Actor Park Ji-hoon, formerly of group Wanna One, who is about to make his screen debut in the movie ‘The Pretty Audrey,’, which will be released on the 24th, had a mixture of satisfaction and excitement about the movie. Despite being recognized for his outstanding acting skills in the popular drama ‘Class1’, he humbly said, “I‘m nervous about how people will perceive it.”

In ‘The Pretty Audrey,’, which also reflects on familial love and its meaning, Park Ji-hoon plays the ‘thoughtful’ Ki-hoon, who takes good care of his mother (Kim Jung-nan) who suffers from dementia while trying to restore his relationship with his estranged younger sister Ji-eun (Kim Bo-young). Park Ji-hoon, who showed his signature innocent boyish beauty while also showing off his acting skills with greater depth, said about the background of his appearance, “I wanted to challenge myself with a different character that I haven’t shown before.”

○ “I want to become an actor like senior Im Si-wan.”

Breaking everyone‘s expectations that he would debut on the screen with a “big-scale commercial film” following the huge success of “Weak Hero Class 1,” he chose a low-budget independent film and opened by saying, “The size of the film didn’t matter.”

“As an actor who doesn‘t have much filmography yet, I want to try more diverse works now. There are still many people who think of me as an idol rather than an actor, so I think getting recognized (as an actor) comes first. (Fellow idol-turned-actor) Im Si-wan, I want to be recognized as an ‘good actor’.’

He also said that he felt even more affection for the work because his grandmother was suffering from dementia when he chose it. He then confessed, “That grandmother recently passed away”, and he got teary-eyed.

“I saw my grandmother for the last time last Chuseok. The day before I left, my aunt gave my grandmother 50,000 won, saying, ‘Please give me some pocket money when your grandson comes home.’ She said she fell asleep holding the 50,000 won in her hand. But she didn’t recognize me. When I think back to that time, my heart aches so much.”

○“I want a full Wanna One stage”

He acted while thinking of his grandmother, and explained that rather than trying to create a new image while filming, he “tried to just portray the human Park Ji Hoon as he is.”

“Actually, it was more difficult because the character was so ordinary. That’s why I chose ‘a natural look that’s just like me.’ At the press conference, my ‘Weak Hero’ colleagues said, ‘You’re just like me?’. I thought that was fortunate.”

As the number of groups that have been on hiatus has increased, fans are also voicing their longing for a ‘Full Wanna One’ stage. Park Ji Hoon also emphasized that “I’ll run to you anytime”if there’s a chance to show a Wanna One stage again.”“I don’t keep in touch with the members that often. Since we are all busy, we don‘t contact each other, but we think, ”We must be busy.“ If all the members want to do (a full group stage), then of course I will do (a full group stage). I really want to do it!”


Reporter Seungmi Lee smlee@donga.com