After playing the immature emperor Ta Hwan in "Empress Ki, Ji Chang Wook is ready for a more mature role.
He is considering the role of a senior citizen who gets a second chance in the upcoming drama "Mister Baek. His character Baek Ho starts out as a 70-year-old hotel CEO and then discovers that he is growing younger, until one day he is miraculously in his 30s. This is not unlike the plot of the film "Miss Granny," which starred Shim Eun Kyung as a grandmother who finds herself in a much younger body.
Having a younger body might seem like a blessing but it will complicate things for Baek Ho.
At the beginning of the film he is a mean miser whose whole life has only been focused on making money. He has never been in love or loved by anyone. When he finds himself in a young body, he can't just have fun. He has to work at an entry-level position at his own hotel. He's in maintenance.
But this will not turn out to be a bad thing. Starting over is going to provide him a second chance at living his life right. He will get new lessons in how to relate to others. As a result he may rearrange his priorities. Maybe this time he can make more room for the important things in life, like falling in love.
After the success of "Empress Ki" and the praise he won for his nuanced performance, he could have taken it easy. But the actor has taken on the challenge of another complicated role.
Ji Chang Wook will have to see if he can fit the drama into his schedule. He will also play a reckless rookie cop in the film "Two Constables," which is the fourth installment of the "Two Cops" franchise. And he can be seen in an episode of the five-part drama "Secret Love," which stars the members of the girl group Kara.
The actor is best known for playing a speed skater in the 159-episode daily drama "Smile Again" and for the historical drama "Warrior Baek Dong Soo. He received a New Star award for playing the title role. He also played the leading role in "Bachelor's Vegetable Store."
The SBS drama "Baek Ho" is in discussion for a fall release. It will follow "It's Okay, It's Love," which in turn follows "You're All Surrounded."
