Good news has to be shared, and well…isn’t this a good one? Ji Sung is channeling his inner alters through a photo shoot with International bnt News Korea and pictures are trickling down in the media, so I’m going to update this post regularly. Yeay for more pictorial, yeay for more Ji Sung!

(I have updated the post with the interviews! ^.^)

So…can you guess who’s who in these pictures?

Please excuse the weird sentences ^^;

(Interview Part 1)

One month has passed by since Kill Me, Heal Me wrapped up. Ji Sung seemed to have lost some weight after concluding the drama, but his complexion looked good. Getting over his character after the drama ended wasn’t an easy feat and we have heard about his worry, not for the present but for the future.

Ji Sung went through a lot of pressure in the course of two months filming the drama. The pressing time, despite the potential of life-changing record for anyone up for the challenge, seemed like an impossible feat, but he turned the matter around and accepted the offer. The challenge to portray a character with youthful appearance made it even more difficult. It was not an easy feat for Ji Sung to show the distinctive alters and how different they were from each other. When it was time to alternate between the personalities, he had to endure the pressure that was not light at all. F or the sake of showing a strong portrayal of his characters, he put in a considerable amount of effort; as a result, he managed to pull it off: from Cha Do-hyun to Mr X, all the characters were portrayed to utmost perfection.

When he was filming Kill Me, Heal Me and also attending the photo shoot, he was someone who gave it all to what he was doing. A mixture made of different colours would produce something close to black, but Ji Sung’s seven personalities blended together to form a transparent image of him. If we were to ask which personality he was portraying in one scene, the answer was obvious. There was only one person in front of the rolling camera, and Ji Sung would be the perfect answer.

Kill Me Heal Me: A Personal Introduction by Ji Sung

Have you completely returned to ‘actor’ Ji Sung after getting over the seven characters?

I worked on the commentary for the DVD and put all my feelings into it, plus I did the interviews and expressed all the things I wanted to say, so I’m sending away the characters. It’s a normal thing for actors to do the commentary for a drama but it’s a first time actors gathered together and cried after watching the drama.

The seven personalities underwent remarkable changes throughout the drama.

Many thought that changing from one personality to another was the most challenging part. As for me, it wasn’t that difficult with regard to acting, but the more challenging thing was running against time on the busy shooting location. There were seven different personalities but thanks to the clear direction of the story, I didn’t have much problem. I want to express my thoughts and appreciation to the people I met through the drama. Thanks to them, I was able to work diligently for my role and I’ll always be grateful to encounter them.

The seven personalities have appeared at once. Introduce yourself with their distinctive style!

Cha Do-hyun: I am Cha Do-hyun. I am the main personality.

Shin Se-gi: Me? Only I know about the painful past! I will eventually interfere in your business to heal myself!

Ferry Park: Aish, we should have dream in our life! Just like having a ship with my name on it..

Ahn Yo-na: You wench. Don’t you dare to take away my freedom.

Ahn Yo-sub: I wanted to die. But now, I know what it’s like to try and live for once.

Nana: Nana is the innocence, love, and affection he had from his childhood.

Mr. X: What is the reason for your existence? I hope you will give it a thought about your life.

Ji Sung, Secret to his Rise

Your natural acting left people wondering whether you were showing the real image of yourself.

In this drama, the beginning was important in fleshing out the characters and to be honest, my confidence surpassed my effort. I planned what was the story I wanted to convey through the character and the drama prior to attending the filming. If I did put too much focus on the characters instead, my acting might even go wrong.

Tell us about the most memorable scene to you.

There’s this scene where Shin Se-gi drove through a tunnel. It was actually shot with the camera inside the car, instead of using a separate truck for the camera. It was a dangerous scene since I was supposed to lose consciousness and have blurred vision because of the emotions running high for Se-gi. The director was sitting on the passenger’s seat beside me and instead of saying the usual “Cut!”, he went, “This should be enough.”

Goodbye Kill Me, Heal Me

Was there any scene which made you feel out of yourself?

There was a scene in the ending of episode 14. I was on my way to rescue (Hwang) Jung-eum when Do-hyun started to regain memories of his past and lost consciousness because of the sudden flood of memories. I filmed the scene but I couldn’t find my breath afterwards and felt something at the back of my mind. I realized it then, “I can lost consciousness or even die while I am acting.” It was actually Do-hyun’s feelings instead of my own during that scene. To put it simply, I might have crossed the line of the so-called catharsis. I think I am more matured in putting the line between acting and reality.

It seems that you’re very much attached to the drama, still.

In this life, when you fall into a hole, it will be lonely and difficult once you get out of the place. No one can do it for you and you have to overcome it yourself. It was not easy for me to return to my daily routine after I wrap up filming for my previous works, but marriage made me feel that I was not alone, plus portraying good characters helped me a lot this time.

If you’re offered another chance to work with the director of Kill Me, Heal Me again..

Of course it’s a yes. After My Beating Heart (2005), this is our second time working in a drama together. An actor conveys the story through the camera while a director checks on the actor’s action and story through the monitor. The director will give his okay sign through his “CUT!” and that, to me, is a good way of communication for an actor and a director.

