Ji Chang Wook Reveals He Wanted to Change His Name To One of His Character's Name

Ji Chang Wook wanted to change his name to Dong Hae due to his role in the drama "Smile, Dong Hae".

May 20, 2014 07:06 AM BST

TAGㆍJi Chang Wook

(Photo : Harper's Bazaar)

In a recent interview with media outlet Sports Hankook, actor Ji Chang Wook talked about his massively successful MBC drama series "Empress Ki", as well as his previous acting projects "Warrior Baek Dong Soo" and "Smile, Dong Hae".

During the part where he talked about his 2010 KBS drama series "Smile, Dong Hae", Ji Chang Wook felt very nostalgic about his role. He expressed that even though he did receive attention during the drama, the spotlight waned on him by the time the drama was over. Thankfully, it was through his role in "Empress Ki" that Ji Chang Wook was able to redeem himself and was able to make a lasting impression on viewers. Still, "Smile, Dong Hae" remains a significant part of Ji Chang Wook as its conclusion posed a challenge the actor had to overcome.

The actor shared that because he was immersed in his role, there was a time when people would call him by his character name "Dong Hae", instead of his real name.

He explained, "For a while, I was called 'Dong Hae' by drama viewers and I was in a state of panic. It was to the point that I seriously contemplated if I should change my name to 'Ji Dong Hae.' Now it's different. I don't feel the need to artificially change anything for the memory of viewers. For now, I may be called Ta Hwan, but that will naturally change again. I think my duty is to happily taken on my next project."

Ji Chang Wook received praises for his fantastic portrayals of his roles such as Dong Hae and Ta Hwan. He has now established himself as a notable actor in the industry. He is currently nominated for "Most Popular Actor (TV)" at the upcoming Baeksang Arts Awards for his role as Emperor Huizong on "Empress Ki".

TagㆍJi Chang Wook