Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
Lee Jae Wook began his acting career in 2018 with the drama Memories of the Alhambra. Playing the role of game programmer Marco Han, he left a strong impression from the start. Since then, in less than two years, he has appeared in five dramas.
Memories of the Alhambra is a fantasy drama based on an AR game. Though Lee only appeared a total of three times throughout the show, he showed off a strong presence by presenting the role of Marco Han, who negotiates to get what he wants, with funky style and bloodshot eyes. About the reason he cast Lee Jae Wook, who challenged his first-ever audition, director Ahn Gil Ho said, “He was a friend with raw charms like uncut gems.”
Then in 2019, he starred in Search: WWW as Seol Ji Hwan, an unknown rookie actor. You can say that Lee, who doesn’t have much experience as an actor, played a character similar to himself. In the drama, Seol Ji Hwan appears to be somewhat insecure and hesitant not only about his job but also in front of a woman he likes.
Given that Marco Han and Seol Ji Hwan were played by the same person, Lee Jae Wook’s potential as an actor has already been foreseen. In Extraordinary You, he once again played cranky high school student Baek Kyung.
His tall height, baritone voice and clean-cut looks are especially highlighted in When the Weather is Fine and his latest drama Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol. In When the Weather is Fine, which revolves around a small independent bookstore in Bukhyeon-ri, Lee reads poems such as Na Tae Joo’s We Sit Together Face to Face �(literal title). And viewers, who felt comfortable with his voice, showed enthusiastic reactions. In response, JTBC also produced “The Man Who Reads the Script,” a video content in which Lee reads some of the drama’s scripts. Since last month, he has been starring in Do Do Do Sol La Sol as curt and reticent Sunwoo Joon, showing a sweet romance with Go Ara.
Lee Jae Wook doesn’t monitor his performance on the set unless it’s a special occasion. This is because he solely believes in the “director’s OK signs.” Rookie actor Lee Jae Wook, who once said, “In fact, I looked the most shabby when I acted. No matter how much I filled myself up, I felt like something was lacking. That’s why I wanted to continue,” will continue his hard work.
Editor Seo Hayne: I like actors as they faithfully lead through their long running-time. I also like idols who accomplish everything on stage within 3 minutes.
