Ahn Jae-hong put on 10kg for his role in Netflix’s ‘Mask Girl’

South Korean actor Ahn Jae-hong has opened up about the transformation he went through for his role in the Netflix K-drama Mask Girl.

In Mask Girl, Ahn Jae-hong plays office worker Joo Oh-nam, a socially withdrawn man obsessed with the show’s titular character. The series also stars After School‘s Nana, veteran actress Go Hyun-jung and newcomer Lee Han-byeol.

In a new interview with The Korea Times, Ahn Jae-hong touched on the steps it took to transform himself into the character of Joo Oh-nam, including a 10kg weight gain and special effects makeup.

“I wanted [Joo] to have a bizarre look that can show his character with a glance, so the special effects makeup director gave a lot of ideas too,” he said. “We tested out different versions to create Joo’s appearance and physique.”

“He’s not the type of person who communicates a lot with other people, so I felt he would have a hoarse voice whenever he spoke,” he added. “I also came up with weak, unconfident voice and poor posture for the secluded character, locked up in his own space.”

Ahn also revealed that he had hesitated to take on the role because, unlike his previous “bright-spirited and cheerful” parts, the character of Joo Oh-nam was “filled with dark and intense energy”.

In other K-drama news, Netflix has released a trailer for Song of the Bandits, starring Kim Nam-gil and Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun. The series will premiere globally on September 22, exclusively on Netflix.