Just 'Manager Kim' So Ji-sub? ... Joo Sang-wook, husband of Cha Yeon-ryeong, rewrites his 28-year acting career anew

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Ju Sang-wook wrote a new chapter in his 28-year acting career as "Manager Kim."

Joo Sang-wook is showcasing the most radical acting transformation of his career to date as a villain in SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Manager Kim" (script by Nam Dae-jung, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun), which has surpassed a 22% viewership rating.

In the drama, he plays Joo Kang-chan, an absolute power figure who was once a thug enforcer, revealing a unique side to his acting. With only a cold, sinking gaze and a restrained tone of voice, he heightens the tension of the series while exuding an overwhelming presence as a villain. In response, HB Entertainment, Joo Sang-wook's agency, highlighted the decisive moments of "feral villain" Joo Kang-chan that sent everyone into fear.

#1. Bathhouse – The "torch scar" that dominated from the very first appearance

Joo Kang-chan's first appearance instantly etched the character's danger into viewers' minds in just a few minutes. With an important business venture ahead, he was seen drinking heavily with National Assembly member Shim (Rep.) (played by Kim Kyung-ryong) at a public bathhouse. When Shim (Rep.), who noticed the burn scars covering his entire body, asked for the reason, Joo Kang-chan calmly replied, "I regretted it after doing business. It was embarrassing even to my daughter. So I just burned it off with a torch," instantly freezing the atmosphere. Through an extremely calm expression and everyday tone alone, actor Joo Sang-wook portrayed the madness of a man who carved scars into his own body, announcing the arrival of a "tattooing psychopath who used a torch."

Joo Sang-wook revealed behind-the-scenes details, stating, "It was a crucial scene that determined the first impression of Kang-chan, the monster. Given it was an intense initial exposure scene, I paid close attention to my diet and exercise to shape my body."

#2. School – The Scariest Warning Delivered with a Smile

Upon learning of his daughter's accident, Ju Kang-chan visited his daughter Ju Hye-ri (played by Yu Ji-an)'s school and met Kim Bu-jang (played by So Ji-seob), a fellow parent in the same class, for the first time. He said, "We both raise daughters; raising a daughter isn't easy," as if trying to soothe the other person, but soon turned to the principal with a chilling warning: "If something like this happens again, then the school and you will be gone." He did not raise his voice or show any emotion. Yet, the single sentence delivered in a calm tone and with a gentle smile actually conveyed an even greater sense of pressure. Ju Kang-chan's signature method of squeezing the other person while smiling foreshadowed the misdeeds to come, heightening the drama's tension.

#3. Gold Teeth: The Past Proves Ju Kang-chan's Cruel Nature

Joo Kang-chan's past revealed his true nature even more clearly. It was revealed that he had pulled out all of Geum-gi-bbal's (played by Jo Bok-rae) teeth, a former enemy from his days as a mercenary. He brutally trampled over Geum-gi-bbal for defying him, clearly showing himself to be someone who subdues others through domination and fear. Joo Kang-chan's cruelty, which included ruthlessly pulling out teeth of anyone who did not obey him, shocked viewers.

Joo Sang-wook is reported to have acted with the belief that this scene best explains the character and is therefore crucial.

#4. "Did you confirm he's dead?" The madness named love

Joo Kang-chan's twisted paternal love for his daughter also left a strong impression. Upon learning that his daughter, Joo Hye-ri (played by Seo Su-min), had harmed Kim Min-ji, he slapped her cheek, saying, "If you wanted to kill her so badly, you should have asked Dad to do it. Don't you think I can't even do that for you?" But immediately after, he pulled her into an embrace and whispered tenderly, "I've never denied you anything you wanted. It's nothing serious. Did you confirm she's dead?" This was a masterful performance by Joo Sang-wook, who perfectly portrayed the double-faced nature of a sociopath who casually erases even murder under the guise of paternal love, all while maintaining a flawless poker face.

#5. "It would be best if only the students disappeared from this world," he said with a smile, delivering the quietest form of terror.

Joo Kang-chan's terror was completed not through violence, but through psychological warfare. Facing Kim Min-ji, whom he had under his control, he immediately saw through her act of feigning amnesia. While approaching with a gentle tone, he calmly remarked, "Perhaps because you are still a student, your attempt to hide your emotions is clumsy. Your act of pretending to have lost your memory is also clumsy," relentlessly pressuring her. Each word he uttered generated even greater suspense, sending chills down the spines of viewers at home. In particular, the line, "It would be best if only student Kim Min-ji disappeared from this world," revealed his cruel nature, willing to sacrifice others' lives without hesitation to protect his daughter. His twisted paternal love, which rationalizes all sins under the name of love, and his dangerous belief system that even justifies murder, further etched Joo Kang-chan as a chilling villain.

In this way, Ju Sang-wook has completed a three-dimensional villain who goes beyond the typical villain armed with money, violence, and power, hiding madness behind an ordinary face.

Joo Sang-wook said about the remaining episode's key points, "You will be able to see a different side of Joo Kang-chan, up to how cruel he can become in order to defeat Manager Kim. We ask for your continued love until the very end," while hinting at an explosive dopamine-fueled development right until the finale.

"Manager Kim" airs every Friday and Saturday night at 9:50 p.m.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.