Actor Ju Ji-hoon shared the story behind how he decided to star in "Kingdom," Netflix Korea's first original series.
Attending the Actors' House event at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) held on the afternoon of October 9 at the Culture Hall on the 9th floor of Shinsegae Department Store Centum City in Haeundae-gu, Busan, Ju Ji-hoon spoke about his participation in "Kingdom"—a pioneering decision at the time: "Back then, I didn't even know what Netflix was. I even accepted a lower appearance fee than what I normally received. They said it was in the beginning stages and that the production budget was tight."
He continued, recalling his first impression of the script for "Kingdom": "Back then, I also kept my thinking simple. Now everyone is free of prejudice because they've seen the finished product. When I first read the script for 'Kingdom,' I thought, 'What kind of story is this, like a virgin ghost appearing in Texas?' The story itself was entertaining, but I was very negative about it."
What ultimately led him to decide to star, despite the unfamiliar platform and unconventional subject matter, was advice from people around him. Ju Ji-hoon recounted the advice he received from director Kim Yong-hwa and actor Ha Jung-woo, with whom he built a relationship of trust through the film series "Along with the Gods": "The two of them told me, 'If the writing is good and the director is a good person, do it.' At that time, it had only 100,000 subscribers and was an unfamiliar platform, so I thought that even if it flopped, nobody would know. It was like an ox stepping backward and catching a frog," he joked.
"Kingdom," as Netflix Korea's first original series, received immense love both domestically and worldwide. The fact that Korean content is receiving global recognition through streaming platforms today can be seen as possible because "Kingdom," serving as the trailblazer, opened the doors so successfully.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)