[article] (LEAD) Actor Jang Keun-suk wants to start anew with ‘The Royal Gambler’

Credit: YONHAP NEWS

SEOUL, March 24 (Yonhap) — South Korean actor Jang Keun-suk said Thursday he wants to start his 30s with a clean slate with the title role in the upcoming TV series “The Royal Gambler.”

“I’ve always wondered whether I’ve been too complacent with my ‘pretty’ image throughout my 20s,” he told reporters at a press conference at SBS in Seoul. “By playing Dae-gil, which is my first TV role since turning 30 this year, I want to get rid of that and become something else.”

Jang turned 30 this year in Korean age reckoning.

In the period drama set in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the young Baek Dae-gil is born to King Sukjong and a maid who connives to become a consort despite having already married a destitute gambler. Soon after his birth, he is abandoned by his mother and is raised by her former husband who turns him into a skilled high roller.

Actor Jang Keun-suk attends a press conference promoting his upcoming TV series “The Royal Gambler” at SBS in Seoul on March 24, 2016. (Yonhap)

“My first impression of the screenplay was that it’s very three-dimensional, as if I’m watching a movie,” he said. “Reading it, I closed my eyes and wondered what facial expressions I would have made if I were Dae-gil. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.”

Kang has played in several period dramas as a child actor, but “The Royal Gambler” is his first since the KBS 2TV series “Hong Gil-dong” in 2008. The SBS show stands out because it experiments with ideas that have never been tried before, he said.

“One of the biggest strengths of our show is that it deals with gambling, which other period dramas haven’t,” he said. “It’s not just about gambling either. It’s also about men who risk their lives to fight for their country and the love that arises during that process.”

With “The Royal Gambler” being his return to TV after two years, Jang thanked his fans for continuing to support him even during his time away from TV.

“There are fans who visit me on the set of the show, but there are also those who aren’t able to visit personally but express their support through other means, like advertising for my show on subways and buses,” he said. “I’m happy I have such a dedicated fan base.”

Actor Jang Keun-suk gives a thumbs up for a photo at a press conference promoting his upcoming TV series “The Royal Gambler” at SBS’s offices in Seoul on March 24, 2016. (Yonhap)

“The Royal Gambler” also stars Yeo Jin-goo as Prince Yeoning who later becomes King Yeongjo. He and Jang will fight over a woman, Damseo, who plots revenge against King Sukjong, her father’s murderer.

Like Jang, Yeo praised the screenplay as being “extremely three-dimensional.”

“It portrays gamblers as being logical, not simply reckless,” he said. “The characters’ emotions and personalities are very vivid. I’m sure you’d feel the thrill along with many other emotions watching this show.”

Yeo said he’s felt a certain sense of camaraderie towards Jang since they are both former child actors.

“Having been a child actor, too, I’ve seen him from afar since childhood so he feels familiar,” he said. “I don’t know how he feels about me, but he puts me at ease on the set.”

Jang returned the pleasantries, describing Yeo’s acting as being “scary good.”

“He’s extremely serious. He becomes a completely different person on the set,” he said. “I barely feel the 10-year age difference. I’m grateful to work with such a great actor.”

Meanwhile, dozens of fans, mostly from Japan, had gathered in the lobby of SBS to gain a glimpse of “Keun-chan.”

Rie Shinka, a Japanese tourist from Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo, was among many others who arrived in South Korea earlier in the day for a trip entirely dedicated to seeing the South Korean actor.

“I’ve been a fan since ‘You’re Beautiful.’ I came here since this is his first TV appearance in many years,” she said, fidgeting with her DSLR camera. She said she would be leaving for Japan later in the day.

“You’re Beautiful” is an SBS series from 2009 in which Jang plays the charismatic lead singer of the fictional band A.N.JELL.

Another Japanese woman, who refused to be identified, said she’d visited South Korea about 50 times to see Jang.

“He’s such a great actor. I also like that he’s quirky and different,” she said, adding she hopes other actors on the show will help him make a smooth transition back to TV.

“The Royal Gambler” premieres on SBS at 10 p.m. on Monday.

Actor Yeo Jin-goo (L), actress Lim Ji-yeon (C) and actor Jang Keun-suk pose for photos at a press conference at SBS in Seoul on March 24, 2016. (Yonhap)
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sojungpark@yna.co.kr