Playing Joseon’s Greatest Playboy Nearly Broke Him: Ji Chang Wook Opens Up About “The Scandal,”

Some roles test an actor’s range. Others test their patience for ambiguity. For Ji Chang Wook, playing Cho Won — a man whose true feelings remain a mystery until the very end — was both.

In a revealing sit-down with ELLE Korea, the actor unpacked his approach to “The Scandal,” a drama reimagining of the 2003 film Untold Scandal, and opened up about the emotional toll — and thrill — of constantly reinventing himself on screen.

The Scandal: Overview

Building a Character Whose Truth Stays Hidden

Ji Chang Wook revealed he deliberately avoided exaggerating Cho Won’s playboy traits, letting them emerge naturally through attitude rather than performance. He credited close collaboration with director Jung Ji Woo for shaping a character who stays enigmatic until the story’s final moments — admitting a piece of himself inevitably bled into the portrayal.

The Tension With Lady Cho

Describing his scenes opposite Son Ye Jin’s Lady Cho, he called every encounter “breathtaking,” crediting intense rehearsal for the palpable tension audiences will feel on screen.

What Acting Really Means to Him?

Rather than romanticizing his craft, Ji Chang Wook offered a grounded take: acting, he said, is fundamentally collaborative — leaning on directors, cinematographers, and costume teams rather than transforming into someone entirely different. His greatest joy, he added, comes not from solo brilliance but from creating great scenes together as a team.

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