So said Oh Ji-ho who acted as curly-haired Jang Gyu-jik in KBS 2TV drama “Queen of the Office”, which ended on May 21. Not many viewers were sympathetic to Oh Ji-ho in the drama who appeared as a villain to Miss Kim (Kim Hye-su) and a source of grief for contract workers. At the same time, he proved that he is the “man for romantic comedies.” 

◆ God of the office? God of comedy! Oh Ji-ho

“Queen of the Office” was the first drama to delve into the realities of permanent workers and contract workers. The drama had an open ending, merely suggesting a new start for Miss Kim and Jang Gyu-jik who meet again in Korea. Oh Ji-ho also admits that he was taken off guard by the ending. How does he feel about having lived as an office worker for three months?

“Once when I was filming in Paju, some elderly women slapped me on my back while I was eating, and told me to stop hassling Miss Kim. I think they were so annoyed at my character that they slapped me, but I felt good that the drama was doing so well. A lot of office workers around me actually thanked me. Our drama said things that they could not say aloud in reality.”

Oh Ji-ho is well-known as an actor who is faithful to the script, but he bravely stepped out of the box for this drama. The scene that posed the biggest challenge for him was the Latin dance scene in the second episode. He was forced to do a “perverted dance.” His wholehearted perverted dance had the viewers doubling over, but he has something else to say about the scene.

“I am a really bad dancer, but I thought I had to make a strong impression. I did image training and a lot of practice at home. When I showed my dance during rehearsals, Kim Hye-su burst out laughing. That gave me confidence, so I overdid it and eventually tore my pants. In fact, I tore my pants four times in total.”

◆ Love line, Kim Hye-su, and marriage

When his fans heard that he was to appear in “Queen of the Office,” they expected his comic acting. It was because of his “crazy presence” in the MBC drama “Couple or Trouble.” When asked about the romantic comedy genre, the actor was firm about one thing—the genre can only succeed if romance and comedy are combined well. 

“I think romance in romantic comedies is important. Without it, the comic part is dead. I wish seven to eight episodes of our drama had the love theme running through. Miss Kim is the opposite of Jang Gyu-jik, but he falls for her. They see each other every day, so what began as hostile affection grows into love. It will be easier to understand if you think of two incompatible people around you who get married.”

Everyone who worked with Kim Hye-su in the drama has praised her. They were all moved by her leadership and wit. Oh Ji-ho, too, showed his respect for the actress. After all, it was Kim Hye-su’s charisma working in line with Oh Ji-ho’s comic nature that made each other shine more.

“I think Kim Hye-su is a great actress. She always monitors and praises others’ acting. When I saw her put on the innerwear for that famous innerwear show scene, I realized that she was really giving her all for this drama and having so much fun. That scene was taken at a studio, and it was so shocking that I asked her if she was OK.”

“I had so much fun on the set, and the people were great. Director Jeon Chang-geun led the team well. He made sure that I did not go overboard, and we all got along comfortably. I am personally disappointed that we did not mark 15% viewer rating. I would like to see ‘Queen of the Office Season 2.’ Next time, I’d like to appear as a contract worker.”