It’s not Kim Jaejoong the singer, but Kim Jaejoong the actor who lets us discover a bit more about this “himself” who entered into a new domain.
Being the favorite idol of the public, he now plays in “Protect the Boss” as a cold urban man, Cha Moo Won, who as nicknamed “Prince”. It is his first time appearing in a drama as one of the main roles, yet is acting is very successful, as proven by the positive reviews from the viewers.
“I regret my role in Heaven’s Postman”.
It is indeed not the first time that Kim Jaejoong goes in front of the camera. In 2004, he was a figurant in Gang Jaekyu’s movie “The Taekugi”. But his career really started in 2009 in the movie “Heaven’s Postman”, produced by a korean PD but with a scenario from the Japanese writter Kitagawa Eriko. Jaejoong still feels sorry towards the lead actress Han Hyojoo and the PD Lee Hyungmin because of his lack of skills as an actor. Back then, he was actively promoting as a TVXQ member, and he regrets not having been “prepared” to be an actor. He also wasn’t eager to act. “If I could re-do this movie”, Jaejoong says, “I would do my best to maximize my potential”.
Being able to see his attitude towards acting, you can tell that he’s serious about it.
After this, he filmed along with Japanese celebrities Ueno Juri and Eita in the drama called “Sunao ni Narenakute” (Hard to say I love you), broadcasted on Fuji TV in Japan. A lot of critics were favorable to Jaejoong, and he remembers that it is back then that he changed his attitude towards acting.
Following this, he became highly demanded in the Korean drama industry. He reviewed offers for both dramas and movies, but had to refuse more that a dozen of them due to a packed schedule that was including a worldwide tour with his group.
After this long period of time, his fans got excited about him finally accepting a drama offer. Jaejoong said that the story, the ideas and the character he plays please him.
He particularly appreciates “Protect the Boss”. He was worried that the audience would consider him as a singer only, and hence insisted on getting a correct preparation in order to fit well among the other actors. He mentionned once that he would do his best to focus on his role but also has some interest for the idea of winning an award or having high viewer ratings. He uses the word “pit-a-pat” to describe his feelings, he feels anxious about doing something new, but not pressured.
“Cha Moo Won” is an untypical character”.
The drama “Protect the Boss” has been written by Kwon Ki Young, known for “Crazy about love” and has been directed by Son Jung Hyun, who was also the PD for “Lovers in Paris”. The story is about an unexperienced secretary who meets the “infamous despicable second-generation Chaebols”. Jaejoong plays a young entrepreneur, Cha Moo Won, who is nicknamed “Prince of the financial world”. He’s supposed to be an infamous second-generation Chaebol and also has an astonishing ambition, good skills and great social abilities. This is why he is nicknamed “Prince” wherever he goes.
He is in conflict with his cousin Cha Ji Heon, played by Ji Sung, the other main character of the story. Encouraged by their parents, they fight for the managing rights of the family business.
Jaejoong – or Cha Moo Won in the story – has a soft image that fits his meticulous mind of business-man. He looses this image when he’s in front of his cousin. This is when his untypical side comes out, Moo Won becomes childish and immature when they meet each others. This unbalanced personnality makes the character and the story very interesting. Jaejoong says that his personnality is very different from Cha Moo Won’s, as Cha Moo Won is flawless.
To prevent himself from copying someone else’s acting, Jaejoong didn’t study or watch other similar korean dramas such as “Secret Garden” or “The Best Love”. In these two dramas character that are similar to Jaejoong’s appear: Kim Joo Won and Jin Dokgo. Instead he started thinking as a real secong-generation Chaebol. “How do they think?”, “How do they behave?”, “How do they dress and talk?”… These are questions that he asked himself.
In order to avoid everything that isn’t necessary to Kim Jaejoong’s image, he purposedly tried to keep his hairstyle and his fashion style simple.
Source: K-Wave Magazine
Translation + scans by: JYJinEurope
Shared by: JYJ3
I can see the hardwork Jaejoong has put in for his dramas.
Heaven’s Postman might not be his best but I love him in it. I felt bad for him in Sunare. I laughed and cried with him in PTB. ^^;;
same here
🙂
I agree about Jaejoong’s acting skillls; the ones he showed us through “Proyect the Boss”. His role as “Cha Muwon” was more than excellent and he improved chapter by chapter. But I can’t agree with him about his role in “Postman to heaven”. Maybe Jae feels nowadays that he didn’t take his character with the seriousness and profesionalism needed back then, but I really loved him as “Jejun”; his character made me cry and still makes me cry a river everytime I watch the movie. Then, I have to wonder: ¿How would “Jejun” had turned to be if Jae would be as serious as he liked to be today about this character back then? ¡Simply superb I think!
