[Interview] Jung Joon-ho "Once Chased Box Office... Now Beautifully Blending In"

Movie 'Eobuba' Jongbeom Role
Learning to Let Go Over Time
Confession of a 29-Year Veteran Actor
"I Want to Watch It with My Son First When It Premieres"

Jung Joon-ho / Photo by Triple Pictures

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "As I built a family and raised children, I realized that in this world there are first and second places, and some become major while others become minor. Over time, I also learned how to let go. As I got older, I developed more consideration and a more relaxed perspective on the world. Watching the juniors coming up, I developed a philosophy of faithfully fulfilling my role and blending in beautifully."

Actor Jung Joon-ho (52) was calm. With a composed face, he shared stories soaked with the weight of time. On the morning of the 6th, ahead of the release of the movie Eobuba (Director Choi Jong-hak), he met via video call and said, "I have filmed major movies with budgets of tens or hundreds of billions of won, but this time, we made it with a mutual support system where I receive my acting fee as an incentive."

Jung Joon-ho debuted in 1993 as a 24th generation MBC public recruitment talent and rose to stardom with the drama Wangcho (1999). He then became a box office guarantee in Chungmuro. Movies he starred in such as Two Cops (2001), Glory of the Family (2002), Public Enemy 2 (2005), and Two Cops 2 (2006) gained popularity, dominating the film industry in the early 2000s.

In 2011, he married former MBC announcer Lee Ha-jung and has a son, Jung Si-wook, and a daughter, Jung Yoo-dam. Naturally, the roles he received changed. He took on weighty roles in dramas such as Mama (2014), Okjungwa (2016), Sky Castle (2018), and films like Operation Chromite (2016) and Hitman (2020).

Jung Joon-ho returns with the movie Eobuba, releasing on the 11th. He plays Jong-beom, who struggles to protect his late-born son, immature younger brother, and his alter ego, the Eobuba boat. A markedly different path. With a calm face, he spoke about his acting philosophy.

He said, "When I received the Eobuba script, I thought, 'This is the movie.' Although I have been acting for a long time, I was drawn to the fact that it is a film I can emotionally share with my son." He added, "After deeply understanding the script, I strongly empathized with the role."

"My son is nine years old, and through TV and media, he learned that I am a movie actor. He asked me, 'Dad, what movies have you filmed?' I showed him videos on YouTube and told him, but there aren't many movies he says he wants to watch together. Some are provocative. So I think that's why I was more drawn to Eobuba. When it releases, I plan to take my son to watch it together first."

He confessed that during the past 29 years as an actor, he also chased box office success. Jung Joon-ho said, "Since movies are made through investment, as a lead actor, I had the mindset to ensure investors do not lose money and achieve good results. I couldn't help but prioritize box office success."

He continued, "I also repeated acting in similar genres and characters. I leaned toward the areas I was good at and more confident in. I thought that would reassure everyone involved in the film, and I also wanted to hear that the movie did well because Jung Joon-ho appeared," he said honestly.

"After getting married and raising children, I wanted to do films that convey the importance and warmth of family as an actor. Eobuba deals with family stories. I fully empathized with the image of a father and older brother who does his best to protect the family, sometimes kneeling and sacrificing pride for them."

He also shared stories about his son, who dreams of becoming a film director. He laughed, "Yesterday, for Children's Day, I had a barbecue party on the office rooftop with my son and daughter. We put up a large picture of the city night view on the rooftop, and my son was holding a camera, shooting the picture from an angle as if stepping on the Statue of Liberty. When I said he seemed to have talent for camera directing, he said he wants to become a director."

He revealed his unwavering passion for work and changed mindset. Jung Joon-ho emphasized, "Regardless of major or minor, deciding to appear in any movie is not based on the size of the role but on whether the set needs us and whether the role fits. That is the true filmmaker." He added, "Because I am happy when immersed in movies, I want to continue appearing in good works."