Jo In-sung on Working With Lee Chang-dong: "Everyone Went Back to Basics"

Jo In-sung is stepping into his first project with director Lee Chang-dong, and he says he could not turn it down. The actor spoke about joining "Possible Love" at a production briefing on August 25 at Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery in Mapo district, Seoul.

Lee attended alongside stars Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Jo, and Cho Yeo-jeong. The film follows two couples, a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary director and her husband, who come together for a documentary project and end up facing very different lives and buried desires.

Jo said he first heard about the film while shooting overseas. "I heard the story for the first time in Latvia while shooting 'Humint'," he said. "After finishing 'Hope' and 'Humint', I was physically drained and thought I should rest. But the director offered me this, and I felt I had to do this one before taking a break."

The cast sealed the deal for him. "The second reason is that I got to work with two seniors I really admire and respect," Jo said. "Yeo-jeong, a colleague I had wanted to work with, also joined. There was no reason not to do it."

Jo plays Sang-woo, a man from a wealthy family who supports his wife Ye-ji as she directs a documentary about laid-off workers. "He grew up rich and doesn't really have any hang-ups," Jo said of the character. "That's what makes him harder to read."

Working with Lee for the first time left an impression. "I've always liked the director. Chances to learn from him don't come often, so I went to set with the mindset of a student," Jo said. "I really did learn a lot, and I felt lucky to have that chance."

He added that the veteran filmmaker changed the room. "In front of the director, everyone felt like they went back to basics," he said. "I tried to act without missing any of his direction."

The shoot ended on a warm note, Jo said. "When we wrapped, we all felt the same thing. We said we were going to miss the set. It was a set full of camaraderie."

"Possible Love" opens in theaters on September 23, followed by a Netflix release on November 6.