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Kim Seon-ho during the press conference for Disney's thriller series 'The Tyrant.' Photo courtesy of Disney+

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Why Kim Seon-ho accepted role in ‘thrilling’ series ‘The Tyrant’

Paul Xavier Jaehwa Bernardo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1722403118904SEONHO THUMB.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Kim Seon-ho during the press conference for Disney&#x27;s thriller series &#x27;The Tyrant.&#x27; <em>Photos courtesy of Disney+</em></span></span></span>MANILA — From the charm he exuded in romantic dramas like “Start-Up” and “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” to the sinister presence he brought to the action-packed film “The Childe,” Kim Seon-ho has showcased versatility as an actor.</div><p>Now, he is set to challenge himself once more in Disney’s new thriller series “The Tyrant,” joining the project to expand his acting repertoire by taking on a character unlike any he has played before.</p><p>The four-part series, set in the same universe as director Park Hoon-jung’s sci-fi action film franchise “The Witch,” revolves around a covert bioweapon initiative called the Tyrant Program. When a sample from the program is stolen, it sets off a chain of events that entangle various characters, each with their own motives.</p><p>In the series, scheduled to premiere on August 14, Seon-ho portrays Director Choi, “the architect” of the Tyrant Program.</p><p>“Director Choi is someone I have not played in my past works so [I thought] I could bring a new facet of myself through this character,” the 38-year-old actor said via an interpreter at a virtual press conference, explaining his decision to join the show.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BT1u-iJWzT8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Seon-ho also confessed to being a “big fan” of “The Witch,” comprising two films that center around young female protagonists who develop superhuman abilities after being experimented on in a secret laboratory.</p><p>Elaborating on his character, Seon-ho explained, “He’s the youngest director in his unit but he’s someone who wants to protect the Tyrant Program at all costs.”</p><p>“And no matter what the situation... he keeps his calm. In the face of a crisis, he can even enjoy a nice brunch. That’s how poised he is,” he said.</p><p>“The Tyrant” also serves as a reunion project between Seon-ho and director Hoon-jung after their collaboration on the 2023 film “The Childe,” where Seon-ho played an assassin who goes after a Korean-Filipino boxer.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1722403359023Kim Seonho (11)-min.JPG" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>The only similarity between Director Choi and his role in “The Childe,” Seon-ho said, is their “innocent face with glaring eyes.”</p><p>“This time around, [Director Choi is] weaker. He’s more fragile and lonely. In ‘The Childe,’ my character was enjoying everything but Director Choi in ‘The Tyrant’ is someone who has a lot of conflicts inside. He has a lot of different concerns swirling inside his head,” he said.</p><p>Hoon-jung revealed he already had “The Tyrant”—his first foray into a series project—in mind while writing “The Witch,” which was released in 2018.</p><p>“Even before I had the script [for ‘The Tyrant’] ready, I already contacted the actors, so when the script was ready, we could just give them to the cast and get started right away,” the director shared.</p><p>While Seon-ho had initial concerns in playing Director Choi, Hoon-jung had “complete confidence” in the actor. “Because he has a very big range, a huge spectrum in terms of his acting. I think viewers are going to get a very charming and appealing character,” Hoon-jung said.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1722403406646Group (1)-min.JPG" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">(From left to right) Kim Kang-woo, Jo Yoon-su, Director Park Hoon-jung, Kim Seon-ho and Cha Seung-won</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Other characters</strong></div><p>Apart from Seon-ho, the cast also includes Cha Seung-won (“A Korean Odyssey,” “One Ordinary Day” and “Our Blues”), Kim Kang-woo (“The Childe” and “<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/3/3/cha-eun-woo-on-rugged-rough-role-for-wonderful-world-1029"><strong>Wonderful World</strong></a>”) and newcomer Jo Yun-soo.</p><p>Seung-won portrays Lim Sang, a former intelligence agent who has transitioned into a fixer. “He has been commissioned to go after the sample of this virus created through the Tyrant program,” the actor said of his character.</p><p>On the other hand, Kang-woo plays Paul, an intelligence agent from the United States who arrives in Korea with the mission to “demolish” the Tyrant program.</p><p>Kang-woo described Paul as “absolutely relentless and cold-blooded,” adding that his character’s background is complex due to his being ethnically Korean yet American.</p><p>Regarding his preparation, Kang-woo noted that he “had to really practice a lot of English dialogue,” which he found to be quite challenging.</p><p>Yoon-su, meanwhile, introduced her character Chae Ja-gyeong as “someone who has also been commissioned to steal the sample of the Tyrant Program.”</p><p>“Unlike what you may think of her at first glance, [Ja-gyeong] is very skilled with all types of weapons and if she is paid the right amount of money, she will do everything, from stealing to taking someone out,” the actress said.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1722404699704composites 4.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">(From left to right) Kim Kang-woo, Cha Seung-won and Jo Yoon-su</span></span></span></div><p>Explaining his decision to cast Yoon-su, director Hoon-jung said the role required “an unknown face” and “someone who is a veiled mystery.”</p><p>“I think you will all be convinced when you watch the series that [Yoon-su] was a perfect casting choice,” he said.</p><div><strong>Pure entertainment</strong></div><p>When asked about the show’s message, Hoon-jung clarified, “This is not a message-conveying show. This is just a very entertaining show. It’s going to be a fun, thrilling ride for the audiences.”</p><p>“It’s a four-episode series so I think it’s going to just fly by in the blink of an eye,” Seung-won said.</p><p>“There’s so much tension, nail-biting scenes and a lot of narrative as well. So I think it&#x27;s going to be a very fun, entertaining series that will make your time fly,” the actor added.</p><div><em>For more news and features on K-pop, K-drama, and K-stars, visit the </em><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/kcontents"><em>Hallyu Corner</em></a><em> microsite.</em></div><div><em></em><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DnVYjeRp3f4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><em></em><br/></div>

<p>In Disney's new thriller series 'The Tyrant,' Kim Seon-ho seeks to expand his acting repertoire by taking on a character unlike any he has played before.</p>

In Disney's new thriller series 'The Tyrant,' Kim Seon-ho seeks to expand his acting repertoire by taking on a character unlike any he has played before.

Why Kim Seon-ho joined ‘thrilling’ series ‘The Tyrant’

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Why Kim Seon-ho joined ‘thrilling’ series ‘The Tyrant’

Paul Xavier Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 01, 2024 08:00 AM PHT

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K-content

K-drama

The Tyrant

Disney+

Kim Seon-ho

Cha Seung-won

Kim Kang-woo

Jo Yun-soo

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