Posted in: Hulu, streaming, TV | Tagged: exclusive, Han Hyo-joo, hulu, interview, Ju Ji-hoon, k-drama, korean drama

Blood Free Star Ju Ji-hoon on Hulu Series, Cautionary Tech Message

Ju Ji-hoon (Ransomed) spoke with Bleeding Cool about his latest Korean action thriller, Hulu's Blood Free, modeling, acting, tech, and more.

Ju Ji-hoon has made a career imagining herself in various scenarios throughout his modeling career in Korea. Like many of his peers, acting came naturally to him taking the next step, and it's paid off handsomely for him with memorable roles in The Spy Gone North (2018), Dark Figure of Crime (2018), Asura (2016), and Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017). His latest is Blood Free, which focuses on Yun Ja-yu (Han Hyo-joo), the founder and CEO of BF Group, a cell-cultured meat company, who might be the center of a conspiracy that Woo Chae-woon (Ji-hoon), a former soldier and bodyguard, is trying to unravel and may have ties to his former life. Ji-hoon spoke to Bleeding Cool about how director Park Chul-hwan's work in film appealed to him for the series, the show's commentary on society's obsession with technology, and his transition from modeling to acting.

Blood Free: Ju Ji-hoon on Hulu Series Message on Technology Obsession

What intrigued you about 'Blood Free?'

First, the subject matter was refreshing, so I was drawn to it.

How do you break down working with Park Chul-hwan and, how do you describe the writing of Lee Soo-yeon?

This was my first time working with director Park, and because he also works in film, he comes from a film-directing background. I feel we spoke the same language, so it was easy to communicate with him. As for the writer, Lee, the way the script was written, there's so much detail in it, which made it easy for me to understand and read the script.

How does a project like Blood Free challenge you as an actor that you wouldn't normally be able to do before?

I think every project I work on gives me something new, and it allows me to take on a new challenge. This time around, in 'Blood Free,' we are dealing with the subject matter of cultured meat, and it can be about any advanced technology. As an actor, it allows me to use my imagination to think about how we have benefited from technology, what convenience it has brought us, and what we have lost due to that.

While the prospect of synthetic and plant-based meat gaining traction in markets, do you feel it will be sustainable and expand in the long term, or do you think it'll remain a niche?

It's not just about the cultured meat or alternative meat itself, but rather the overall convenience, as well as the side effects, brought about because of a lot of advanced technologies. One example is it's great that you and I get to speak here at different time zones and have this interview, but it takes away from the warmth we would have felt if we were to meet in person.

How do you feel in the age of streaming that fans internationally get to see your work? Have you explored the idea of possibly tackling overseas projects?

First, I'm very grateful for everything. To be an actor, I see it as personally communicating with the audience, almost like how you would grab a beer with your friend and chat. I'm grateful that outside of Korea, in many different countries, I can chat, so to speak, with many other audiences, too. As for the second part of your question, as an actor, I tend to do a lot of different projects. If there's a new story or anything I find value in participating in, I'm open to all kinds of projects.

What are your biggest influences that inspired you to go into acting?

Back in my modeling days, when I was posing for photoshoots, I would always go into them thinking about using my imagination and giving myself my imaginary premise or circumstance. I would hear the crew saying, "Oh, Jihoon, it's almost like you're acting right now." I think comments like that sort of nudged me in this direction.

Blood Free, which also stars Lee Hee-joon, Lee Moo-saeng, and Park Ji-yeon, streams Fridays on Hulu.

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