[CELEB] Lee Joon-gi shows a similar but different side in newest role

Television

Published: 14 Apr. 2022, 12:59 Updated: 14 Apr. 2022, 15:16

[CELEB] Lee Joon-gi shows a similar but different side in newest role

Lee Joon-gi [NAMOOACTORS]

What would you do if you had the chance to redo part of your life?

Prosecutor Kim Hee-woo in SBS drama series “Again My Life” gets just that, and he uses his second chance to realize justice — by ridding society of the ultimate evil, who goes by the name of Jo Tae-seop.

Actor Lee Joon-gi is back after a two-year hiatus following his last tvN drama series “Flower of Evil” (2020) as the just prosecutor Kim Hee-woo, back from the dead to see the end of his archnemesis, Jo Tae-seop (played by Lee Kyoung-young). Not only is he given a second chance in life, but he gets to time-warp back some 15 years to when he was 20, to do it all over again. From that moment on, his sole goal is to prepare himself for the ultimate battle against Jo Tae-seop.

Lee as the just prosecutor Kim Hee-woo who is reincarnated to defeat his archnemesis Jo Tae-seop in SBS drama series "Again My Life." [SBS]

The series is adapted from a web novel (2015-16) and webtoon (2019-21) of the same title published on Kakao Page.

At an online press event on April 5, the actor admitted that he had initially turned down the role when it was offered to him.

“At first, I declined the role,” he said. “I was hooked by the series’ intriguing narrative, but I was worried that my acting would become too redundant because [the character] had to show various sides of emotions and action sequences [similar to prior roles] I’ve done before.

“However, the director gave me a second chance to consider the offer, and I thought it was destiny,” he continued. “I became convinced that I could show something new to the audience by combining my determination and the traits I am confident about.”

Lee Joon-gi shot to stardom in the early stages of his career through the hit historical drama film “The King and the Clown” (2005) by director Lee Joon-ik. Lee portrayed the effeminate street clown named Gong Gil who captures the interest of the king, Yeonsan-gun, historically regarded as the most notorious tyrant in the history of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The film currently ranks as the 15th highest-grossing film in the history of Korean cinema, having sold more than 12.3 million tickets.

Lee as the effeminate street clown Gong Gil who captures the interest of the king in "The King and the Clown" (2005) [CINEMA SERVICE]

As the film succeeded, it coincided with the airing of SBS drama series “My Girl” (2005), in which he again appeared as one of the lead roles. Recording an average viewership rate of more than 20 percent, the overlapping of the two hit projects instantly landed Lee with stardom.

Other notable works Lee starred in include the film “May 18” (2007), MBC drama series “Time Between Dog and Wolf” (2007) and SBS drama series “Iljimae” (2008).

As proven through “The King and the Clown” and “Iljimae,” the actor shows strong proficiency in the historical drama genre, and he featured again in historical fantasy drama series “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” (2016) on SBS along with actor and singer Lee Ji-eun. He portrayed the lone prince Wang So, shunned by everyone around him for a scar on his face, during the reign of King Taejo in the Goryeo Dynasty, who ultimately rises to take the throne. The series was a remake from a Chinese drama series “Scarlet Heart” (2011). Although the series was considered to be a commercial failure during the time due to its relatively low average rating of 7.6 percent, it continued to create maniac fandoms even after the series ended due to the cast’s chemistry, performance and the tragic ending.

Lee as the outsider prince Wang So in SBS drama series "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” (2016) [NAMOOACTORS]

Lee’s most recent performance in “Flower of Evil” was also showered with praise and created a solid fan base as he portrayed the character of Baek Hee-sung, a character with a dark past who hides his psychopathic qualities from his wife and his daughter and leads a peaceful and mundane life for 14 years until he becomes a likely suspect of serial killings.

“Again My Life” airs on SBS every Friday and Saturday at 10 p.m. The series is also available on local streaming platforms Wavve and Coupang Play.

Lee Joon-gi

Date of birth: April 17, 1982
Zodiac sign: Aries
Birthplace: Nam District, Busan
Debut: 2001 as a model for apparel brand So Basic
Agency: Namooactors

Lee Joon-gi debuted on screen as a model for the apparel brand So Basic in 2001. He made his acting debut in a Korean-language Japanese film “The Hotel Venus” (2004), directed by Hideta Takahata. Lee rose to fame by taking on the part of the clown named Gong-Gil in “The King and the Clown” (2005), a historical drama film directed by Lee Joon-ik which reaped over 12.3 million tickets sold at the local box office. Lee is currently featuring as a prosecutor Kim Hee-woo back from the dead whose mission lies in ridding society of the ultimate evil in SBS drama series “Again My Life.”

This information was confirmed by Namooactors on April 7, 2022.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]