Backstreet Rookie proves Ji Chang-wook has still got it – the haggard yet handsome heartthrob opposite Kim Yoo-jung
Once the eponymous lead of Smile, Dong Hae, turned action star in Healer and The K2, Ji Chang-wook builds on the success of Suspicious Partner with another hotly tipped romcom, playing opposite Kim Yoo-jung in Korean convenience store romcom Backstreet Rookie
Star of lengthy dramas, multi-genre actor and hallyu heartthrob, Ji Chang-wook made his much-awaited romcom comeback in Backstreet Rookie, which aired on June 12. Read on to find out more about his most memorable TV roles and how these milestones have changed and challenged him as an actor.
Doubtful Dong-hae
Ji starred in a 159-episode daily drama called Smile, Dong Hae – or alternatively, Smile Again – where he took on the lead role as Ji Dong-hae, or Carl, who grew up in the US but goes to Seoul to participate in a short-track speedskating competition. To portray Dong-hae well, Ji trained with national players and would spend four to five hours skating on ice, according to local media TV reports.
The long-running show was a success and Ji earned the excellence award for an actor in a daily drama at the KBS Drama Awards in 2011. “For a while, I was called Dong-hae by drama viewers and I was in a state of panic,” he said. “It was to the point that I seriously contemplated if I should change my name to Ji Dong-hae,” he told Soompi.
Action king
While the 2013 historical drama Empress Ki is considered the actor’s breakthrough series, it was 2014 action-thriller Healer that catapulted Ji to international fame. On a V Live episode where Ji talked about his dramas, he commented on his performance on Healer: “I came out looking really cool from start to finish.”
In 2016, Ji starred in another action-suspense drama, The K2. A controversial fight scene set in a bathhouse required Ji to workout intensely as he would bare much of his body. “I told the director, it’s considerably difficult to maintain my body. I had to exercise every day and control what I ate,” he told Soompi.
Ji also had to learn martial arts as the stunts in The K2 were of a difficult level. “Among all the projects I have done so far, this was by far the hardest. It was so hard it made me resolve to never do another action drama,” the actor admitted.
Romcom hottie
After the success of Ji’s first-ever romcom, 2017’s Suspicious Partner, the actor continues his romcom streak in Backstreet Rookie. He takes on the role of Choi Dae-hyun, a young director and convenience store owner. He stars opposite Kim Yoo-jung, who becomes his employee.
Ji describes his character Dae-hyun as ordinary and extremely innocent: “He is slightly indecisive, but he is a very cute and upright character,” he shared on Soompi.
Through Dae-hyun, Backstreet Rookie will be relatable to young audiences who struggle with chasing their dreams while facing reality. Stills from the drama preview portray a haggard yet handsome Dae-hyun, as he tries to keep afloat his convenience store quitting his job at a large company.