[Edaily Starin Gim Ga Yeong Reporter] "It’s impossible not to feel pressure about nudity and bed scenes. However, I was able to find the courage through the project itself and my conversations with Director Jeong Ji-woo."

Actor Ji Chang-wook opened up about the film “Scandal,” which was released on the 19th. In an interview held on the afternoon of the 22nd at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Ji Chang-wook stated, “Bed scenes are something that inevitably make actors feel nervous and sensitive,” adding, “There was a subtle tension, but working with Nana, we naturally built a bond, and I think that helped.”
Ji Chang-wook is a leading global star with a wide fan base. He may have been concerned about how fans would react while filming such explicit scenes. However, he demonstrated a serious attitude toward his work, stating, “I don’t know how fans will judge it, but I don’t think it’s the right attitude toward a project to prioritize my fans first.” He continued, “If I think, ‘Fans like this, so I have to do it this way,’ and act intentionally based on that, I believe that’s actually a bad attitude.”
He revealed that he didn’t focus heavily on his appearance for the nude scenes, saying, “I don’t think I did any special workouts or anything like that just because there were nude scenes. I personally wondered, ‘If my body looked good in the nude scenes, would that have matched the tone of this project?’ and I think I gave it a lot of thought.”
“Scandal” tells the story of “Lady Jo,” a woman with exceptional talent who is confined to the role of a Joseon-era woman, and “Jo Won,” Joseon’s greatest womanizer, as they engage in a daring and dangerous love wager—and the story of “Hee-yeon,” a woman entangled in that wager. It is a series remake of the 2003 film *Scandal: The Story of a Joseon Couple*, starring Jeon Do-yeon, Bae Yong-joon, and Lee Mi-sook.
Regarding the fact that the series is based on the original “Scandal,” he stated, “I thought it was inevitable to be compared to the work of such outstanding senior actors,” adding, “I figured I should just create a work and character that are uniquely Jeong Ji-woo’s and Ji Chang-wook’s.”
Through this process, Ji Chang-wook created his own version of Jo Won—a character entirely different from the one portrayed by Bae Yong-joon in the 2003 “Scandal.” He confided, “I think Jo Won was a complex character,” adding, “When creating the character, I started with the idea of a man who loves two women. Since he was such a complex character, I decided it was worth the challenge.”
He continued, “I tried very hard to explore Jo Won’s inner world,” explaining, “Even during filming, the emotions that arose in the moment were often different from what I felt when I looked back on them later. I don’t think I approached my acting with a predetermined ‘right answer.’ There were moments in each scene where I felt like I’d ‘cleared a mission,’ and other times when my emotions wavered in an instant—‘Scandal’ is the final product that emerged from editing all those various elements together.” He remarked, “Watching the show brings up new feelings—some of which I’ve never experienced before,” and noted, “It’s a work that leaves a lot of room for interpretation, and it’s difficult to express my feelings about it in just one sentence.”
He also shared his impressions of the actors he worked with. Regarding Nana, he revealed, “Rather than giving advice, I think I focused on encouraging her as a colleague and helping her find the strength to carry on,” adding, “The same goes for senior actress Son Ye-jin, and Director Jeong Ji-woo also thought deeply about how he could inspire my partner through the script.” He continued, “I tried to create a gentle atmosphere on set so that Nana could feel at ease, and sometimes I’d make lighthearted, trivial remarks to help her focus on her emotions.”
Speaking about his co-star Nana, he said, “She was an actress with incredibly instinctive, animal-like instincts. She’s someone for whom emotion is paramount. Nana’s acting is truly fascinating. She seems to be an actress who wants to explore and portray what’s essential.” He added, “This is just my personal opinion, but I worked hard to find authenticity in this project.”
His chemistry with Son Ye-jin was another highlight. As their love line was teased, netizens even joked about “the whole nation watching Hyun Bin’s reactions.” He quipped, “I wasn’t watching Senior Hyun Bin’s reactions. My only ‘crime’ was loving Mrs. Jo.”
He continued, “The very fact that I was working with Son Ye-jin created a bit of tension. I thought the drama would turn out best if the conflict between us was well-defined, so I prepared meticulously to make sure I didn’t fall short of her.”
He continued, “On set, my approach with Son Ye-jin was different from how I interacted with Nana. The scenes with Mrs. Jo all required long takes, but the director prefers to shoot them in one go,” adding, “So I felt I had to stay on edge and prepare thoroughly. It was a nerve-wracking set.”
Since its release, “Scandal” has been gaining popularity, ranking No. 1 in South Korea’s Top 10 and No. 7 globally (according to Netflix and FlixPatrol), but it has also faced harsh criticism. He said, “I can’t help but feel some regret,” adding, “It’s sad and regrettable to receive harsh criticism. I can’t exactly enjoy the negative reviews,” but noted, “However, these are reactions I had anticipated. “I don’t think it’s a project that would receive nothing but praise, but it was worth the effort. It was a project worth trying, and personally, I really loved it. I’d like to believe it wasn’t the wrong choice,” he said, expressing his affection for the project.