Actor Ryu Seung-Ryong Shares The Reasons Behind His Small Screen Return

When Ryu Seung-ryong accepted the role of the power-hungry Cho Hak-ju in the zombie drama Kingdom, more than a decade had passed since his last appearance on the small screen. During that time he acted in several successful films, including Masquerade, The Target and The Admiral: Roaring Currents.

As the first Korean actor to headline four movies that drew more than 10 million viewers each, Ryu is rightly considered box office gold. His 2013 film Miracle in Cell No. 7 broke box office records and his 2019 film Extreme Job became South Korea’s second highest-grossing film. Whether he’s in a comedy or a tragedy, whether he plays a villain or a hero, Ryu says that the parts he choses to play rely on the strength of the story.  

“It could be the humor and comedy that fills the entirety of the duration of a film or questions that the story poses about our world,” said Ryu. “I look for whether or not I can play a role that contributes to a meaningful story.”

There were a few reasons he chose the drama for his TV comeback.

“Everything from writer Kim Eun-hee’s tightly-knit story to director Kim Seong-hun’s detailed directing and an exotic story set up in the most Korean background,” said Ryu. “I couldn’t find a reason not to do the series.”

Kingdom is set during Korea’s Joseon Dynasty and concerns a mysterious plague sweeping the nation. Ryu’s Kingdom character is a man whose power depends on his daughter’s marriage to the king. He’ll do anything to hold that power, even if it involves killing the crown prince and ignoring a zombie plague. Given the intense energy Ryu lends to his conniving character, he makes Cho’s calculating greed and hunger for power far more terrifying than the ravenous zombie hordes.

“Cho Hak-ju does not only possess greed, but has the false belief that his greed is justified by a greater cause,” said Ryu. “He acts on his beliefs out of self-righteousness. So, I tried to bring a sense of gravitas to his tone of voice and movements. As per scenes where Cho Hak-ju’s character needs to show explosive energy, I tried to make the scenes as impactful as possible no matter how short they were.”

Cho showed no redeemable qualities in the first season, which aired in 2019, but Ryu suggests that he may see the error of his ways in 2020. He describes the second season as “full of surprises.”

“As Cho Hak-ju believes that his beliefs and actions are just and right, he wouldn’t be able to recognize his fault in a typical fashion. I think audiences will find it cathartic to watch how he realizes his own wrongdoing in a slightly unexpected manner.”

Ryu’s last drama role was a kinder character. He appeared in Personal Taste, playing the architect that Lee Min-ho hopes to impress, after which Ryu had a cameo in My Love From The Star. The actor recently finished working on the film Not on the Lips, which he describes as  a good mix of drama and comedy, and he can be seen in Life is Beautiful, a film that he says “has elements of a musical.” 

“I’m scheduled to begin shooting for Bi-gwang, directed by Lee Ji-won, who directed Miss Baek,” said Ryu. “My only wish is that I continue to work hard as an actor to act as a bridge between great creators and the world.”