As the film 'The Man Who Lives with the King' exceeds 14.5 million viewers, lead actor Yoo Ji-tae has revealed the health consequences he endured for his role. The behind-the-scenes story came to light ahead of Yoo's appearance on the tvN variety show 'You Quiz on the Block,' as a preview was uploaded to the show's official channel on the 23rd.

In the teaser, Yoo Ji-tae commented, "Maybe it's thanks to 'You Quiz on the Block' that 'The Man Who Lives with the King' attracted over ten million viewers." 

Host Yoo Jae-suk then mentioned, "I heard it was difficult on set because of director Jang Hang-jun's lightheartedness." Yoo Ji-tae replied with a laugh, "I should have been able to focus by acting seriously, but when I'm told, 'Wow. Yoo Ji-tae, the symbol of Korean cinema!' my concentration was completely broken."

Asked about his dramatic weight gain to play Han Myeong-hoe, a role that drew much attention, Yoo openly admitted, "I just ate a lot, without thinking. Because of that, I developed hyperlipidemia, acute gastritis, and colitis."

In an interview with Sports Chosun, Yoo explained, "Director Jang wanted Han Myeong-hoe to have a smaller build, but I thought the physique I achieved was just right. Otherwise, there might have been overlap with the character of Prince Geumseong (played by Lee Jun-hyuk)." He added, "I gained around 5 kilograms for the film compared to now, but I think my body looked even larger on screen because of the imposing official's attire."

Yoo Ji-tae also shared that he used AI technology to generate images of Han Myeong-hoe, aiming to perfect the portrayal. "I wanted to see what Han Myeong-hoe looked like. I was curious about how AI would interpret the historical figure," he said.

Released on February 4, 'The Man Who Lives with the King' tells the story of a village headman (Yoo Hae-jin) who chooses exile for the sake of his community, and the young dethroned king (Park Ji-hoon) banished to Cheongnyeongpo in 1457. The film has achieved phenomenal popularity, amassing 14.57 million cumulative viewers by March 22, just 47 days after its premiere. It has now secured third place in the all-time Korean box office rankings.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=MHN DB, tvN 'You Quiz on the Block'

(MHN 관리자 )

 

 

사진=