SOURCE: 이준영, 박지훈·임시완·도경수에 무한 감사 "아이돌 출신 배우로 성공" (하지영)
Actor Lee Junyoung expressed his gratitude for Park Jihoon, Yim Siwan, and Do Kyungsoo, who are the representative examples of successful idol-turned-actors.
On the 20th, Lee Junyoung appeared on the segment 'Guerrilla Ha Jiyoung' from Ha Jiyoung's Youtube channel, where he met broadcaster Ha Jiyoung in Myeongdong.
Lee Junyoung mentioned that roles with masculine personalities that are completely opposite from his real-life image, such as Geum Seongje in 'Weak Hero Class 2,' Jung Hyunmin in 'D.P.,' and Choi Buyong in 'Mask Girl,' left strong impressions on viewers. He then joked, "In reality, I'm actually gentle and affectionate."
Lee Junyoung also brought up his role of a rookie employee in JTBC’s upcoming weekend drama 'Reborn Rookie' and calmly reflected on difficult memories from his own rookie years.
He confessed, "It was completely different from what I had imagined," explaining that he believed things would work out smoothly after his debut, but instead ended up facing even tougher competition due to the endless debut of younger idol groups.
Furthermore, Lee Junyoung also shocked viewers by revealing that when he first began acting in 2017 following his debut with U-KISS in 2014, he was deeply hurt by comments saying, "Don't ruin things for actors who actually deserve to succeed."
He continued, "People assume idols must get plenty of opportunities, but that isn't necessarily true. I went to countless auditions. I felt like if I gave up at that point, I'd become a failure."
Mentioning idol-turned-actors such as Park Jihoon, Yim Siwan, Do Kyungsoo, and more, Lee Junyoung said, "I'm relieved and grateful that they succeeded as idol-turned-actors. I hope to see even more idol-turned-actors in the future."
'Reborn Rookie,' starring Lee Junyoung, is scheduled to premiere on the 30th at 10.40 PM (KST).
