#SHOWBIZ: Ji Chang-wook opens up about explicit scenes in Netflix's 'The Scandal'

SEOUL: Actor Ji Chang-wook has opened up about his hesitation over taking on his first-ever sex scene in Netflix's period drama The Scandal, admitting he used to wonder if he could handle such a role.

"I thought about it several times," Ji said during a recent interview.

"I wondered if I could actually do a sex scene. And if I did, what kind of project would it need to be? What would be my reason for doing it?"

​The 39-year-old actor eventually took on the challenge to play Cho Won, a playboy caught in a web of complex relationships and heavy emotions.

He explained that playing Cho Won in The Scandal felt like the right choice, adding that working with director Jung Ji-woo gave him the confidence to go for it.

​The Netflix series is a reimagining of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 18th-century novel Dangerous Liaisons, which was previously adapted into the hit 2003 Korean film Untold Scandal.

Ji plays Cho Won, who makes a bet with his cousin Cho Yoon (played by Son Ye-jin) to seduce a virtuous widow.

For Ji, the character's emotional depth was key to accepting the role.

"What appealed to me were the relationships, the idea of unrequited love, and the ways love can become twisted," he shared.

"Cho Won has such complicated feelings, and I really wanted to try playing someone like him."

​He admitted, however, that the explicit scenes and nudity gave him pause.

"It was a project that naturally brought a lot of worry," Ji said.

"But taking on this role at my age felt like a huge milestone in my life—and one well worth taking."

​As he approaches 40, Ji sees The Scandal as a chance to break away from his familiar image.

"I feel like I'm constantly breaking out of my shell," he said.

"I want to expand my range as an actor."

​Looking back on his 30s, Ji described the decade as a mix of passion, frustration, and trying new things.

"In a way, it felt like a time of drive and desperation before turning 40," he said, adding that he hopes to look back one day knowing he took plenty of creative risks.

Ultimately, his goal is to show more of who he truly is as an actor, even if audiences don't always agree with his choices.