Lee Byung Hun Cast as the Male Lead in Kim Eun Sook’s Next Drama Mr. Sunshine
I’m not gonna mince words, this is going to be a tough drama to watch with my ambivalence and likely the blowback from the a portion of the audience. Breaking casting news heading into the weekend has top Korean movie star Lee Byung Hun making his first K-drama return 8 years (or 9 when the drama airs next year) as the male lead of the highly anticipated next drama by mega hit screenwriter Kim Eun Sook. He’ll be playing the male lead in her first period drama Mr. Sunshine set in the Joseon era as a man who snuck onto a US ship and grows up in America. He returns to Korea as an American soldier during the late Joseon era transition into the Korean Empire and Japanese colonization period. Once you read the male lead description it makes Lee Byung Hun’s casting completely understandable and a no-brainer – he’s one of Korea’s biggest stars who also speaks the best English with his Hollywood career in the last decade. The drama is slated to film late this year with an air date of Spring 2018.
When I say I’m ambivalent about Lee Byung Hun it means just that – I loved him so much in early classic Hallyu drama Beautiful Days, still my all time favorite of the early K-dramas, but I’m also well aware and digested his recent years scandal for cheating on his pregnant wife Lee Min Jung though the two remain married and now have a little boy. Unlike the sex scandals of some of his other acting colleagues which involve prostitution and allegations of rape, his fooling around with aspiring starlets who foolishly decided to blackmail him almost seams tame by comparison, though with all sex scandals the uniform response from viewers is always “how sleazy”.
With that said, I can’t pass up a Kim Eun Sook drama and I still think Lee Byung Hun is one of the best actors of his generation with A Bittersweet Life and Masquerade being singularly memorable performances. It’s also quite surprising that it’s taken this long for Lee Byung Hun to do a Kim Eun Sook drama considering all his same level famous actor compatriots have signed on for her brand of buzzy fare. Lee Byung Hun has only done three dramas in the last two decades – the aforementioned Beautiful Days, All In, the most recent being IRIS. With his casting for Mr. Sunshine it’s clear Kim Eun Sook continues to know how to generate media and fan attention.
Wow I’ve never thought it’d be him tho. This casting news blows my mind for so many reasons. Anyways, I know he’s good at his job (acting) so I might checking this up.
Now the next serious question : who’s gonna be his leading lady hm.
I agree taking out his personal life dramas out of the equation. LBH has a lot to offer as an actor and going by the characters description this role is tailor made for him.
That been said I’m also wondering what actress is going to take the bullet to work in a Kim Eun Sook drama a the female lead regarless of her male co-star. Knowing his rep is going to have to be a very establish actress with a spotless rep or a married actress because otherwise is asking for all kinds of negative especulation from the media and the view public in general.
Now that you mentioned married actress, the first person that came to mind is LEE YO-WON (Temper Nam Joonki, 49 Days, Queen Seondeok).
She packs a wide emotional range so the acting won’t be a problem with her and the age gap isn’t icky.
well I though it will be won bin or kang dong won. but lee byung hyun is a much better choice.
First reaction: O. God. I hope he declines. He really doesn’t need a KES drama though, at this point in his career. He does major blockbusters in Hollywood, and in the movie industry in Korea, so why return to the stress of dramaland? That being said, he’s an undeniable talent. I just don’t think I want to watch him romance a leading lady any time soon.
Was thinking the same, why does he need a KES drama? Is he losing his shine in movie world?
Let’s see which actress are they going after…
Maybe he wants to recover his image in Korea..I thought he didn’t care about things like that and just went about doing anything he likes…otherwise does he really need to do this?
This is where you take the popcorn and watch the drama unfold.They even have a year long now to mediaplay.Fight with the netizens..???? naver is blowing up like crazy…While people were busy suggesting hallyu stars male leads and young ins…writer Kim Eun Sook was in another universe…mindblowing indeed..
I know right? Although KES seems to have always run at the beat of her on drum. LOL…
Base on her track recored I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt that she know what the heck she is doing. I mean it is her story so she most have a pretty good idea/image of what her story and charactets are about. I hope.
This is shocking but i remember KES considering actor in 30s or 40s so here it is. At least he knows english so it won’t be cringey (sorry joong ki). Next big mystery is who’s gonna be the female lead? HHJ, YEH, Han ga in?
@Tita omg those are the last actresses who should be near LBH.That’s career suicide.
1.HHJ is not exactly liked in Korea with her military controversy.She received bad reviews for her acting in W.She has been subject to tons of criticisms for ‘allegeldly’receiving awards they think she didn’t deserve.
2.YEH no no no.for her own good..it’s better she stays as far away from this man as possible.They were already not so good rumors concerning him and her.Plus her current image in Korea is to put it mildly not good.For her to make a successful comeback this is not it.
3. Han Ga In is well known for being one of the worst bad actresses.So starring opposite LBH who is very good at acting will only have the netizens and drama fans crucify her endlessly.Plus she has had quite a long hiatus..so it’s questionable whether she had the opportunity to improve her acting.
The reason why i mention that actresses are because some of them are in the same agency like LBH (HHJ and han ga in) and some of them (just like you said) not have the best image (HHJ and YEH). Well I’m pretty sure the real reason why LBH accept KES offer is not because he miss to act in a drama but because he wants to clean his image after all his scandal. If that works for him then why not with the ladies.
