Ji Chang-wook: "Bed Scenes Are a Huge Burden for Any Actor"

Actor Ji Chang-wook has taken on intimate scenes in two straight period dramas, from "Queen Woo" in 2024 to "Scandal" in 2026. The Netflix series marks his second bold turn in a Joseon-era setting in just over a year.

Ji sat down for an interview on Sept. 22 at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul's Jongno district, to discuss the new show.

"Scandal" is set in the Joseon era and follows a daring, dangerous love bet between Lady Jo (Son Ye-jin), a woman with talents too big for the walls placed around her, and Jo Won (Ji Chang-wook), the era's most notorious playboy. Caught in the middle is Hee-yeon (Nana), the woman at the center of their game. Ji plays Jo Won, a man who has almost everything: striking looks, a respected family name, and writing skills praised even by the king. What he cannot get is the heart of the woman he wants, and that unfilled desire is what drives him into the bet.

"Scandal" also features some of Ji's most intimate scenes to date. He previously took on bold intimate scenes, including nudity and bed scenes, in the TVING original series "Queen Woo." By chance, his last two period dramas have both asked him to go there.

"Bed scenes are a huge burden for any actor," Ji said, thinking back on the shoot. He explained that the production team scheduled those scenes toward the end of filming so the actors could approach them in a more settled state of mind.

The bed scenes with Nana were also shot only after the two had spent enough time building chemistry on set. "We filmed a lot of scenes with Nana before we got to the bed scene," Ji said. "Even then, it isn't comfortable. The crew is right there, and there are plenty of people in the room who aren't at ease either." He added, "We leaned on each other during the shoot. We filmed it after we had built a real bond."

Ji also spoke about how these intimate performances are starting to shape how the public sees him. Rather than push back, he treats it as part of the job.

"It's a good thing when an image sticks," he said. "For an actor, it's almost like fate. You have to accept it." He continued, "The irony is that you give everything to a role so people will remember it. Then, once that image is set, you work just as hard to change it. That whole cycle feels natural to me."

For Ji, the back-to-back period roles are less about a new lane and more about the ongoing push and pull of an actor's career, where each memorable role brings a new image that eventually becomes something to move past.