Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
There is an actor who says that his strength is passion and that he strives to be the “actor version of U-know Yunho.” And he is not just “passionate” but a “passionate and good actor,” receiving more and more attention from people. This is about a rookie actor who is expanding his presence every year – Lee Do Hyun, who debuted in 2017 by playing the child days of prison guard Jun Ho in Prison Playbook and most recently starred in Netflix’s Sweet Home.
In the 2020 drama 18 Again, Lee took on the role of Ko Woo Young, who returns to his 18-year-old self right before his divorce. Ko Woo Young’s key point is to showcase the “father moment” of a middle-aged man who became a high school transfer student out of nowhere. With his teenage appearance and body, he scolds immature classmates and introduces himself with the old-fashioned comments that the next generation doesn’t really understand. In 18 Again, which could have ended up as just another teen drama, Lee Do Hyun skillfully goes back and forth between an adult and a high school boy with his expressions, actions and language.
In 2018, he played Dong Hae Beom, an outgoing member of Taesan High School’s rowing club, in the drama Still 17. As a character from a drama that won the nickname “healing rom-com,” Lee played a role that allowed him to fully use his dimples.
Then in the 2019 hit drama Hotel Del Luna, Lee Do Hyun took on the role of Go Chung Myung, Jang Man Wol’s (IU) savior and first love from a thousand years ago. Through this drama, he showcased various charms as he delivered a prophetic line, “Because you’ll wait for me to suddenly appear like today,” in his deep voice and fought against Jang Man Wol with a sword.
Most recently, he played Eun Hyun, a medical student who uses rationality and calmness against the monsters, in Sweet Home. Apart from his affection for the original webtoon, Lee once said in an interview, “I can’t watch videos with blood in it. I watched clips of real surgery for the role, and I was nauseated at first, but I got better.” He is an actor who is ready to overcome his limits for a better performance.
Soon, he will return to the small screen with the drama Youth of May set in May 1980, alongside Go Min Si, who worked with him as siblings in Sweet Home. Lee Do Hyun’s “actor’s passion” will continue this year.
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.
