“Sister (Kim) Hye-soo said ‘thank you’ to me. That really gave me a lot of strength. I was really close with (Joo) Jong-hyuk, like middle school girls. They are both really good people to me.”
“Honestly, I feel sorry to both (Hye-soo) sister and Disney+. Personally, if I had more recognition... I can’t help but think that way. It’s a frustrating part.”
Jung Sung-il (45), from the Disney+ original series ‘Trigger’, spoke about his co-stars Kim Hye-soo and Joo Jong-hyuk. Jung Sung-il carried a deep trust and affection for people, wrapped in a cold charm like a city man.
In an interview at a café in Palpan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 18th, Jung Sung-il expressed his feelings about the drama's conclusion, saying, “I’m grateful that many people watched it with interest. To be specific, I was surprised that my character felt five years younger than my actual age. I received a lot of criticism from people around me,” which brought laughter.
He continued, “I didn’t care much about my age. I didn’t try to look younger on purpose; I just wore clothes and acted in the style I usually do,” and explained, “In the beginning, I tried to immerse myself in the character and showed the process of change as the story developed.”
In the drama, Jung Sung-il plays the role of ‘Han Do’, a PD from the drama department who joins the ‘Trigger’ team led by PD Oh So-ryong (played by Kim Hye-soo).
Han Do’s image seems prickly from his appearance and gives off a vibe of being self-centered, a typical city man. He appears to have a unique side, lost in his own world, but surprisingly judges things objectively and coldly. In simple terms, he represents the modern MZ office worker wrapped in individualism.
Jung Sung-il expressed gratitude, saying, “There were times when I was a bit shaken while acting. Since it was a character I hadn’t played before, there were moments like that, but sister Hye-soo helped me stay centered without being shaken. She told me ‘thank you’ and her words of encouragement really helped me a lot.” He praised Kim Hye-soo, saying, “She is really a wonderful person.”
Regarding Joo Jong-hyuk, he said, “He is a friend who acts really well. I learned a lot on set,” and added, “I still see him often. We contact each other every day and were always together on set,” boasting of their special friendship.
Jung Sung-il expressed his desire to work with them again if ‘Trigger’ season 2 is produced.
‘Trigger’ is the work that opened the lineup for Disney+ this year. It tells the story of relentless investigative reporters who point their cameras at a beautiful world to expose the wrongdoings of bad guys. The final two episodes were released on the 19th, concluding the 12-episode series.
Jung Sung-il, who debuted in the 2002 film ‘H’, is a veteran actor with 23 years of experience. He mainly worked in theater and musicals but began appearing in dramas more frequently after 2020. He gained significant recognition both domestically and internationally by playing the role of Ha Do-young in the 2022 Netflix original series ‘The Glory’.
Jung Sung-il will meet viewers with the Disney+ original series ‘Made in Korea’, which is set to be released this year.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
