MOVIE
Actor Park Ji-hoon Reveals Extreme 15kg Weight Loss for 'The Man Who Lives with the King'
On the 27th, Park Ji-hoon, the lead actor of 'The Man Who Lives with the King', was interviewed at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.
Set in 1457 Cheongryeongpo, 'The Man Who Lives with the King' tells the story of a village chief who volunteers for exile to revive his village and a young dethroned king. Park Ji-hoon plays the tragic role of King Danjong, who ascended the throne at a young age but was eventually deposed.
Park Ji-hoon candidly shared his dieting method, stating, "It was really simple and really difficult. I just didn't eat," adding, "I barely ate, maybe just a slice of apple." He continued, "I couldn't sleep well, and I felt very drained. I wanted to portray that look accurately."
He emphasized that he wanted to express more than just a thin physique, aiming to depict the state of King Danjong in the film. "I wanted to convey a feeling beyond 'emaciated'. I wanted to look as if I was 'skin and bones'," he explained, "I realized exercise wouldn't achieve that, so I decided to just starve myself."
Director Jang Hang-jun expressed concern when he saw Park Ji-hoon with more weight than expected during the casting phase. Jang even remarked, "I thought it might be his last work." Park Ji-hoon laughed, "I can understand why he thought that," explaining, "It was the off-season. I was eating, sleeping, and relaxing without any stress during my vacation." He added, "From the director's perspective, he might have thought, 'This isn't the image I had in mind.' I felt I had to diet to live up to his expectations."
Park Ji-hoon revealed that his weight was slightly over 70kg at the time. "I lost about 15kg," he said, "The dieting period lasted about two and a half months."
The extreme diet made it even more challenging to perform scenes requiring intense emotions and energy. Park Ji-hoon recalled, "I had no energy to spare. I realized I was dizzy while filming a scene where I had to shout." He remembered, "There was a scene where I had to yell at senior actor Yoo Ji-tae, and after shouting, I felt dizzy as I walked away."
Fortunately, there were no health issues. Park Ji-hoon stated, "I didn't collapse," adding, "It wasn't at a dangerous level, and I managed to muster enough energy to film." He continued, "I remember enduring by eating a jelly here and there," he laughed.
'The Man Who Lives with the King' is set to premiere on February 4th.
Reporter Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr
