[Interview] Dong-hwi Lee "10 Years Since Debut, Reached a Turning Point in My Acting Career"

Movie 'Eouhe' Naive Boyfriend Junho Role
Portrayed Like a Real Person Without Makeup
Popularity's Light and Shadow... "Always Must Be Humble"

"I drink alcohol about 20 times a year. Only at wrap parties or on the day of a ritual. Thanks to that, I have a lot of time. I wake up early in the morning and go around. I'm used to a life full of curiosity about many things."

Actor Lee Dong-hwi (37) was full of curiosity about all things in the universe. He said he just likes clothes but is not a 'fashionista,' and although his MBTI personality type is a powerful 'I' (introvert) who desperately hopes the other party cancels on the day of an appointment, he said he is happy when meeting people from various fields. His real self closely resembles the characters in his works. A personality that seems to exist everywhere but can be seen nowhere. A face that is monochrome but soon dyed in full color, just like his characters.

Actor Lee Dong-hwi [Photo by An Seong-jin]

On the afternoon of the 3rd, Lee Dong-hwi, whom I met at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, said, "Challenges are always homework. Actors are people who are put to use. I know the public expects challenges from me. Even if it takes some time, I try to make choices without regrets. I want to quietly perform the given acting and keep my balance."

Lee Dong-hwi became known for his role as Ryu Dong-ryong in the tvN drama 'Reply 1988' (2015). He played a detective in the movie 'Extreme Job' (2019), which attracted 10 million viewers, and in 2021, he was selected as a member of the project group MSG Wannabe on MBC variety show 'Hangout with Yoo,' gaining attention by challenging himself in singing.

10 Years Since Debut, Light and Shadow

Actor Lee Dong-hwi [Photo by An Seong-jin]

The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Lee Dong-hwi said he became stronger by enduring the time before and after the lights went off. Recalling that time, he said, "I experienced repayment three times."

"Before 'Hangout with Yoo,' I didn't work on projects for about a year and a half, and before 'Extreme Job,' it was also about a year and a half. It was quite interesting. Because of that, I think I gradually became more humble. When I was an aspiring actor, I let everything go and thought, 'I'm wrong. I can't do it.' Then the project 'Reply 1988' came along. That was the reason I decided to try properly once. I realized that suffering alone doesn't help; if you wait, opportunities come."

Lee Dong-hwi continued talking about the recently released online streaming service (OTT) Disney+ series 'Casino.' He said, "As part of that, the work I want to talk about is 'Casino.'" He added, "Producer Jang Won-seok, who worked with me on the movie 'Way Back Home,' handed me the script for 'Casino' after nine years. I never imagined I would receive a noir gangster movie script, so I liked it. The connection is continuing with 'The Outlaws 4.'"

"Working alongside Choi Min-sik marked a turning point in my acting career. When I met the gaze of a master actor who had reached the pinnacle of acting, I felt awe. I was amazed by the senior's face and charisma. I want to follow in those footsteps. He is a great senior who pulls me back when I get distracted by things other than acting. I respect him."

"Geumjjok's Boyfriend Is Different from His Real Self"

Actor Lee Dong-hwi [Photo by An Seong-jin]

Lee Dong-hwi plays Junho, a boyfriend who lives off his girlfriend while preparing for a civil service exam, in 'Maybe We Broke Up,' directed by actor-director Hyung Seul-woo. The movie, which opens on the 8th, depicts the process of a loved one becoming a stranger.

Junho utters only foolish words, tangled with hope that he will definitely pass this time, laziness wanting to settle in the present, and guilt toward his girlfriend who sacrifices for him. Ah-young, the girlfriend who gave up her dreams to support her boyfriend, grows tired of Junho lying at home and only playing games. That image closely resembles 'Geumjjok.'

"Junho is someone who has become accustomed to life. He is a person blessed with fortune. (laughs) Honestly, I couldn't understand him. When I was an aspiring actor, I couldn't stand staying at home and had to go out somehow to distribute profile materials, and I felt satisfied only after visiting one more place. I was busy gathering information here and there. I lived desperately trying to find a breakthrough."

How did he understand Junho? Lee Dong-hwi viewed it as "He changed like that after being broken by clashing with an uncertain future and reality." He added, "There are still friends around me who are in the process of becoming actors. It hurts my heart to see friends who boldly dreamed in college change after more than ten years."

Movie Still from "Maybe We Broke Up"
[Photo by Movie Special City SMC]

Lee Dong-hwi, who immersed himself in the role without makeup, said, "I like actress Frances McDormand, and in the movie 'Nomadland,' she looks like a real person working at a logistics center. The appearance of an actor seen through the screen should look like a person living there. I try to keep that as an obsession."

The original title was 'The Man Looking Left, The Woman Looking Right.' It was inspired by a scene where Junho, who had a stiff shoulder, meets and talks with his ex-girlfriend.

"When I say to someone, 'I'm filming a story about a man who only looks left because he has a stiff shoulder while meeting a lover he hasn't seen in a long time,' everyone laughs and says, 'What does that mean?' At first, I also thought it didn't make sense, so I asked the director, and he told me to believe it was a true story. The irony of an unrealistic situation creates fun, doesn't it? The essence is ultimately a love story, and if the tightrope walking is done well, wouldn't it be fresh? I'm looking forward to how the audience will see it."