Kim Seon-ho during the press conference for Disney's thriller series 'The Tyrant.' Photos courtesy of Disney+MANILA — From the charm he exuded in romantic dramas like “Start-Up” and “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” to the sinister presence he brought to the action-packed film “The Childe,” Kim Seon-ho has showcased versatility as an actor.

Now, he is set to challenge himself once more in Disney’s new thriller series “The Tyrant,” joining the project to expand his acting repertoire by taking on a character unlike any he has played before.

The four-part series, set in the same universe as director Park Hoon-jung’s sci-fi action film franchise “The Witch,” revolves around a covert bioweapon initiative called the Tyrant Program. When a sample from the program is stolen, it sets off a chain of events that entangle various characters, each with their own motives.

In the series, scheduled to premiere on August 14, Seon-ho portrays Director Choi, “the architect” of the Tyrant Program.

“Director Choi is someone I have not played in my past works so [I thought] I could bring a new facet of myself through this character,” the 38-year-old actor said via an interpreter at a virtual press conference, explaining his decision to join the show.

Seon-ho also confessed to being a “big fan” of “The Witch,” comprising two films that center around young female protagonists who develop superhuman abilities after being experimented on in a secret laboratory.

Elaborating on his character, Seon-ho explained, “He’s the youngest director in his unit but he’s someone who wants to protect the Tyrant Program at all costs.”

“And no matter what the situation... he keeps his calm. In the face of a crisis, he can even enjoy a nice brunch. That’s how poised he is,” he said.

“The Tyrant” also serves as a reunion project between Seon-ho and director Hoon-jung after their collaboration on the 2023 film “The Childe,” where Seon-ho played an assassin who goes after a Korean-Filipino boxer.

The only similarity between Director Choi and his role in “The Childe,” Seon-ho said, is their “innocent face with glaring eyes.”

“This time around, [Director Choi is] weaker. He’s more fragile and lonely. In ‘The Childe,’ my character was enjoying everything but Director Choi in ‘The Tyrant’ is someone who has a lot of conflicts inside. He has a lot of different concerns swirling inside his head,” he said.

Hoon-jung revealed he already had “The Tyrant”—his first foray into a series project—in mind while writing “The Witch,” which was released in 2018.

“Even before I had the script [for ‘The Tyrant’] ready, I already contacted the actors, so when the script was ready, we could just give them to the cast and get started right away,” the director shared.

While Seon-ho had initial concerns in playing Director Choi, Hoon-jung had “complete confidence” in the actor. “Because he has a very big range, a huge spectrum in terms of his acting. I think viewers are going to get a very charming and appealing character,” Hoon-jung said.

(From left to right) Kim Kang-woo, Jo Yoon-su, Director Park Hoon-jung, Kim Seon-ho and Cha Seung-won

Other characters

Apart from Seon-ho, the cast also includes Cha Seung-won (“A Korean Odyssey,” “One Ordinary Day” and “Our Blues”), Kim Kang-woo (“The Childe” and “Wonderful World”) and newcomer Jo Yun-soo.

Seung-won portrays Lim Sang, a former intelligence agent who has transitioned into a fixer. “He has been commissioned to go after the sample of this virus created through the Tyrant program,” the actor said of his character.

On the other hand, Kang-woo plays Paul, an intelligence agent from the United States who arrives in Korea with the mission to “demolish” the Tyrant program.

Kang-woo described Paul as “absolutely relentless and cold-blooded,” adding that his character’s background is complex due to his being ethnically Korean yet American.

Regarding his preparation, Kang-woo noted that he “had to really practice a lot of English dialogue,” which he found to be quite challenging.

Yoon-su, meanwhile, introduced her character Chae Ja-gyeong as “someone who has also been commissioned to steal the sample of the Tyrant Program.”

“Unlike what you may think of her at first glance, [Ja-gyeong] is very skilled with all types of weapons and if she is paid the right amount of money, she will do everything, from stealing to taking someone out,” the actress said.

(From left to right) Kim Kang-woo, Cha Seung-won and Jo Yoon-su

Explaining his decision to cast Yoon-su, director Hoon-jung said the role required “an unknown face” and “someone who is a veiled mystery.”

“I think you will all be convinced when you watch the series that [Yoon-su] was a perfect casting choice,” he said.

Pure entertainment

When asked about the show’s message, Hoon-jung clarified, “This is not a message-conveying show. This is just a very entertaining show. It’s going to be a fun, thrilling ride for the audiences.”

“It’s a four-episode series so I think it’s going to just fly by in the blink of an eye,” Seung-won said.

“There’s so much tension, nail-biting scenes and a lot of narrative as well. So I think it's going to be a very fun, entertaining series that will make your time fly,” the actor added.

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