Lee Dong-wook Tired of Fantasy Despite Past Success? Wants Something Realistic
Despite past triumphs with fantasy dramas that soared past 20% viewership, actor Lee Dong-wook confessed he had grown exhausted of the genre and revealed why he chose to star in JTBC’s upcoming noir drama “The Nice Guy” (tentative title, originally “착한 사나이”).
At a press conference held on July 14, Lee appeared alongside director Song Hae-sung and co-stars Lee Sung-kyung, Park Hoon, Oh Na-ra, and Ryu Hye-young to promote the drama ahead of its premiere.
“The Nice Guy” tells the story of Park Seok-cheol (played by Lee Dong-wook), the eldest grandson of a notorious three-generation gangster family who unexpectedly harbors a poetic heart. The show follows his emotional journey alongside his first love Kang Mi-young (Lee Sung-kyung), an aspiring singer, in a gritty yet sentimental noir setting.
Regarding his decision to take on such a project, Lee Dong-wook explained that after years of doing genre and fantasy work, he felt drained. “For the past four to five years, I’ve focused on fantasy dramas,” he said, adding, “It was exhausting to constantly create a new world view, to fly through the sky on wires, or to become an uncle from another realm.”
The actor, best known for fantasy hits like “Goblin” and “Tale of the Nine-Tailed”, said he was craving something more rooted in reality. “When I read the script for ‘The Nice Guy’, it felt like my feet were finally back on the ground. I wanted to act out something realistic,” he added.
Rather than transforming into mythical figures, Lee Dong-wook said his approach to this new role was refreshingly simple. “I didn’t prepare anything special for this role. It’s more like everyday acting. You’ll probably see parts of the real Lee Dong-wook in Park Seok-cheol. I wanted to portray a normal person you might find right next to you”, he noted.
Meanwhile, “The Nice Guy” is set to premiere with a two-episode back-to-back launch on July 18 at 8:50 PM KST.
