Lee Dong-wook bulks up, then hands Kim Hye-jun the spotlight

Actor Lee Dong-wook has returned as 'Jung Jin-man' after two years. With the release of the Disney+ original series 'A Shop for Killers Season 2', Lee Dong-wook was met at a cafe in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 23rd.

This season focuses on how the uncle, Jung Jin-man, who faked his death at the end of Season 1, survived, and what kind of counterattack he prepared against the massive organization 'Babylon.' It depicts the process where his niece Jung Ji-an (played by Kim Hye-jun), who has become the new representative of the shopping mall, joins hands with the newly resurfaced Jung Jin-man to face global forces.

Lee Dong-wook gained weight to change his character's appearance. As a character facing a massive mercenary organization, a heavy physical presence was required. "When I heard we were doing Season 2, the first thing I thought was, 'I have to gain weight again,'" he revealed. "I asked the director for time to increase my weight, and I eventually gained 8 to 9kg." To achieve this, he maintained a diet focused on protein, eating 4 to 5 meals a day.

On the other hand, he let go of visual management to emphasize the character's rough nature. During the makeup stage, freckles and scars were added, and he even skipped his usual hair drying. "When acting as the character Jung Jin-man, the most comfortable part was not having to worry about my visuals," he said.

"The protagonist is Kim Hye-jun": An acting philosophy more important than screen time

Even in Season 2, Lee Dong-wook's screen time is not overwhelming. "I'm the protagonist, but I don't appear that much, so it's actually better," he explained, sharing his personal acting standards. Prioritizing whether a character shines even once within the overall flow of the work, he named Kim Hye-jun as the true protagonist of this series.

"The true protagonist of the 'Kill Shop' series is actress Kim Hye-jun," he said, expressing trust in his partner. The catchphrase Jin-man threw at Ji-an in Season 1, "Listen carefully, Jung Ji-an," is answered by the grown Ji-an in Season 2 as "Listen carefully, Jung Jin-man," showing a reversal in their relationship.

Evolved action and the arrival of new characters

The action in Season 2 has evolved in both scale and method. Having handled everything from firearm action to unarmed and wire action, Lee Dong-wook focused on 'emotion' rather than the intensity of the action. "The intensity of the action is similar to Season 1, but I believed that emotion must be contained in every movement," he emphasized.

This season expands the scope of action with the addition of Kusanagi (Jung Yun-ha), Q (Hyun-ri), and J (Masaki Okada), who belong to the Babylon East Asia branch. Lee Dong-wook shared, "New actors like Masaki Okada and Hyun-ri prepared immensely, traveling between Korea and Japan even before filming began."

The 8-episode Disney+ series 'A Shop for Killers Season 2' releases two new episodes every Wednesday.