"I'm So Flattered" 'Death's Game' Kim Ji-hun Responds to Being Called 'The Hot Villain'

Actor Kim Ji-hun shared what it was like portraying a villain in 'Death's Game', and the nickname he earned after playing the role.

On January 11, Kim Ji-hun had an interview with media outlets about his latest work, TVING's web series 'Death's Game', based on a webcomic.

Kim Ji-hun's played a villain called 'Park Tae-woo', a CEO of Taekang Group; his amazing performance in the series earned him popularity and the nickname 'the hot villain'.

"I watched the series once it became available, wanting to find out how all the action and chase sequences I played would have turned out. Most of the first four episodes didn't involve me, so I watched them as a viewer, completely immersed. Since I was in a lot of parts of the latter episodes, I diligently watched them, too. I think it came out great, absolutely bone-chilling.", Kim Ji-hun said.
'Park Tae-woo' was made for the series and was not in of the original webcomic; Kim Ji-hun said he had to rely on the script's description to play 'Park Tae-woo' because the character did not have a background story.

"There wasn't enough background story for 'Park Tae-woo'. From the beginning, his scenes were filled with evil deeds done without apparent reason. There were scenes about his past that showed a glimpse of his relationship with his younger brother or his dad, but that was it. 'Park Tae-woo' engages in fights and sometimes takes lives. I thought there has to be a reason for what he says and does."

"To get people to trust and be scared of a character, you need to make them feel real. To do that, the character's actions should have clear reasons. 'Park Tae-woo' was one of the most challenging characters I played, as there were few clues to guide me in understanding his motivations.", he said.
According to Kim Ji-hun, there was one scene that changed on the set; the scene which depicted 'Park Tae-woo' receiving his retribution through an accident resulting in the severing of his legs.

"The director came up with the idea on a whim. The scene is all about 'Park Tae-woo' getting righteous retribution for his evil deeds. The director believed that 'Park Tae-woo' losing his legs was a fitting consequence of what he did to 'Jeong Gyu-cheol' (actor Kim Jae Uck). The director's hunch worked fantastically.", Kim Ji-hun said.
The actor continued, "There must be consequences for the villain, and the possibilities are endless. I found 'Park Tae-woo' getting his legs severed to be gruesome, even more so than simply killing him off. He got to live in hell for the rest of his life."

Kim Ji-hun then discussed the nickname he recently earned, 'the hot villain'; "I find it incredibly flattering. 'Park Tae-woo' is a bad guy who deserves all the hate, considering how evil he was. Despite everything, people gave me that nickname because they found the character I played attractive. I'm flattered."
(Credit= TVING Death's Game, BIGPICTURE Entertainment)

(SBS Star)