[CELEB] Actor Lee Seo-jin loses his hair but gains new fan base

Television

Published: 09 Feb. 2022, 15:14 Updated: 17 Feb. 2022, 11:11

[CELEB] Actor Lee Seo-jin loses his hair but gains new fan base

The poster for Tving's ″Dr. Park's Clinic,″ starring actor Lee Seo-jin as a balding doctor. [TVING]

Streaming platform Tving's comedy show "Dr. Park's Clinic," starring actor Lee Seo-jin saw Lee take on a role he had never tried before in his acting career of over 20 years: a bald doctor.

Thanks to his comical acting, Tving revealed last month that a heap of viewers who are in their 50s and 60s have signed up to the platform to watch the show.

“In the second week since the show’s premiere, paid subscriptions increased by two times compared to the first episode on Jan. 14,” a spokesperson for Tving told local news outlet Money Today.

“Dr. Park’s Clinic” is about the silly yet kindhearted Dr. Park Won-jang, who opens a new clinic but struggles business-wise as he barely has any patients. Dr. Park studied all his life to become a successful, charming doctor who treats patients well just like the doctors in movies and TV shows but ends up having to confront a harsh and cruel reality.

“Dr. Park’s Clinic” was adapted from a Naver Webtoon of the same name, written and drawn by a doctor-turned-cartoonist. The webtoon is only available in Korean as of Feb. 9, but is receiving high ratings in the nine-point range for all 18 episodes that have been published so far.

The show is a sitcom and is popular among fans thanks to its dark humor. An episode runs for 30 minutes and each focuses on the minutiae of the life of a doctor.

Lee’s role as the bald Dr. Park is especially getting attention as it is a fresh character for the actor. Since his debut in SBS’s television drama series “House on the Waves” (translated), Lee has usually taken on serious roles like an orphan or a person with childhood trauma. He became recognized through television shows like MBC’s “Damo” (2003), “Phoenix” (2004) and “Marriage Contract” (2016).

He hasn’t been as active on the big screen, but was praised for his role in the comedy drama film “Intimate Strangers” (2018), based on the 2016 Italian film “Perfect Strangers.” Lee played Joon-mo, an attractive newlywed husband who is full of secrets.

Apart from television and films, Lee is most known for his appearances on variety shows including tvN’s “Three Meals a Day” (2014-21), “Grandpas Over Flowers” (2013-18) and “Youn’s Stay” (2021), all of which were produced by star producer and director Na Young-seok. With Lee and Na having worked together for many years, the pair are famous for having a close relationship and joking about each other all the time.

In a recent press interview, Lee revealed that the script of “Dr. Park’s Clinic” did not include the fact that his character was bald.

“I looked so good being bald,” he said. “[In the webtoon] Dr. Park’s signature look is being bald. The director said that I didn’t have to be bald but I told him I was going to go with it.

“I want to continue trying out fresh new roles and genres. But since I’m not married, I don’t think I will be acting in family-oriented dramas anytime soon.”

Tving is currently only available in Korea.

Lee Seo-jin

Date of birth: Jan. 30, 1971
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Jung District, central Seoul
Debut: January 1999 in SBS’s “House on the Waves” (translated)
Agency: Hook Entertainment

Actor Lee Seo-jin debuted in 1999 in the SBS television drama series “House on the Waves” (translated). He has acted in dozens of television shows, his most famous works including MBC’s “Damo” (2003), “Phoenix” (2004) and “Marriage Contract” (2016). He also appeared in films “Ghost Taxi” (2000), “Love Forecast” (2015) and “Intimate Strangers” (2018). Lee is best known for being on variety shows with star producer Na Young-seok on tvN, like “Three Meals a Day” (2014-21), “Grandpas Over Flowers” (2013-18) and “Youn’s Stay” (2021).

This information was confirmed by Hook Entertainment on Feb. 9, 2022.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]