SBS’ upcoming crime-action thriller K-drama Connection is making quite a buzz among the audience. It features Ji-Sung and Jeon Mi-Do as the leads. The popular South Korean actor recently opened up about the struggles of portraying his character in the drama. He plays a drug-addicted detective.
The storyline revolves around ace detective Jang Jae-Kyung of the narcotics department, who lives his life ethically. However, his life takes a drastic turn after being kidnapped and forced to consume a one-of-a-kind drug. He slowly becomes addicted. How he traces back to his original life is what makes up the rest of the narrative of the drama.
Connection K-drama: Ji-Sung on how he prepared for his role
As reported in Osen, Ji-Sung, the lead actor of Connection, shared his experience portraying Jang Jae-Kyung’s complexities. Talking about the struggles he faced while doing the scenes as a drug-addicted detective, he said (originally in Korean), “Since I’d never played a drug-addicted detective before, it wasn’t easy to portray the character, and there was a limit to my imagination.” He further added, “So while acting, I felt as though I were hitting a wall. But I tried to pursue reality for some aspects [of my acting], while I left other aspects up to my imagination.”
Explaining how he dealt with the sensitivity around consuming drugs, Ji-Sung said, “Unlike a movie, a drama’s pace is drawn out, so I worried whether [the portrayal of] drug addiction might grow exhausting. I tried to approach the subject matter carefully. I also struggled with deciding how far I should go in terms of portraying the symptoms [of addiction].” He continued, “Although drugs are a crucial part of investigating the case in ‘Connection,’ I also thought that I shouldn’t depict them lightly or in a way that was too relatable.”
Ji-Sung shared how he prepared for his role as Jang Jae-Kyung. He stated, “Since I couldn’t actually try taking drugs, I did a lot of research [about addiction]. There were many aspects of the drama that were difficult and overwhelming to act out, so I tried my best to find the right level [of intensity] in terms of my acting. In order to show a weakened appearance, rather than working out, I pretty much gave up on the joy of eating. During filming, I ate almost only nuts in order to maintain [a low] weight.”
The drama Connection surely promises a unique storyline. This SBS drama will air on May 24, 2024, at 10 p.m. KST.
