Korean actor Joo Ji Hoon is entering his Nth golden age with Netflix original medical drama “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,” surpassing “Squid Game 2” to rank No. 1 globally in its second week of release.
In a recent interview with Daily Sports, Joo Ji Hoon shared about the difficulties during filming and expressed excitement about the possibility of the drama producing a second season.
“Trauma Care Center” marks the reunion after 11 years between Joo Ji Hoon and director Lee Do Yoon - who collaborated with him on the film “Confession”.
The actor took on the project because it had an engaging script, was “a refreshing fantasy that could be applied to any industry,” and “offered a clear ending.”
In addition, Joo Ji Hoon felt that the film's color was very suitable for director Lee Do Yoon, so he introduced the director as the film's director.
“Although it has been a long time since we last worked together, we still meet and talk often over the years. He is someone I love, someone with whom I have shared many joys and sorrows and have a lot in common,” the actor said about his bond with director Lee.
However, the filming process was not easy. Although Joo Ji Hoon had experience in many films adapted from comics such as “Goong”, “Along With The Gods”, “Light Shop”, he still encountered many difficulties with each scene.
Especially since “Trauma Care Center” deals with the theme of life and death, the adaptation was challenging. The crew had to hold meetings lasting 10 hours every day.
“I was really worried to the point of going crazy. Since the film involves human life, things can’t be handled carelessly. For example, even a 1cm tear in the heart can affect life.
In this film, if blood splattered everywhere, it would look no different from “Kingdom”. And such details are also easy to cause controversy. Even though it is not a documentary, the work still needs to bring drama to the audience” - Joo Ji Hoon recalled the difficulties and confessed: “This is the most exhausting film I have ever made”.
In addition, while filming the drama, Joo Ji Hoon felt that he needed leadership skills. Like the character of Doctor Baek Kang Hyuk that he played, while working on the set, Joo Ji Hoon also needed to lead young actors such as Choo Young Woo, Ha Young, Jung Jae Kwang and create a positive atmosphere.
Praised by his colleagues for his decisiveness and humor, Joo Ji Hoon confessed that he was originally an introvert and that becoming a "talkative" person was a result of training through work.
“I developed my social skills by working from a very young age as a presenter. But that doesn't mean I'm so good that I can tell you anything.
On the contrary, because of the large age gap, I was worried that if I tried to approach them, the juniors would feel uncomfortable.
Instead, I kept asking the director about every little detail. That way, I wanted everyone to see that “it’s okay to do it this way.” Because I myself had a difficult time, not knowing what to do,” Joo Ji Hoon shared.
When asked if he would participate if “Trauma Care Center” produced a season 2, he immediately replied: “Yes.”
“Of course, if I continue with season 2, I will have to go through the difficult process again. But I have great confidence in the chemistry between me and my colleagues. Moreover, if there really is a season 2, it proves that the audience loves and supports the film. Therefore, there is no reason to refuse,” said the actor.
