Cho Jin Woong revealed how he felt about playing a role in the baseball film Perfect Game at its press preview and roundtable held on December 12 in Seoul.

When asked whether he’s an actual baseball fan, Cho answered, “I’m from Busan, so I was born a Lotte fan. This made shooting for this film especially enjoyable. My friends from my hometown liked it a lot.”

Cho Jin Woong took on the role of Kim Yong Chul, a fellow Lotte team player of Choi Dong Won (Cho Seung Woo). Cho Jin Woong was praised for successfully depicting a Gyeongsang man who has a warm heart inside him despite that he’s rude on the outside because he’s hidden in the legendary Choi’s shadow.

On what efforts he went through for his role, Cho said, “I just played baseball. I learned for the first time that baseball can hurt. I don’t curse at the players anymore while I watch baseball.”

He added as a wrap-up, “I acted for this film at about the time I started filming SBS’ A Tree with Deep Roots. I was able to keep a balance of emotions because I could act comfortably in Perfect Game and then act uncomfortably under a picky king in the drama. I hope the audience enjoys our film.”

Perfect Game is a baseball film which outlines the rivalry between two of Korea’s legendary pitchers, Choi Dong Won and Sun Dong Ryul. The film is set to premiere on December 21.

Photo credit: Kim Byung Gwan