‘Acting by understanding my character’s clothes and accessories’, said actor Charlton Heston. How did Ji Sung create seven distinctive personalities in one single drama? It was because of the thoughts and consideration he had in creating each personality; from their different expressions and clothes to their ways of talking.

In between the different personalities he portrayed in the drama, Ji Sung found a new meaning in his life through the tears he shed and the ground he fell onto for the character Do-hyun. Kill Me, Heal Me remained as a special and meaningful project to him. 2015 is Ji Sung’s 16^th year in the industry as an actor. Reaching the peak of his performance and receiving critical acclaim for his acting, it’s a moment of ‘reset, restart’ for Ji Sung. He is indeed an astounding actor who brought to life the unprecedented seven personalities in one drama.

(Interview Part 2)

Looking at the filmography of actor Ji Sung, one can simply recall the characters in each of his work, thanks to his impressive portrayals throughout the years. From All In, Blood Rain, New Heart, to Royal Family and Protect the Boss; he went back and forth between romantic comedy and serious roles, showing his broad acting spectrum. He appeased the masses with his sincere acting, making name for himself as a credible actor in front of the public. He gained compliments from the viewers through his recent works: Secret (2013) and Kill Me, Heal Me (2015). He is like a lighthouse; an actor who held the attention in a turbulent story.

He was reliable as always during the photo shoot session. It was not easy to match the photographer’s sign and strike lots of poses, not to mention the meticulous monitoring like what Ji Sung did. Continuing with the interview after the long photo shoot, he enjoyed answering questions from the reporter with his thoughtful answers. Alternating between serious and witty answers, the interview made us lost track of time.

Ji Sung’s personality

Any genre or character you would like to do?

I loved The Joker from The Dark Knight because he was a villain with good reasons. Although Heath Ledger is no longer alive, his presence in the movie was a memorable one. Although superhero genre is not yet a common genre in this country, I think I’ll be able to nail that kind character. Rather than the generic story of a hero, I feel that the tale of a man who has no other choice but to become a hero because of a heart wrenching reason will be an interesting story.

Any plan for the rest of 2015 if you’re given the chance to make your choice?

It looks like I’ll be doing a movie instead of a drama. I already did Kill Me, Heal Me this year, and it won’t be an easy thing to make a drama comeback so soon, out of respect for my previous drama. A movie will give more time for one to ponder about and study the work compared to drama; hence, I would like to do a movie if an offer comes in and if it’s a character I’m confident to portray.

People around Ji Sung

Yo-na and Ri-on were popular because of their chemistry.

We hit it off very well, although there is a big age difference if we’re to compare our age. (Park) Seo-joon is an actor I’m curious about and also looking forward to. He has this kind of maturity that isn’t like his age and flexible, as in the ability to respond to his acting partner well. When I look at him, I used to wonder, “What was I like when I was at that age?” I think he will make it big in the future.

It was your second time working alongside Hwang Jung-eum. Any secret behind the continuous chemistry you two had in front of the camera?

There are many things to talk about since we’re working together again. (Hwang) Jung-eum is a partner who makes it possible to interact and produce synergy with. It is a rare occurrence, so it’s a good thing we got to meet and give off positive energy through our pairing.

Gift for the future

There are discussions about the end-of-year acting awards because of your great acting.

I think that when an actor won an award for his drama, it is made possible because of many factors: the acting by the actor himself, the directing work by the director, the strength of a screenwriter’s script, the camera work, and not to forget, the rest of the staff’s hard work. Receiving awards for your acting is a good thing but it’s not everything. An award is just like a gift that will be gone with the wind. What is more important to me is that acting with passion and actively conveying my acting through the camera.

Any preparation you have for your baby and your wife?

I’ve made up my mind to live as an actor until I die. I lived thinking that 40 is the real starting age for an actor and I’m reaching that age. From now on, for the sake of my acting career and also for my future family, I’d like to broaden my acting horizon. I’m studying English diligently with the hope to widen my choice of future works, plus English seems to be a must for the child’s education.

What kind of father you would like to be?

I want to be a father like Chu Sang-hoon and Song Il-gook, and I’m putting an effort to achieve that goal.

Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today ~ James Dean (actor, 1931-1955)

Although he spent a long time in front of the camera, Ji Sung was still energetic until the end. Greeting each and every single staff before leaving, Ji Sung showed that his attitude was not only because he was an actor, but it was the true face of a human named Ji Sung without any lapse of action. He shed light on the endless, ocean-like world of acting. He also created a niche with a new character which didn’t exist before and paved a road for other actors to follow behind him.

Director Kim Jin-man, who directed Kill Me, Heal Me, had expressed his wish to work with Ji Sung again if the actor decides to make his comeback after resting and taking care of his baby. The director is already preparing for his next work! The directors and fellow actors were like strong, dependable walls to Ji Sung, and it’s the same for his faith towards the viewers. There’s this sudden sense of relief to see his face on the screen but now we know that the reason was because of the path he has travelled as an actor, making him the solid and determined person he is today.

 Making of video:

Credit to International bnt News Korea