*Protect the Boss* Here comes the keyboard 🙂
i agree! it is a lovely movie and i love it, every minute of it. i think i know what he is saying but the end product was wonderful.
I love the movie too….people criticized JJ for his lack of facial expressions and thus called him a bad actor but I loved his lack of facial expressions because I felt he played a good ‘stoic’ character.
He fit the role.
@Pheonixia
¡Exactly! As an spiritual being, Jejun didn’t need facial expressions nor to express any feelings at all. Jae acted his character very well.
@Pheonixia
Yes, I agree with you. I watched HP twice and I like the way he bring out the character whereas I don’t really dig Hyojoo’s character! They still a cute couple in it tho 🙂
Aw, I thought he was good in Heaven’s Postman! The movie itself had a restrained, dream-like quality, and I felt he fit in well.
And I loved his character in SNN! He was so completely different from any character I’ve ever seen. He was an awkward foreigner, kind of a gawky youth, even a bit of a mouth-breather, lol, but still so attractive and charming. He was like a shaggy half-grown dog, adult-sized but still with many puppy-like qualities.
@seobehrin how interesting you say “like a shaggy half-grown dog, adult-sized but still with many puppy-like qualities” and the “gawky youth, even a bit of a mouth-breather,” because think of all the pics and snipets of vids we’ve seen of Jae and all these things have come to the surface at one time or another right along w/HOT HOT HOT Jae, 4d Jae, protective Jae, and that glint of Jae when he is being intriguingly strict. I’m glad they are all so used to having a camera in their lives because we get a lot of their entire persona. I think it is fair to say as beautiful as he is, Jae IS a bit of a mouth-breather and can be so gawky it makes you love him. –LOL! It would seem you touched my “on” button with what you said. Shutting up now.
Ooo, I’m glad you didn’t take offense at my description. I guess he took all his most awkward mannerisms and turned them up to 11. ^_^
But hmm, protective Jae? That sound’s extra hot. *_* Got any examples?
Ah when there was a prank played on Yoochuna on one of those shows they used to go on all the time and what was said really hurt Micky’s feelings. He ended up getting up and going off the set. Jae looked up then went after him. By the time the cameras caught up with them, Jae had sort of pinned Yoochuna against a wall and clasping their hands up overhead together and in a kind of high-five he intertwined their fingers then let go and hugged Yoochuna and made him understand it was a joke and nothing more. Yoochuna made him pinky promise and Jae hugged him again after he promised it was all a joke. That joke really, really hurt Yoochuna. I still don’t like that video to this day.
You might have been looking for something more along the lines of holding someone out of harm’s way, and I didn’t mean to mislead by saying “protective” in such a way that it sounds like he made someone back off one of his members, but for me when they get protective of one another it’s always in the way they hold on to each other or give a reassuring touch or eye-contact. Two of my fav pics in the whole JYJ world are the one where Junsu knocked out cold atop an equally solidly asleep Micky and another where Yoochuna is back-hugging his Xiah so closely it’s almost romantic. I know so much has been made of these photos and some people have gotten offended, but I remember very well this type of friendship in my own life where the other person is just like yourself to you. It is often times very sensual, but you’re not really thinking anything at all. You’re just loving on someone you love very much and that’s it. That’s how it looks when the trust has never been broken and you know no matter what this person would no more harm you than himself. Sheesh me and this “on” button. AGAIN! (lol)
@grlrex Awww, the stories themselves sound nice. I didn’t really think you mean Jae saving someone from a speeding train, lol. But I figured it would be more personal (like your examples), which is very sexy. There’s nothing hotter than menfolk showing they care.
Now I’m caught between wanting to see the prank and not wanting to be a rubber-necker. The only ones I was aware of were:
1. The prank on CM where a female celeb pretended to be offended by everything he said (almost making him cry when he was just a kid T_T).
2. The prank on Junsu where the members pretend to reveal harsh “truths” to YH who takes it calmly before pretending to finally lose his cool on Junsu.
3. The prank on YH where he’s meeting a fan who is then accused of being a pick pocket. (This is a really good one if you don’t overly dislike YH. Talk about protective!)
I had always wondered if there were hidden cameras or pranks on Jaejoong and Yoochun hanging around. It seemed odd that only two would be left unscathed. I’ve never been able to find them though.
@grlrex
do u have the link when the boys teased YooChun? tx
@xiahgold I am so sorry. I was looking a bit and frankly I admit not with my whole heart because i really don’t like this one, and I haven’t found it so quickly again as I am able to do with others. I don’t remember the language cues that will pull it up on YouTube for me. If I do I’ll look for your avatar and “reply” the link your way, but also with you being a fan and all you’re bound to come across it, and when you do, let me know your thoughts as well.
