil is the one who expects (winning the Grand Prize). It's not that I'm thinking like that because I'm expecting an award; I just like analyzing the whole picture like this", delivering a subtle roast that caused laughter.

"Furthermore, Joo Ji-hoon spoke frankly about the ENA Monday-Tuesday drama 'Climax', which concluded on the 14th. 'Climax' is a fierce survival drama about prosecutor Bang Tae-seop (played by Joo Ji-hoon), who jumps into the power cartel to reach the top of South Korea, and those surrounding him. In the drama, Joo Ji-hoon portrayed Bang Tae-seop, revealing an intense face. He handled everything from the chemistry with actress Choi Sang-ah (played by Ha Ji-won) as a show-window couple to the ambition of a prosecutor from a poor background running for a National Assembly candidate.

"Notably, Choi Sang-ah had a gay setting, and Joo Ji-hoon showcased a bold couple chemistry with Ha Ji-won. However, Joo Ji-hoon drew attention by defining Bang Tae-seop's feelings toward Choi Sang-ah as 'love'.

"Joo Ji-hoon said, "The director even asked 'Do you think Tae-seop loves Sang-ah'. At that time, I answered 'I think he loves her very much'. Their relationship is focused on 'business', and Tae-seop is indeed a bad guy who thinks of Sang-ah like a trophy and even married her. However, since they live together with their hearts and emotions intertwined and move in the same direction, I think some comradeship must have formed. Since this comradeship is included in the area of love I consider, I felt it was 'love'. In fact, I offered the interpretation that in reality, the one who crawls into the other's heart is the one who loves".

"When asked about his first acting chemistry with Ha Ji-won, he said, "She is a true "Veteran and someone who learns things very quickly. Also, she approaches everything very carefully. I felt she was a senior who is meticulous and cautious. She also protects her own space well. When concentrating, she might make those around her feel uneasy. But I felt that (Ha) Ji-won is constantly working hard so she doesn't want to burden anyone around her. Even without much conversation, I could feel those details, which was nice. Her acting was so delicate and she accepted it beautifully", expressing his respect.

"He then added, "Next time, I'd like to do a romance with an older adult together", expressing his expectation for a reunion with Ha Ji-won.

"'Climax' had already generated significant buzz with somewhat provocative material. Regarding this, Joo Ji-hoon said, "I have no resistance at all. As an actor, it can be a blessing because there are many human types around. Basically, 'it's very unique' is the underlying premise. So unless it's something like a 'crazy serial killer', it doesn't feel uncomfortable. Most of the characters I see are people I've seen around me. However, what I consider important is whether it 'flows logically' even when viewed by someone like me who is not an expert. I think that is the most important and biggest fun for me".

"As a prolific ''actor, he will continue his busy schedule with new works in the second half of this year. He is about to release the global OTT Disney+ new original series 'Remarriage Twilight'.

"Notably, Joo Ji-hoon is drawing more attention by returning to a 'royal romance' for the first time in 20 years since 'Palace' (2007). Regarding his reason for appearing in 'Remarriage Empress', he said, "Isn't it a mega IP loved worldwide? But actually, I didn't understand the content well, so I had rejected the (appearance offer). However, the production team is seasoned, and they are people I trust very much. They explained how much fun this work is many times. This isn't everything, but since these people are confident in the work, I became curious and joined. I am naturally very curious", he honestly revealed.

"Coincidentally, MBC's Friday-Saturday drama '21st Century Grand Duchess', starring IU and Byun Woo-seok, is currently airing, further re-examining 'Palace'. This work also deals with a '21st-century constitutional monarchy' Seol Jeong-eu-ro (왕)romance.

"Joo Ji-hoon revealed, "To tell you the behind-the-scenes story, I was once offered a cameo in '21st Century Grand Duchess'", making ears perk up.

"It turned out he received a special appearance offer due to his close relationship with director Park Jun-hwa, the director of '21st Century Grand Duchess'. The two had worked together in the 2024 drama 'Love is on a Narrow Bridge'.

"Joo Ji-hoon wittily revealed the anecdote, "Since I am very close with the director, I think he offered it to me. But I think the director didn't know I was appearing in 'Remarriage Empress' at the time. Although he probably knew the (cameo appearance) wouldn't work, he still kindly agreed to appear out of a supportive heart. After he found out (that I was appearing in 'Remarriage Empress'), he stopped contacting me from then on".

"He concluded the interview with a warm message, "I am cheering for the director and '21st Century Grand Duchess' very, very much".

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*This content was translated by AI.