Jo Jungseok Says "I Could Risk My Life for My 6-Year-Old Daughter" in "Zombie Daughter" [Interview]

A Father Protecting His Daughter Turned Zombie... Drawn by Paternal Love
Summer + Comedy = Jo Jungseok? Aiming for a Third Box Office Hit

Actor Jo Jungseok is conducting an interview at a cafe in Samcheongdong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 24th. NEW

"You saw the movie, right? Wasn't that me? I happened to encounter this project just as I became a father and my paternal love was growing. It was a fateful meeting disguised as coincidence."

Actor Jo Jungseok said that as soon as he read the script for "Zombie Daughter," he immediately thought, "This is my story." The character of Jeonghwan, a father who fights desperately to protect his daughter infected with a zombie virus, overlapped with his own life as the father of a six-year-old daughter.

Meeting him at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on July 24, he said, "It felt like I was entrusting myself to the story. Rather than acting, it was more like naturally bringing out emotions that were already inside me." He added, "The emotions flowed out so easily that controlling them became a challenge. In some scenes, it was difficult to hold back my tears."

"Zombie Daughter" is based on a webtoon of the same name, which has recorded 500 million cumulative global views. The story follows Jeonghwan (Jo Jungseok), a father who struggles to save his daughter Sua (Choi Yuri) after she is infected with a zombie virus. The film is directed by Pil Gamseong, who previously directed the movie "Hostage" (2021) and the drama "The Worst of Days" (2023).

Jo Jungseok said that this film made him newly aware of the paternal love within himself. He said, "The project didn't awaken my paternal love. I was already there; I just didn't realize it. After filming, when I went home and saw my daughter, those feelings became clear."

"My daughter was born during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. She caught COVID-19, her fever rose to 39 degrees Celsius, and my wife Gummy and I took off our masks and cared for her. After that experience, I encountered 'Zombie Daughter,' and the desperation from that time came back to me, making the story even more relatable. I could risk my life for my daughter."

He emphasized that the emotional narrative in "Zombie Daughter" cannot be explained by the word "paternal love" alone. He said, "I never tried to create an emotional arc on purpose. I am a father, and my daughter is my daughter, so it's just something good. It's the natural sense of responsibility I feel as a parent."

Despite the overall weight of the story, the film is cheerful. It makes the audience laugh and cry. Jo Jungseok described, "The wit that pops up in the midst of a serious narrative is the 'kick' of this movie." He added, "The fact that it captures both laughter and emotion most accurately describes this work. During the scene where I encounter Thor, played by Yoon Kyungho, we had to reshoot several times because I couldn't stop laughing during filming."

In the movie 'Zombie Daughter,' Jeonghwan (Jo Jungseok) is disciplining his daughter Sua (Choi Yuri), who has become a zombie. NEW

After finishing filming "Zombie Daughter" in January, he has been on a complete break for about six months. Currently, he is focusing on recharging himself without any upcoming projects. Jo Jungseok said, "I've been feeling it more clearly lately. I am happiest and most fulfilled when I am acting. No matter how much I rest, I end up missing the set again."

He said he feels no pressure about continuing to work in the comedy genre. Since getting married and having a child, he seems to have gained a sense of ease.

"If I try to force myself out of comedy, it actually creates discord. As I get older, I find that being natural is best. I want to meet roles naturally as well. When I transformed into a villain in the recent drama 'Weak Hero 2,' many acquaintances said they didn't recognize me. I want to keep working on projects that resonate with me in a fun way."

Because of his high box office success rate during the summer, he has earned the nickname "Man of Summer." Both "Exit" (2019), which drew 9.42 million viewers, and "Pilot" (2024), which attracted 4.71 million viewers, easily surpassed their break-even points and were hits. He said, "It's a grateful but also burdensome label. I can't decide the release timing myself, but I think I was lucky to meet good timing."

He also has a clear philosophy about acting. Jo Jungseok said, "A great actor ultimately has to be a person of good character. If acting skills and personality do not go hand in hand, the sincerity of the performer can collapse."

Finally, he said, "I hope 'Zombie Daughter' becomes a work that makes us look again at the precious people around us, such as family, friends, parents, and children." He added, "Through this project, I realized that emotions I didn't know I had were already inside me. I hope the audience can discover such feelings together."