Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait'

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Sat, September 23, 2023 | 00:47

Shows & Dramas

Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait'

Posted : 2023-01-27 08:41

Updated : 2023-01-27 17:17

From left, actors Heo Sung-tae, Lee Elijah and Jang Keun-suk pose during a press conference for Coupang Play's new original series "The Bait," in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actor Jang Keun-suk said that his small screen return after five years to play the lead role of Ku Do-han in Coupang Play's new original series, "The Bait," was a new challenge in his career to break him out of his comfort zone.

"Since this series is my comeback after a long time, I thought about what I can bring to the role. So I felt deviating from the established image of me by playing Koo Do-han could be a new challenge," he said during a press conference for the series, held in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Wednesday.

"So I grew my beard and reined in my emotions to create a tough character."

The crime thriller series revolves around Koo (Jang), a detective who used to be a lawyer. He takes a serial murder case linked to a major fraud case from years earlier. As he deepens his investigation into the murder, he finds clues pointing to the prime suspect, notorious con artist No Sang-cheon (Heo Sung-tae), who was believed to have died eight years earlier.

Jang took some time off from his acting career in 2018 to serve his public service duty as an alternative to mandatory military service, making the legal series "Switch: Change the World," aired earlier in that year, his last work. He said that he took the time to recharge, leading to him feeling the urge to reinvent himself as an actor.

"As an actor, I had the urge to break my own mold. When I starred in the film 'Where the Truth Lies,' people were saying 'I didn't know he was capable of such actions.' And I wanted to feel that catharsis I had at that time," he said.

A scene from the new series "The Bait" / Courtesy of Coupang Play

The 36-year-old, who debuted as a child model at the age of six, said that he took acting training which helped to reignite the passion he had in the earlier phase of his career.

"I've never taken a break from work. So I took the time to do the things I've been wanting to do … And the opportunity to showcase what I've gained and let go of is 'The Bait,'" he said. "I took acting training before starting filming the series and I felt so happy. It reminded me of the excitement, feelings and hope I felt when I was young."

The series is led by director Kim Hong-sun, who led the Netflix series "Money Heist: Korea ― Joint Economic Area." The director shared that the series is based on multiple fraud cases from the early 2000s, rather than being based on one specific case.

"We brought together various fraud cases that happened in the early 2000s. There were also experiences from the writer and few parts from other cases," he said.

Kim added that he felt Jang was the right fit to play the character. "He has such a positive image, especially being dubbed the 'Asian Prince.' But when I met with him, I felt he has become mature and a real adult," he said. "I had no doubt that he can pull off a detective character."

"The Bait" will hit the streaming site on Friday and will release two episodes every week.

gyulee@koreatimes.co.kr