NCT DREAM member Jisung is preparing to make his acting debut in ENA's upcoming drama Crash 2: Road of Fury, and director Park Joon Woo has revealed the reason behind his casting.
On November 10, the cast and production team attended a press conference in Seoul ahead of the drama's premiere. Director Park Joon Woo was joined by Lee Min Ki, Kwak Sun Young, Heo Sung Tae, Lee Ho Chul, Moon Hee, and NCT's Jisung.
During the event, Park Joon Woo gave a surprisingly simple answer when asked why he chose Jisung for the drama.
“I cast him because he's popular,” the director said, drawing attention with his straightforward response.
However, Park Joon Woo also praised Jisung's dedication to preparing for his first acting role.
“Even though he has a busy performance schedule as an idol, Jisung still attended action school. He also made time to practice what I wanted him to do,” the director explained.
In Crash 2, Jisung plays Ji Dae Se, an enthusiastic rookie police officer who joins the traffic division at Namgang Police Station because he admires the Traffic Crime Investigation (T.C.I.) team.
Jisung introduced his character as an energetic and cheerful young officer who also carries a hidden emotional struggle.
Speaking about joining the drama, Jisung revealed that his fellow NCT DREAM members had been teasing him about acting alongside experienced stars.
“To be completely honest, the members teased me a lot. They would say, 'Who are you to act alongside such amazing senior actors?'” he shared, making the audience laugh.
When asked which member teased him the most, Jisung explained that it was impossible to choose just one.
“Everyone teased me together. But even though they teased me a lot, it actually comforted me. That's just our way of showing support, and I really liked it,” he said.
Despite the playful reactions from his members, Jisung admitted that he felt nervous when filming began.
“At first, I was so nervous on set that I just kept thinking, 'Let's not cause trouble for anyone,'” he recalled.
However, after receiving support from the director and his senior co-stars, he gradually became more confident and wanted to achieve something more with his performance.
“As everyone helped me and I became more ambitious, I started thinking that I wanted to receive praise at least once when the drama aired,” he explained.
Jisung added that his goal was to earn positive feedback from fans, viewers, or people working in the entertainment industry.
The NCT member also made a playful ratings promise, suggesting that the cast could release a song together if the drama performed well.
“The senior actors have such great voices that I would love for all of us to sing together and release a song,” he said.
Meanwhile, Crash 2: Road of Fury marks the return of the popular traffic crime investigation series, which first aired in 2024 and became one of ENA's highest-rated dramas.
The second season follows the T.C.I. team as it expands into a nationwide investigation unit under the National Investigation Headquarters, taking on traffic-related crimes across South Korea.
With its original cast returning and Jisung joining as a new member, the 12-episode drama is scheduled to premiere on November 16 at 10 PM KST on ENA.
NCT DREAM member Jisung is preparing to make his acting debut in ENA's upcoming drama Crash 2: Road of Fury, and director Park Joon Woo has revealed the reason behind his casting.
On November 10, the cast and production team attended a press conference in Seoul ahead of the drama's premiere. Director Park Joon Woo was joined by Lee Min Ki, Kwak Sun Young, Heo Sung Tae, Lee Ho Chul, Moon Hee, and NCT's Jisung.
During the event, Park Joon Woo gave a surprisingly simple answer when asked why he chose Jisung for the drama.
“I cast him because he's popular,” the director said, drawing attention with his straightforward response.
However, Park Joon Woo also praised Jisung's dedication to preparing for his first acting role.
“Even though he has a busy performance schedule as an idol, Jisung still attended action school. He also made time to practice what I wanted him to do,” the director explained.
In Crash 2, Jisung plays Ji Dae Se, an enthusiastic rookie police officer who joins the traffic division at Namgang Police Station because he admires the Traffic Crime Investigation (T.C.I.) team.
Jisung introduced his character as an energetic and cheerful young officer who also carries a hidden emotional struggle.
Speaking about joining the drama, Jisung revealed that his fellow NCT DREAM members had been teasing him about acting alongside experienced stars.
“To be completely honest, the members teased me a lot. They would say, 'Who are you to act alongside such amazing senior actors?'” he shared, making the audience laugh.
When asked which member teased him the most, Jisung explained that it was impossible to choose just one.
“Everyone teased me together. But even though they teased me a lot, it actually comforted me. That's just our way of showing support, and I really liked it,” he said.
Despite the playful reactions from his members, Jisung admitted that he felt nervous when filming began.
“At first, I was so nervous on set that I just kept thinking, 'Let's not cause trouble for anyone,'” he recalled.
However, after receiving support from the director and his senior co-stars, he gradually became more confident and wanted to achieve something more with his performance.
“As everyone helped me and I became more ambitious, I started thinking that I wanted to receive praise at least once when the drama aired,” he explained.
Jisung added that his goal was to earn positive feedback from fans, viewers, or people working in the entertainment industry.
The NCT member also made a playful ratings promise, suggesting that the cast could release a song together if the drama performed well.
“The senior actors have such great voices that I would love for all of us to sing together and release a song,” he said.
Meanwhile, Crash 2: Road of Fury marks the return of the popular traffic crime investigation series, which first aired in 2024 and became one of ENA's highest-rated dramas.
The second season follows the T.C.I. team as it expands into a nationwide investigation unit under the National Investigation Headquarters, taking on traffic-related crimes across South Korea.
With its original cast returning and Jisung joining as a new member, the 12-episode drama is scheduled to premiere on November 16 at 10 PM KST on ENA.
