Joo Sang-wook to pivot to improv comedy in 'Office Workers' Season 3

Actor Joo Sang-wook is set to undergo a genre transformation, moving between serious dramas and comedy as he joins the Coupang Play original series 'Office Workers' Season 3. Following his recent impactful performance as a powerful villain in SBS's 'Agent Kim Reactivated,' he is expected to reveal an unexpected side through this office sitcom that emphasizes spontaneity and ad-libbing.

Joo Sang-wook recently completed filming for 'Office Workers' Season 3, which is scheduled to release its first episode on the 29th at 8 PM. His appearances will be released sequentially in accordance with the season's progression. Following Gong Hyo-jin, who is known to be the first guest of Season 3, interest in the new guest lineup is growing with the addition of Joo Sang-wook.

'Office Workers' is a work that portrays the daily lives and interpersonal relationships of office workers centered around the fictional company DY Planning, using a hyper-realistic ad-lib sitcom format. It differentiates itself from typical traditional sitcoms by actively utilizing the actors' quick wit and real reactions rather than mechanically reproducing completed scripts. The show converts the power dynamics, competition, social pressure, pretension, and survival instincts that occur within the limited space of an office into comedic material.

Season 3 expands the existing universe further. Consulting episodes targeting star clients will appear, and the narrative will unfold in a way where guests create situational skits directly with the members of DY Planning. The setting, which was centered around the office, will also expand to various locations reflecting the realistic living radius of office workers.

Existing DY Planning members, including Shin Dong-yup, Baek Hyunjin, Kim Min-kyo, Lee Su-ji, Hyun Bong-sik, Kim Won-hun, Ji Ye-eun, Cha Jung-won (Car, the garden), and Sim Ja-yun (STAYC Yun), will also participate in Season 3. In Season 2, figures spanning the entertainment, sports, and cultural sectors—such as Cho Jung-seok, Lee Se-dol, Son Heung-min, Cho Yeo-jeong, Rhee Min-jung, and Ji Chang Wook—appeared, showcasing comedy that utilized the gap between their characters and their real-life images.

Joo Sang-wook's appearance is particularly interesting because he is an actor who has built a filmography centered on serious dramas for a long time. Having debuted in the 1998 KBS drama 'New Generation Report: Adults Don't Know,' he has expanded the scope of his genres and characters through various works such as 'Air City,' 'The Great Queen Seondeok,' 'Giant,' 'Special Investigation Team TEN,' 'Good Doctor,' 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won,' and 'Buried Hearts.'

In 2022, he reaffirmed his status as an actor by winning the KBS Drama Awards for 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won.' This year, in SBS's 'Agent Kim Reactivated,' he challenged himself with a full-scale villain role for the first time in 29 years since his debut. The work was a commercial success, recording a peak viewership rating of 23.1%, and Joo Sang-wook left a strong impression with his cold and overwhelming villainous performance.

For Joo Sang-wook, who has moved through heavy dramas and intense villain roles, 'Office Workers 3' is a challenge of a significantly different nature. In particular, in ad-lib-centered comedy, where one must instantaneously change their breathing based on the reaction of the co-star rather than acting controlled by a script, an actor's quick wit and ability to engage in self-deprecation are crucial.

The key point to watch is whether Joo Sang-wook, having set aside the authority of 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won' and the ruthlessness of 'Agent Kim Reactivated,' can utilize his own seriousness as material for laughter. If the acting expertise he has accumulated as a serious actor over a long period combines with improv comedy, there is a possibility that an unexpected character, never seen in his previous works, will be born.

If 'Office Workers 3' succeeds in creating new comedic characters by twisting the existing images of each actor rather than merely relying on the fame of star guests, Joo Sang-wook's appearance is expected to be a major example that demonstrates the color of Season 3.