Scheduling problems are forcing Joo Won to leave his role as a member of the variety show “1 Night 2 Days.”
His quitting the show will disappoint many viewers who thought that his presence was a welcome addition.
During his appearances on the show, Joo impressed viewers with his cheerful personality, his ability to both withstand pain and control his emotions.
The actor plays Park Si On, the savant doctor with social issues, on the successful medical drama “Good Doctor.” It’s a challenging role in which he must play a character that is both a genius and has difficulty communicating with people due to his autism spectrum disorder. The drama recently reached 20 percent in viewer ratings.
Besides filming the drama, Joo Won is already rehearsing his role in the Asian premiere of the musical “Ghost.” The show will run from Nov. 24 to Aug. 2014. His co-star will be Park Ji Yeon, who appeared in the musicals “Mama Mia!” and “Les Miserables.”
The musical is based on the film, “Ghost,” which starred Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. Joo will share the Patrick Swayze role with two other musical actors, Kim Joon Hyun and Kim Woo Hyung.
Joo Won is also considering film roles and possible tours.
Taking part in “1 Night, 2 Days” was physically exhausting, said his agency, and something had to give.
Also, a less demanding schedule will give Joo Won a chance to sing more. And if you've heard him sing, that's a good thing. He will sing in "Ghost" and he recently has recorded a song for the “Good Doctor” soundtrack, which includes contributions by Baek Ji Young and Lee Young Hyun.
On part six of “The Good Doctor” OST, you can hear Joo Won singing the lyrics of “Love Medicine.” The song captures the growing affection between his character and Cha Yoon Seo, played by Moon Chae Won.
Joo Won actually began his career as a musical actor.
He made his acting debut in the Korean version of “Altar Boyz” and appeared in such musicals as “Grease” and “Spring Awakening.”
“The musical scene is very much like a home to me,” said Joo Won at the “Ghost” press conference. “I’ve always wanted to return to the stage after making my TV debut.”
According to his agency, Sim Entertainment, the actor will leave “1 Night, 2 Days” in mid-October, but the latest statement by the show’s producer said that the subject is still open to discussion.