Actor Gong Yoo attends the 'Train To Busan (Bu_San-Haeng)' photocall during the 69th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2016 in Cannes, France. (Photo : Getty Images/Pascal Le Segretain)
Gong Yoo, whose real name is Gong Ji-Chul, is going to be back on the small screens. The 37-year-old Hallyu star recently talked about his new role in tvN's upcoming drama "Goblin" and revealed why he took a five-year break from television dramas.
At the "Goblin" press conference on Nov. 22, Tuesday, screenwriter Kim Eun-Sook opened up about her endeavors to cast Gong in the course of the past five years. The former brought the mega-hit TV series such as "Lovers in Paris," "The Heirs," and "Descendants of the Sun."
"I was repeatedly rejected (by Gong) so I was a bit shy to ask him again, but this time he gave a very quick response," Yonhap News Agency quoted Kim as saying before a predominantly Korean crowd. "He gave me a wonderful response that stunned me."
In a text message from Hawaii, Gong humbly replied, "Should you be alright with such a timid and fainthearted goblin as me, I will do it." He then revealed he had a dread of doing a TV series, but was encouraged after a three-hour meeting with writer Kim and director Lee Eung-Bok.
"In a drama, filming is ongoing, so the actors can't promise to be in better shape until the end," Gong said. "I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to show my best acting."
The "Train to Busan" actor admitted he initially found it hard to fill the role a non-human, but later grew to enjoy it. Since his role is not a human, Gong can apparently do whatever he wants. He added, "I'm neither here nor there. My abilities will be revealed bit by bit with each episode."
In the tvN drama, Gong transforms into a goblin, Kim Shin, who was cast as a traitor some 900 years ago and put under a spell of eternal life. The only way to break the spell is to meet a human bride who will pull the blade out of his heart and end his life.
Opposite Gong is actress Kim Go-Eun. She has been cast to play a high school senior, Ji Eun-Tak, who ends up falling in love with Kim Shin, Han Cinema reported. It also stars Lee Dong-Wook as Wang Yeo, Yoo In-Na as Kim Sun/Sunny and BTOB's Yook Sung-Jae as Yoo Deok-Hwa.
"Goblin" is intended to hit the airwaves on Dec. 2 at 8:00 PM (KST). Check out the trailer here:
