During a press interview for the Netflix series 'Mercy for None' held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 12th, So Ji-sub stated, "As long as I'm acting, I want to keep doing action. Whether there's a lot of action or a little, it's the genre I want to continue with." So Ji-sub, who named 'The Godfather' as his favorite noir film, expressed his deep affection for the genre, saying, "There's just something thrilling and passionate about it."
Based on a popular webtoon of the same name, 'Mercy for None' follows Nam Ki-joon (played by So Ji-sub), who, after severing his own Achilles tendon and leaving the world of Mercy for None, returns 11 years later following the death of his brother and former second-in-command of the organization, Ki-seok (played by Lee Jun-hyuk), to uncover and avenge the truth behind his death. So Ji-sub's casting as the protagonist 'Nam Ki-joon,' which was highly anticipated, has come to fruition, and he returns to the audience with a deep noir action performance for the first time in 13 years since 'A Company Man'.
So Ji-sub, born in 1977 and now in his late 40s, mentioned the physical challenges that come with age, saying, "My mind is willing, but my body is a beat slow." However, in 'Mercy for None,' which features a significant amount of action, he captivates the audience with his diverse action performances.
For his role in 'Mercy for None,' So Ji-sub slimmed down from 95kg to the 70kg range and prepared his body through a combination of fitness and boxing. "Fortunately, I was able to finish the shooting without any injuries," he said, emphasizing the importance of safety during filming and expressing gratitude that everyone completed the action scenes without harm.
So Ji-sub revealed that he performed 70-80% of his character's action scenes himself. He explained, "Just because I can do it doesn't mean I should do everything. There are dangerous stunts, and those were handled by the action directors. It was also important that it looked good on screen."
Discussing the action in 'Mercy for None,' So Ji-sub said, "The character Ki-joon is all about moving forward and seeking revenge with determination. He may pause, but he never backs down. We also differentiated between 'punishment and suppression'." He emphasized the strong 'energy' Ki-joon exudes, "In the original, Ki-joon would take down one opponent at a time before moving forward, but in filming, that would leave others just standing around. Facing increasingly stronger opponents could become boring or lose its edge, so we decided to focus on showing energy instead."
Expressing his desire to continue with action genres even as he ages, So Ji-sub said, "Currently, seniors like Heo Jun-ho and Ahn Gil-kang are still doing action. I want to do it even beyond that, into my 70s."
'Mercy for None,' a heavy hardboiled action genre, has been reborn with an expanded narrative and a variety of spectacles from the original, offering intense entertainment. From So Ji-sub to Heo Jun-ho, Gong Myung, Choo Young-woo, Ahn Gil-kang, Jo Han-chul, Lee Beom-soo, and special appearances by Cha Seung-won and Lee Jun-hyuk, 'Mercy for None' maximizes immersion with a blood-stained ensemble cast of strong individual characters.
Comprising a total of 7 episodes, 'Mercy for None' was released in full on Netflix on the 6th.
[Photo=Netflix]
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)