Sorry to butt in (and so late, too), but you said “that glint of Jae when he is being intriguingly strict”. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that before. If it doesn’t trouble you, can you provide an example? I’d love to see/read about that. Please and thank you! ^-^
@seobehrin Hey I like that about JJ saving someone from a speeding locomotive lol. That would be hot. I’d do some damsel in distress for him, most definitely. But good I am glad we were on the same page about the protectiveness and I did see the prank on Yunho w/the little ex-pickpocket that he stood up for. The prank I’m referring to is one wherein all five were invited to have a sit down with a psychic medium who was going to “cast” their future as a group. Everyone but Yoochuna knew that she was going to single him out as the weakest member. What she ended up doing went pretty far and cast Micky as dead weight around the neck of the entire group and she foretold that they would fail in the mission of their success because of his holding them back and them having to utilize so much energy to make up for his lack of talent. She went on and on and it became like a personal attack against Micky, so that when it was brought out as a joke, it had all sounded so terrible that Micky couldn’t see it. Since everyone knew it was going on except him, he began to think that maybe this was how his members really felt about him, and that they were using this prank to reveal to him their true feelings or that in jest they had said things to the “psychic” for her to use that maybe they unconsciously really felt. When the cameras caught up to Jae having pursued Micky off the set, Jae was already saying “No, no, no. Stop, stop, stop.” as in stop thinking what you’re thinking; it’s wrong. And Micky was saying “Are you sure? Do the others really think that I’m –” And Jae again grabbing Micky’s hands, “No, no.” This is when Micky wanting so much to believe–needing to believe says to Jae “Promise me they don’t think that” and puts out his pinky like a little kid and it’s pretty clear that he is suffering. He really needs this reassurance. And Jae tells him “I promise,” and puts his pinky to Micky’s.
@Teresa Yip
I’ve been so long winded that please forgive me for being so brief in my response with you if indeed I actually am. But remember that during the Elle interview the “Movie Stills” from the Killer J photo shoot, Jae starts talking about what AKTF means to him and this side of him shows up that would had to have been there all along for him to have accomplished as much as he has even with Junsu and Yoochuna by his side. Here, I found what I commented: “It’s wild because even in his interview during the Elle shoot you can tell there is depth and strength to Kim Jaejoong that he doesn’t always reveal. Right away during that interview I could tell he was more strict and more tenacious than he has generally had any occasion to show (unless you count such a striking move as to launch JYJ off on its own trajectory which is a considerably strong thing to do and pull off so successfully as they have.) Now I think we will see even more of a very manly Hero and I think we will find him even more attractive than before. I think he will remain playful as always and cute, but I think we will see someone we respect very much as well. These three are really very amazing men. AKTF” I think the interview is still on Youtube.
@grlrex
@seobehrin
I got so caught up reading about this prank on Chunnie that I forgot I was going to comment on Jae receiving dozens of film & drama offers! It sounds like that prank went way too far & was a bit cruel actually. Poor Chunnie. *huggles you Chun*
@Sapphire Hey there you! Yup I read too that he’s received mucho offers. Somewhere on here (meaning JYJ3) is an article that he is doing — what’s it called? ‘The Secretary’ ? That this will be his next acting. I want CAPS. I want CAPS. lol.
@grlrex Omg, that’s really cruel. It’s not funny to feed off of someone’s fears and insecurities like that. TT_TT
Same here with Heaven’s Postman! Even without preparation, jj did much better than everyone expected! HIs natural, raw talent was revealed then. Born to act indeed.
agreed!
I like the review. Yes, we will see much more of Kim Jaejoong on acting field as much as his singing in the future. No doubt about it.
I love JaeJongnieeee in PTB…He’s a GREAT ACTOR.!!!
Back then, he was actively promoting as a TVXQ member, and he regrets not having been “prepared” to be an actor. He also wasn’t eager to act. “If I could re-do this movie”, Jaejoong says, “I would do my best to maximize my potential”.
wow….it’s just coincidence or not ? actually this morning i think about this too…..errmmmm….to be honest back then when i saw Jae acting in heaven’s postman , yes it’s good n look natural but i don’t know why but i still felt that he still lack something ( i don’t know either what i must called it) but when i watch PTB i get felt that he has found it, the important thing that he don’t have before when he play in Heaven’s postman so that’s why i really hope that someday Jae can re-do this movie…..it just my opinion though
JJ, you didn’t prepared on HP yet you break the leg! how much more if you came prepared?
I love how you acted on HP because it just so natural and refreshing.
Don’t feel sorry…
🙂