Jo Hyun Jae: "Great Ambition" is just great

I must confess "Great Ambition" (Dae Mang, SBS 2002) is one of two Jo Hyun-Jae dramas that I have not watched from beginning to end. (Can you guess what the other is?) I did plough through the first episode, though. I made the mistake of watching it in bed and had difficulty keeping my eyes open by the end of the episode. I only remember it was very dark and I could not tell who was who. I was already very disappointed when I did not see JHJ's name among the actors just before the start of the drama.

The next day I learnt to use the FF function on my remote. The first time JHJ appears (in Episode 12?) he brightens up the scene immediately. He's wearing a sort of pink garment which would look sissy on any man except JHJ. He later appears in yellow and bright red (in the imperial robes of the Crown Prince.) I read somewhere that:
1. When JHJ went for his screen test, the director asked him to put on the costume of the Crown Prince. One look and the director said: "You've got the role." Nobody could look more regal than our JHJ.
2. JHJ's role is originally very small and his character is supposed to die very soon. But his initial appearance aroused so much interest that the director/scriptwriter had to expand his role, which is why his Crown Prince is still there at the end of the drama -- to take possession of his kingdom.
3. The director of "Seo Dong Yo" saw JHJ in "Great Ambition" and it made an impression on him. When he was casting for the role of Seo Dong, he insisted on using JHJ, even though no actor so young has ever had such an important role in a historical drama of such length.
4. Some Korean fans remarked (tongue-in-cheek) that if the Crown Prince really looked like JHJ, Korea would still have the royal family today!

JHJ's role in "Great Ambition" is very small, but every time he appears, he sucks the oxygen out of the room (in a manner of speaking.) All the other actors and actresses pale in comparison. And JHJ was only 22 then. Enjoy these photos. Next time I'll tell you more about my favourite scenes in this drama.