‘The Man Living in the Palace’ Park Ji-hoon Loses 15kg for the Role of Danjong… “I Wanted to Show a Desperate Appearance”

Actor Park Ji-hoon demonstrated a shocking commitment by losing 15kg to perfectly portray the role of Danjong in the movie 〈The Man Living in the Palace〉.

On the 20th, Park Ji-hoon appeared on the YouTube channel ‘TEO’ 〈Salon Drip〉 and shared behind-the-scenes stories of the film with his co-star Yoo Hae-jin. On this day, Park Ji-hoon surprised everyone by revealing that he lost 15kg in just two and a half months before filming to express the precarious state of the exiled young king ‘Lee Hong-wi (Danjong)’.

“Not just thin, but a pitiful feeling”… Severe Diet Management

Regarding the reason for his weight loss, Park Ji-hoon explained, “I wanted to create the powerless and pitiful appearance of Danjong, who was exiled to the unfamiliar place Cheongnyeongpo at a young age after losing the throne.” He added, “I wanted to evoke a desperate and pitiful feeling in those who see me, so I endured by eating almost nothing,” revealing his extraordinary dedication to the character.

In response, senior actor Yoo Hae-jin joked, “When I first saw Park Ji-hoon, he was quite chubby, so I was very worried,” but he did not hold back his praise, saying, “When I saw him again on set, he appeared completely weakened, which gave me great trust in him as an actor.”

Director Jang Hang-jun's Praise… “The Weight Change Completed the Character”

Director Jang Hang-jun, who directed the film, also highly praised Park Ji-hoon’s efforts at a previous production briefing. Director Jang stated, “Park Ji-hoon’s traditional archery performance and dramatic weight change breathed life into the character of Danjong,” expressing confidence in the quality of the work.

The movie 〈The Man Living in the Palace〉 depicts the transcendent friendship between the village chief (played by Yoo Hae-jin) and the exiled Danjong, set against the backdrop of Cheongnyeongpo in 1457. Along with Park Ji-hoon and Yoo Hae-jin, solid actors like Yoo Ji-tae and Jeon Mi-do are joining the cast, raising expectations.

Following his successful action debut in 〈Weak Hero Class 1·2〉, Park Ji-hoon’s transformation can be seen in theaters nationwide starting February 4. Meanwhile, it is reported that Park Ji-hoon is positively considering an offer to appear in the tvN drama 〈Promoter〉 as his next project.