[TF Interview] Jung Jin-young of 'Father's Home-cooked Meal,' His Masterpiece After 39 Years Since Debut
Playing the role of Ha-eung, the absolute power in the household"A work that cherishes the honesty and richness of family dramas"Actor Jung Jin-young met with
and conducted an interview regarding the release of 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal,' the first short drama to be screened in theaters. /Lezhin Snack[THE FACT | Reporter Moon Chae-young] Actor Jung Jin-young has chosen 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' as his representative work. It is noteworthy that this is the first representative work he has personally chosen in his 39-year career. The reason Jung Jin-young cherishes 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' even more is the warmth of the work. Jung Jin-young has placed a work that reawakens the importance of family at the top of his career.Jung Jin-young recently met with in a meeting room in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, for an interview regarding the release of the short drama 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' (Director Lee Joon-ik). Playing the role of Ha-eung, the absolute power in the household, he shared various stories related to the work.'Father's Home-Cooked Meal,' released nationwide at Lotte Cinema on the 9th, depicts the story of Ha-eung (played by Jung Jin-young), a father who has only sought home-cooked meals three times a day for 40 years, entering the kitchen for the first time in his life to take care of his wife Soon-ae (played by Lee Jung-eun), who has contracted 'culinary amnesia (a fictional illness where one forgets how to cook).'Based on a webtoon of the same name, 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' was originally a short drama from Lezhin Snack, produced with 61 short episodes of about 2-3 minutes each. It was invited to the 'Platform Special Exhibition: Short-form Cinema' at the 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, and was then edited into a vertical film of about 2 hours and 30 minutes, becoming the first short drama to be screened in theaters.For Jung Jin-young, who has been active in long-form works such as dramas and films for about 39 years, the genre of short dramas was not easy from the beginning. He thought it would take more time to act in a short drama himself because it was unfamiliar. The person who quickly led him into the world of short dramas was none other than director Lee Joon-ik.Jung Jin-young had the nickname 'Jeonse Actor' from director Lee Joon-ik in the early 2000s, having worked together on various projects such as 'Hwasan' (The Yellow Sea), 'King and the Clown,' and 'The Good, the Bad, the Weird' for a long time. He said, "Even if I meet director Lee Joon-ik occasionally, it feels like we met yesterday. He is a director I trust," and added, "For 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' this time, he called me out of the blue and explained it was a 'short drama' before proposing I appear.""With director Lee Joon-ik, we don't even need a manager. We exchange scripts via messenger. For 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' this time, I naturally wanted to do it because it was director Lee Joon-ik's work. But more than that, after reading the script, I felt like I 'absolutely had to do it.' It's a story that's hard to come by these days."Actor Jung Jin-young expressed his pride and meaningfulness as an actor who participated in the theatrical release of the short drama 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal.' /Lezhin Snack'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' was an unusual work from the start. Jung Jin-young said, "We first showed 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, and the audience watched the entire work until the end. No one got up and left midway," he said. "After seeing the audience shed tears, the plan for a theatrical release was made at the after-party. It is a very meaningful event as an actor who participated in the work."In fact, the actors and production crew did not even anticipate the theatrical screening of the work. Jung Jin-young, who felt even more moved, said, "'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' was not produced with the goal of theatrical release. It is clearly a short drama," he said. "Because the story was good, we would say among ourselves, 'It would have been nice if it were a low-budget film,' but there was nothing we could do. However, unexpectedly, we were able to meet the audience in theaters. It's a miracle."Jung Jin-young also shared his thoughts after watching 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' being screened on the big screen. He said, "The essence of the story hasn't changed, but there were parts that looked new," and "It seems to approach me differently every time I watch it. Even though I appeared in it, I see things I didn't see before."Actor Jung Jin-young plays the role of Ha-eung in the short drama 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal,' a man who took his wife's home-cooked meals for granted for 40 years. /Lezhin SnackIn the play, Jung Jin-young plays the role of Ha-eung, a husband who has lived as the absolute power in the household for 40 years and has always received meals prepared by his wife. He is a character who perfectly reflects the image of a father from those patriarchal times. Jung Jin-young confidently stated that it is a story that many people who lived through the same era can relate to."Our work depicts a father who, while considering his wife's 'home-cooked meals' as a given reward, has worked hard his entire life to support his family. Therefore, regardless of their individual circumstances, everyone can relate to it as 'my story.' The intricate stories will resonate deeply with your heart."He also recalled old memories while playing Ha-eung. Jung Jin-young said, "I am also a father at home. I remembered my first meeting with my wife and overlapped with the thought, 'How have I lived until now?'" He confessed, "I thought, 'I need to be better to my family now.'"His chemistry with Lee Jung-eun, who played the role of his wife Soon-ae, was also excellent. Having previously worked together as a couple in the TVING series 'Yonder' with director Lee Joon-ik, they already had a strong sense of trust. Jung Jin-young praised Lee Jung-eun as a "great actress.""I had no worries about playing a couple with Lee Jung-eun. It naturally felt like a couple who had lived together for a long time. When the chemistry is good, actors can comfortably appreciate each other's performances. This time, in 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal,' I filmed while enjoying Lee Jung-eun's acting."Actor Jung Jin-young confidently stated that the short drama 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' is "a work that you won't regret watching." /Lezhin SnackOn this day, Jung Jin-young cited the "preciousness of home-cooked meals" as the core message of the work. He explained, "Through a series of events, it makes us realize again that 'home-cooked meals' are not something to be taken for granted, but are full of love and sincerity," and added, "Episodes that evoke warm emotions continue."He also called 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' his representative work. Jung Jin-young said, "In the past, when asked about my representative work, I always said, 'All works are the same. How can I differentiate them?' But now, I think I will answer 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal,'" he said. "That's how much I like this work."Jung Jin-young, who has such a special affection for 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal,' expressed his wish for the work to reach many audiences. He said, "It is a work that possesses the honesty and richness of a family story. I hope you enjoy it very much," and boldly stated, "I can confidently say it is a work you will not regret choosing.""I am happy that 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal' is being screened in theaters. However, it will be meaningless if the audience doesn't choose it. Ultimately, I believe the audience chooses the work by fate. As someone who loves 'Father's Home-Cooked Meal,' I hope this work is chosen by many audience members and deeply touches their hearts."mcy21@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]
