Former basketball star Woo Ji-won attempts transformation into charismatic villain

Former basketball star Woo Ji-won aims to shed his upright athlete image by attempting a noir-style profile shoot featuring smoky makeup and leather jackets. While initially receiving feedback that he looked like a basketball coach, the actor eventually immersed himself in the role by delivering harsh villain lines.

Former basketball star Woo Ji-won has attempted a radical transformation to build a new character as an actor. A video captures the process of Woo Ji-won shedding his upright athlete image to participate in a profile shoot as a character possessing strong charisma.

"Athlete image is too strong"... Challenging noir characters in leather jackets

At the start of the shoot, Woo Ji-won commented on his existing image. He expressed a desire to transform into a role with strong charisma to digest various characters as an actor, noting that his upright image and appearance from his days as an athlete remain very strong. In particular, he approached the shoot hoping for a tall, charismatic role similar to the character Lee Jun-gu played by Park Seo-joon in the drama 'New World'.

The costumes and makeup prepared for the transformation were also different from his usual style. Woo Ji-won attempted smoky makeup for the first time and wore a leather jacket to change the atmosphere. In the early stages of filming, his poses were somewhat stiff, receiving feedback that he "looked like a basketball coach," but he increased his immersion by using lines to create a noir atmosphere.

"After I cleaned up the mess"... Eyes change upon delivering lines

As the shoot progressed, Woo Ji-won's facial expressions changed distinctly. He immersed himself in the character by reciting harsh villain lines such as, "After I cleaned up the dirty mess, it wasn't me," and "Is that how you thrust your head at me while trying to play along?" Once he began delivering the lines, his previously stiff posture relaxed and his gaze changed.

Reactions to Woo Ji-won's transformation followed on set. As filming proceeded, evaluations emerged that "looking at the profile, they would likely cast him as a villain." During the shoot, Woo Ji-won showed himself melting into the character by throwing out the line, "I'll chew you all up."

Solo drinking session following the shoot

After completing his transformation, Woo Ji-won had a meal consisting of whelk dishes and draft beer following the shoot. After contemplating the menu, he ordered the whelk dishes and draft beer to continue his meal.

Source: TVCHOSUN JOY (YouTube)