Yoo Ji-tae Discusses His Role as a Charismatic Villain in 'The Man Who Lives with the King'

"I played the axis of evil."

Actor Yoo Ji-tae shared his thoughts on portraying the historical villain Han Myeong-hoe in the film 'The Man Who Lives with the King' (directed by Jang Hang-jun). The movie depicts the story of Danjong (played by Park Ji-hoon), who is dethroned and exiled, and the village chief Eom Heung-do (played by Yoo Hae-jin), who volunteers to be exiled to revive the village, as they gradually share their hearts. Yoo Ji-tae takes on the role of Han Myeong-hoe, the most powerful figure of the time.

In this film, the character of Han Myeong-hoe is portrayed as charismatic and cunning, unlike the small and sly image depicted in previous works. Yoo Ji-tae, known for his intense villain roles in 'Oldboy', 'Midnight FM', and 'Svaha: The Sixth Finger', said, "Having played many villain roles, I had to think about how to bring something new to this role." He added, "The director wanted to portray a new Han Myeong-hoe different from the existing ones." To express Han Myeong-hoe's physical presence, Yoo gained weight to reach 100kg and used makeup to lift his eyes.

"I felt the energy that Han Myeong-hoe is the central axis in this scenario. I expressed it as the spine, and I thought this spine should stand firm. When I play a villain, I say I 'embrace' the character. I believe that when you embrace and build up the character, a powerful energy flows from your body, stronger than any dialogue. It's acting that is heard without speaking, seen without showing, and felt without expressing, that's true acting."

Yoo Ji-tae also praised Park Ji-hoon, who plays Danjong. He said, "He lost 15kg for the role. I saw him getting thinner and realized he was serious about acting. That seriousness is not easy." He added, "Ji-hoon has a 'actor mindset'. If he had a 'star mindset', he would think about what project to do to maintain his star power, but Ji-hoon first considers whether he can fulfill the role."

Yoo Ji-tae reunited with Yoo Hae-jin in this film after their previous collaboration in 'Attack the Gas Station' (1999). He said, "We met again in completely different positions. Hae-jin is now a leading actor, a top actor, and a million-seller actor. His achievements are different." He continued, "Every actor has strengths and weaknesses, but this was a setup where Hae-jin's strengths could shine. It led to a great result, and it felt like being part of his 'In the Mood for Love'. I was happy to be part of his prime."

At a recent press conference, director Jang Hang-jun mentioned the possibility of the actors shaving their heads as a pledge for the film's success. Yoo Ji-tae humorously responded, "Everyone has their next project lined up, so a pledge like shaving heads is not easy. It could lead to lawsuits." He added, "I haven't been in a ten-million-viewer movie yet. The best-performing film I've been in reached about five million. I hope to break that record."

Beyond acting, Yoo Ji-tae is active in various fields of the film industry as a director, creator, supporter, and professor. He has directed films, supported independent films, and contributed to nurturing future talents. He said, "I always wanted to do one independent film for every ten commercial films." Yoo Ji-tae shared his thoughts on the changes and sustainability of the Korean film industry, which is often described as 'difficult'.

"I think it's a process of change for films. The market itself has expanded, and guarantees have increased significantly. I believe a more expanded market will emerge beyond the current local theater system. There has always been a new wave in film history. Star directors are emerging from mid-to-low-budget films. A new market will be created, and there will be new films for the generation that values experiences."

As a director, Yoo Ji-tae revealed his plans for film directing, saying, "I continue to develop scripts whenever I have time." He is also studying AI, stating, "It's a challenge for me to figure out how to make content created using AI not feel awkward and how to create low-cost, high-efficiency content."

As an actor, he is considering his next project. Yoo Ji-tae, who turns 50 this year, is contemplating a 'melodrama' for his next work. He said, "These days, melodrama stories are coming up. It's not just villains that are imprinted; various scripts are coming in." However, he cautiously added, "It's hard to say specifically at this stage because we don't know how the market will change."

Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr