Why Ji Chang-wook said yes to his first sex scene in 'The Scandal'

Ji Chang-wook — the A-lister behind hit K-dramas such as "Welcome to Samdal-ri" and "The Worst of Evil" — had often wondered what his first sex scene would be like, and whether he could even do one.

That pivotal career juncture finally arrived with Netflix’s steamy period drama "The Scandal."

"I thought several times about whether I could do a sex scene. If I were to do one, what kind of project would it have to be? And what would be my reason for doing it? I actually spent quite a lot of time thinking about those questions," Ji said during a press interview on Tuesday.

"But I came to the conclusion that I could do it if it were Cho Won in 'The Scandal.' And because it was a project with director Jung Ji-woo, I think I found the courage to give it a try."

Ji's latest tentpole series reimagines Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' seminal 18th-century French novel "Dangerous Liaisons." The source text previously spawned the 2003 Korean cinematic milestone "Untold Scandal," which broke box office records as one of Korea's highest-grossing 19+ rated features by transposing European aristocracy to the Joseon era. The film exposed the illicit desires beneath a historical period governed by rigid moral codes and female chastity.

Over two decades later, acclaimed director Jung ("Eungyo") reinterprets the story as a series, casting Ji as Cho Won, a libertine who makes a bet with his cousin Cho Yoon (Son Ye-jin) to seduce a virtuous widow.

Beyond his swagger, the character’s psychological duality — caught in a toxic dynamic with Cho Yoon while grappling with conflicting romantic impulses — offered the actor the weight he needed to justify taking on his first sex scene.

"What I found appealing was the character's relationships, the idea of unattainable love and the ways that love can become twisted, as well as the circumstances the character finds himself in," Ji said.

"Cho Won has such complicated emotions, and I found myself thinking that I really wanted to take on a character like him."

Still, stepping into such explicit territory weighed heavily on the actor.

"It was a project that inevitably came with a lot of thought and concern, and there were certainly worries because of the level of nudity and the explicit nature of some of the scenes. But I think taking on this role at my age was a major challenge in my life, and one that was worth taking on," Ji said.

Standing on the precipice of his 40s, the 39-year-old actor noted that "The Scandal" arrived at a crucial point. Describing the current phase of his career as an effort to break a creative cocoon, Ji expressed an ambition to tackle challenging, unconventional roles that his peers might hesitate to take on.

"I feel like I'm constantly knocking on a shell, trying to break through it," he said. "In a way, I've also been making a lot of effort to break away from the image I've had up until now. I want to broaden my spectrum as an actor and performer."

Still, he recognizes that growth requires venturing beyond the comfort of easy accolades.

"I think I know clearly, deep down, that you can't achieve that simply by receiving applause. Falling down hurts everyone, but I think you have to practice finding the strength to get back up and move forward. That's why I've been trying different things."

Looking back on a decade filled with ambitious genre shifts, Ji views his 30s as a period of transition between youth and maturity.

"I think my 30s were a period when I was incredibly passionate, experienced countless frustrations and continued to challenge myself over and over again," he said, adding, "In some ways, it feels like an age of desperation before entering my 40s — a period somewhere between being a young man and becoming an adult."

"When I look back at my 30s, there are projects that make me wonder, 'Why did I do that?' But I think that in my 60s or 70s, I'll look back and think I tried a lot of interesting and new things," he said.

Ultimately, for Ji, bold choices like "The Scandal" are part of a broader effort to reveal a more authentic side of himself as an actor, regardless of how audiences perceive him.

"I think I'm gradually going through a process of revealing myself more, revealing my identity and color as an actor, and showing more of my own feelings and who I really am — I think those are important decisions for me at this point in my career," he said.

"I think being able to say, 'This is who I am,' and show myself as I am, even knowing that not everyone will agree, could itself be a meaningful challenge as an actor."