[Edaily Starin Gim Ga Yeong Reporter] Actor Joo Sang-wook is enjoying a second golden age in his acting career. As the SBS Friday-Saturday drama “Manager Kim” gains popularity both domestically and internationally, Joo Sang-wook’s presence as “the ultimate villain” Joo Kang-chan has truly shone. Joo Sang-wook himself is also feeling the surge in popularity.

In an interview held on the 23rd at the HB Entertainment headquarters in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Joo Sang-wook said, “It’s amazing that people love Joo Kang-chan so much even though he’s a villain,” adding, “My wife Cha Ye-ryeon’s social media followers are increasing, and her YouTube subscribers and view counts are also on the rise.”
“Director Kim” is a revenge action drama about an ordinary father who becomes a dangerous man to fight and reclaim his only daughter. In this series, Joo Sang-wook plays the role of Joo Kang-chan, the CEO of Joo Hak Construction and the father of Joo Hye-ri (played by Yoo Ji-an). Joo Kang-chan is a legend from the underworld who started out as a hired thug and went on to take over a construction company. While he is merciless toward others and ruthless toward his enemies, he is a father who is more affectionate than anyone else when it comes to his daughter, Ju Hye-ri. As his daughter becomes entangled with Kim Min-ji (played by Seo Su-min), she also finds herself caught up in a bitter feud with Min-ji’s father, “Director Kim” (played by So Ji-sub). He is the character who drives the drama’s tension.
“Director Kim” also garnered attention as Joo Sang-wook’s first attempt at playing a villain. Joo Sang-wook stated, “He’s such a villain that I wondered, ‘Is this really okay?’—he’s truly despicable,” adding, “After the drama aired, I was so worried that I might get cursed at when I went to restaurants, but the more villainous the role, the more memorable it is, so it’s incredibly appealing to an actor.”
He confided, “I thought I’d get yelled at when I went to restaurants, but after the drama aired, people actually liked me,” adding, “It seems viewers these days are good at distinguishing between drama and reality. I’m so grateful for that.”
Regarding the character Joo Kang-chan, Joo Sang-wook explained, “I thought *‘Director Kim’* was a story about the paternal love shared by all fathers. Joo Kang-chan is no exception.” He continued, “Although his methods were wrong, I saw him as a character who would do anything for his beloved daughter.”
Joo Sang-wook is a father raising a real-life daughter. Even while analyzing the character of Joo Kang-chan, he drew a clear line, stating, “As a father raising a daughter, I shouldn’t empathize with him. No matter how much I love my daughter, I can’t act that way.”
To portray Ju Gang-chan, he not only analyzed the character but also made physical changes. He combined exercise and a strict diet to embody Ju Gang-chan’s sharp image. In particular, since Ju Gang-chan’s first scene involves him taking off his shirt in a sauna, he paid special attention to getting in shape.
“I worked hard for three months—sticking to a diet, exercising, and abstaining from alcohol—and I’m satisfied with how it turned out,” he revealed, adding, “My original weight was 78–79 kg, but I dropped to 71 kg by the day of filming.”
Joo Sang-wook is well known as a heavy drinker. “This is the first time I’ve exercised while abstaining from alcohol like this,” he said. “People around me were surprised, saying it wasn’t like me, but it was worth the effort. It might not seem like much, but I think those small efforts added up to produce the result. Even though it was just one scene, I felt a sense of pride.”

“Manager Kim” won the hearts of viewers with its fast-paced plot and dynamic scenes. Even Joo Kang-chan, the “ultimate villain,” was brought to justice by Manager Kim, giving viewers a sense of catharsis.
Joo Sang-wook drew laughter by saying, “Even the scenes where I got hit were fun,” adding, “It was the first time I’d been hit that hard while acting, and I don’t think it’ll happen again to that extent.” He continued, “We filmed all day, and I think the final result turned out great. Whether I was getting hit or doing the hitting, everything was done with precision, and the director staged it in a fun way. Thanks to the director’s careful thought process, I think it came out really well.”
Joo Sang-wook made his debut in 1997 through the KBS series *New Generation Report: Adults Don’t Know*, and after appearing in dramas such as *Air City*, *Kkakdugi*, and *Queen Seondeok*, he gained widespread popularity for his role as Jo Min-woo in the SBS drama *Giant*. This series is considered to have ushered in Joo Sang-wook’s first heyday. Since then, Joo Sang-wook has solidified his standing by portraying a wide range of characters in numerous productions, including “The Good Doctor,” “The Naughty Single Lady,” “The Birth of a Beauty,” “Glamorous Temptation,” “Fantastic,” “Grand Prince: Painting Love,” and “Taejong Lee Bang-won.” Among these, “Manager Kim” is regarded as the work that will serve as a turning point in his acting career. Director Lee Seung-young even went so far as to say at the production press conference, “Joo Sang-wook’s filmography will be divided into ‘before’ and ‘after’ *Director Kim*.”
Joo Sang-wook remarked, “It feels like a turning point has come since *Giant*,” adding, “I don’t know what projects I’ll take on in the future, but I do think my career will be divided into ‘before’ and ‘after’ this.”
His approach to selecting roles has also changed. He confided, “Actors tend to pay a lot of attention to their screen time and position within a drama, but from now on, I think I’ll focus more on the power of the character and how to portray it.”
In the drama, Ju Kang-chan is a character who stands in direct opposition to the “uncle alliance” consisting of Manager Kim, Seong Han-su (played by Choi Dae-hoon), and Park Jin-cheol (played by Yoon Kyung-ho). As a result, he spent a lot of time alone. He explained, “Those three were always sticking together. Every scene was the result of the three of them meeting, discussing, and brainstorming together,” he explained. “Watching that, I’d think, ‘I have plenty of ideas and things I want to do too,’ but since my character is a loner, I just filmed quietly on my own. I wanted to join them for promotional photo shoots as well, but wouldn’t it be strange for the villain to be there? So, I did feel a bit envious of that,” he confessed.
“Director Kim” concluded on a high note, recording a peak viewership rating of 23.1% and ranking second among all-time SBS Friday-Saturday dramas. Expectations for Season 2 are also high. Joo Sang-wook said, “If there’s a Season 2, I’d just like to appear as a cameo—as Joo Kang-chan, living a good life,” but added, “Though it might seem strange for Joo Kang-chan to appear again.”
As he bid farewell to *Director Kim*, he said, “I’m truly grateful that you loved Ju Kang-chan so much, even though he was the villain. It gives me strength to know that you’re cheering on the actor Joo Sang-wook.” He added, “I think I’ll be taking a different path than I did before *Director Kim*. I’ll do my best to show you my best side.”