Ju Ji-hoon Shows a New Side as Emperor Sovieshu on Disney+

Actor Ju Ji-hoon is showing a new side of himself in "The Remarried Empress". In the Disney+ original series, he plays Sovieshu, an emperor who leans on his authority but can't keep his jealousy in check.

The series premiered recently on the streaming service. One day after its release, it reached No. 1 in the TV shows category in 12 countries.

Sovieshu rules the Eastern Empire with absolute power. He is married to Empress Navier (played by Shin Min-a). Then trouble starts when he meets Rashta (Lee Se-young), a runaway slave, and falls for her.

In the early episodes, Sovieshu falls for Rashta at first sight and declares that he will make her his mistress. Later, he punishes Navier's lady-in-waiting in public for being rude to Rashta. He keeps acting without thinking about the empress's position. The two slowly drift apart due to his actions.

The New Year festival doesn't change him. Navier spent a long time preparing the event, despite this, Sovieshu dances with Rashta first.

"This is the only song we practiced together," he says.

But when Navier dances with Heinley (Lee Jong-suk), a prince of the Western Kingdom, Sovieshu can't hide his jealousy.

Ju plays a man who doesn't really understand how much he is hurting Navier, yet reacts sharply to her every move. He shifts between Sovieshu's commanding manner and his jealousy through his facial expressions and the way he speaks.

One scene in particular got people talking. Sovieshu's reaction as he watches Navier and Heinley at the festival drew attention on social media and online communities after the episodes came out.

"The Remarried Empress" runs 10 episodes. The first four premiered on Nov. 3, and two new episodes arrive on Disney+ each week.

For Ju, the role is a chance to play an emperor who puts his power first but is ruled by his feelings. That mix is giving viewers a version of the actor they haven't seen before.