K-drama star Jang Ki-yong opens up about ‘The Atypical Family’, his bond with co-stars and India
Jang Ki-yong recently starred in the K-drama ‘The Atypical Family’, a drama that unravels the complex and dark secrets of an atypical family. The actor discussed his role and the unique essence he brought to his character in an exclusive interview with IndiaToday.in.
Jang Ki-yong stars in ‘The Atypical Family’, a gripping drama that unravels the complexities and dark secrets of an extraordinary family. Known for his versatile acting skills, Jang Ki-yong plays Bok Gwi-joo, a lost protagonist who finds purpose in his existence as the story progresses. ‘The Atypical Family’ delves into the lives of an ordinary family, exposing their hidden struggles and the lengths they go to protect their loved ones.
In an exclusive conversation with IndiaToday.in, the ‘My Roommate is a Gumiho’ actor spoke about his role and how he approached the character suffering from depression. “I believe that although Gwi-joo is depressed and seems dull and indifferent to everything, he tries harder than anyone else to get his happiness back. Therefore, I portrayed his depression in such a way that his current depressed state was not his original state, and from time to time, the bright ‘original’ state of his past would appear,” Jang Ki-yong told IndiaToday.in.
Jang Ki-yong expressed his interest in playing a character whose essence is unique, something he has never seen before and something he does not often see in other works. The actor said, “I’m interested in playing a character whose essence is unique, something I’ve never seen before and something I don’t easily see in other works. I think it’s because he’s a character I can create with only my own ideas, without reference to anything else.”
‘The Atypical Family’ depicts a unique family dynamic. When asked what he learnt from his character’s journey on the show, the talented actor shared, “We all love our families equally, we just have different ways of expressing our love for them. This is shown in the drama as well, but I believe it is important to communicate. We cannot express our feelings just by thinking. We should talk and express them.”
Jang Ki-yong shares great onscreen chemistry with his co-stars. Be it Song Hye-kyo (Now, We Are Breaking Up) or Lee Hye-ri (My Roommate is a Gumiho), Im Soo-jung (Search: WWW) and now Chun Woo-hee. Revealing the secret to building such a good rapport and chemistry with his co-stars, the actor revealed that he tries to get close to them on a human level first. “Although the relationship between seniors and juniors is important, I try to get close to them on a human level first. This is because I believe it makes the other person feel comfortable and the atmosphere on set is relaxed. I am grateful that my seniors and fellow actors find it cute,” he revealed.
In the series, his character has the power to travel back in time. In real life, we asked him if he could have a superpower, what would it be and why. To this, Ki-young said, “The answer to this kind of question keeps changing, but for now, it’s the superpower of flying. When I want to go somewhere for treatment, the time it takes to fly there will also be treatment.”
When not working, Jung Ki-young revealed that he enjoys running, which helps him relieve stress. The actor said, “I’ve been running lately. I love the feeling of getting out of the house and running in the air. It’s a hobby I would recommend to many people.”
Finally, when asked about his interest in participating in international projects, especially in India, he replied, “I am always open to participating in good projects. I am an actor and a person who likes diverse experiences and challenges. I am very grateful to the many seniors who laid the foundation for many Korean actors to go global. I will continue to pursue a career in acting, believing that as I work hard on each project, another great opportunity will come my way one day.”
‘The Atypical Family’ stars Jang Ki-yong alongside Chun Woo-hee, Claudia Kim and others. The show is available on Netflix and has 16 episodes. The show is co-produced by South Korea’s leading production house SLL, which is affiliated with JTBC. SLL’s collaboration with Netflix extends to shows such as ‘Hellbound’, ‘DP’, ‘All of Us Are Dead’, ‘Destined with You’, ‘Narco-Saints’ and ‘Doctor Slump’.
