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Jo Jung-suk returns to theaters this summer with My Daughter is a Zombie, taking on the role of a devoted father fighting to protect his zombie-infected daughter. At a press interview, Jo repeatedly emphasized one theme: being “natural”—both in acting and in life.

The actor, who has become synonymous with summer box office hits thanks to Exit and Pilot, brushed off the hype with humility. “Joining this project was part of a natural flow,” he said at a café in Seoul’s Jongno district. “Since I’m a father myself, the role came naturally, and the script was genuinely fun. I didn’t choose it based on genre confidence or release timing.”

Set to premiere on July 30, My Daughter is a Zombie is based on a popular webtoon. Jo plays Jung-hwan, a zookeeper who flees to the countryside with his daughter Soo-ah (Choi Yoo-ri) after she’s infected in a global zombie outbreak. He moves in with his mother, Bamsun (Lee Jung-eun), and attempts to train Soo-ah to regain her humanity.

Jo delivers a performance filled with both physical comedy and poignant emotion, portraying a father desperate to save his daughter, even as she begins to lose herself to the virus. He described the character as someone who instinctively puts his professional skills to use to protect what matters most.

My Daughter is a Zombie holds special meaning for Jo, not just because of his close friendships with co-stars Lee Jung-eun, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Jo Yeo-jeong, but because of his own life as a father. Married to singer Gummy, Jo now has a six-year-old daughter who he says resembles him so much that “she’s basically Jo Jung-suk with long hair.”

“As someone raising a daughter myself, I found myself overwhelmed with emotion in certain scenes,” he said. “I had to consciously hold back. I think that’s just what being a dad does to you. After becoming a father, my life goal shifted—it’s now to become a good dad. I’m still figuring out what exactly that means, but I believe being faithful to my family is the best place to start.”

Jo added with a laugh, “My wife recently said in a YouTube interview that I live doing everything I want—but that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Please correct it to ‘someone who does some of what he wants.’”

Asked if he gravitates toward comedy roles, Jo said, “I always go with my gut, not others’ recommendations. I need to find the project fun first—then I can enjoy filming. That just happened to lead me to a lot of comedies.”

But he’s clear about one thing: “You should never try to be funny. That’s my golden rule for comedy.” Citing his recent cameo as a villain in Weak Hero Class 2, Jo added, “It’s not that I insist on comedy. Like any actor, I’ve always had a desire to transform—and that hasn’t changed since my debut.”