Also if she really needs guys in their 30s or early 40s there are tons of them who the public likes and will not turn people off..they are also popular in Korea.For example Ji Sung, Nam Goong Min, So Ji Sub etc.I know she said she wants someone who is fluent in English.But this is a Korean Drama, or will the whole script in English?Or is this drama meant for export?or she wants to be recognised by international awarding bodies for best scriptwriter?I mean LBH is great actor but her audience whether she likes it or not is majorly female in late teens, 20s and 30s.Unless she starts writing plots with substance she need to reconsider her decision?.
I have a feeling they’ll go for Lee Na Young for this one. LBH is a big name and his movies always do well and LNY is looking for a comeback as well. And it would be foolish to turn down a KES drama if offered. Anyways, this casting is really out of the left field.
My interest in the drama dropped like a ball. I dont think he is gonna have any chemistry with the leading actress. He is gonna look like a father beside them also given his sleazy past and having wife and looks old than his age actors.
Huhahahahaha me too. For so many reasons i scream “noooo, just not him”
Kes is ny fave script writer but he is definitely not my fave no matter how good he is in acting.
I hope YEH can be the lead. Girl has been MIA for too long
No…YEH is only famous with some international fan…She is not well accepted with Korean viewer in particular after the fashion scandal (plagiarism) regardless it is true or not..
If I have to choose that I would prefer MGY, she is so good especially when it comes to sage
Not YEH please, but not for the same reason. This man humiliated his wife . As a woman i find it disgusting ! The YEH scandal is “du pipi de chat à côté”
Please no…
Hahaha, ‘if Kim Min Hee is the lead actress it will be the best drama’ (Best comment I have seen on Weibo). This guy is above 45, should be grandpa now not ajusshi.
How old are you?
Wrong question to ask. How old is LBH?
Okay.. I really didn’t want to go here but because the maturity level of your comments are bit low, I’m going to get to the point. I see you have commented that PSH is your bias or something? Are you by chance looking her latest co-actor the same way, thinking he is too old or ’’ahjusshi’’, because he is nearing his forties too? Has it ever occurred to you that your bias (?) have acted or might act in future with 40+ years old ”ahjusshis’’? I hope you were just joking with your’’grandpa’’ comment, because that was ageist. That said, I hate it that women that age always get called ’’ahjummas’’ and already act mother roles to 20 yrs old male leads…
after reading this news, my anticipation for this drama suddenly went poof. i understand the casting choice, but still, isn’t there anyone else? 🙁
how about daniel henney, or rain or lee jun ki?
kinda OT, but would have loved to see daniel henney and jung ryeo won in this. those two seriously needs to have a reunion drama.
Well said ,Daniel henny would be a much better choice than LBH and he would be great if he was the the male lead . I just can’t imagine LBH will have good chemistry with any of the female actresses.
Yes but Daniel Henney is going to be pretty tide up with season 13 of Criminal Minds US. Lee Jun Ki is also tide up with Criminal Minds Kdrama at the moment.
Rain is probably in hiatus until after his baby comes and with all due respect because he is a great entertainer as far as his music career goes, Rain is not a strong enough actor to pull this one off.
To find the combination of a Korean solid actor with a male lead status and who also is fluent English speaker was a task of tall order because that pool had very slim pickings to begin with, still they could had gone with Eric Moon he is been leading male before and he is a fluent English speaker.
how about lee seo jin?
I just hope that none of my favorite actreeses receive the offer to be his leading lady. I’m sorry not sorry, but yikes!
This drama probably will kill all dramas in terms of ratings in korea but poor received to international fans. Lee Byung Hun is not that popular and handsome for international fans though the guy is talented. Second, I don’t think he can act cheesy. Third, shippers as an accessory for drama won’t happen since he’s married man. I guess most of casts also need to know english.
When I see him nowadays, all I think about is “Santa Lee”. Pass. Not that I have been a fan of KES’s dramas anyway. Writing has always been meh for me. She does do interesting castings and manages to convince the hardest of actors to return to dramaland (aka Gong Yoo) so I won’t be surprised if his co star is a major ex hallyu star and there’s a line of A list actresses lining up to sign on the dot. Maybe even Jeon Ji Hyun. (he will need major insoles if this happens. kkkk). I might just change ym mind if the actress signed on is a must watch. Hmmmm
this is a planned move by kes and lee santa to help santa cleanse his disgusting image.some people were asking if he needed kes drama,yes very much.
since his scandal,he is alright acting in movies but korea artists unlike the rest of the world does not get much revenue in doing films rather advertisement and commercials ie cfs.this is why korean artist like shk,kth and jjh work on a project once in every 3 to 4 years but still soo rich.so to get this cfs you has to be a person with spotless clean image which lee santa is not.
he lost almost all his cfs since the scandal.by doing a drama, which has a larger reach than movies,he is courting all his former fans and admirers back because a kes drama is a guarantee hit.a hit drama signifies that koreans have forgiven him.
LMAOOOOO what??!! Kdrama castings have been ridiculous and all over the place recently but this one has me reaching for a bag of popcorn. Why announce this so early though? Maybe the network does not want him and want public backlash to change KES’ mind. She really thinks she can get anything past Koreans at this point but it’s not surprising.
@Deb this is what happens when people over pamper and stroke the ego of an already overrated artist like KES.Give her Baeksang Daesang and this is how she repays the public.She is at best a glorified fanfiction writer.
I mean if LBH was playing in a thriller or action drama fine.But her audience is made up of mostly female teen, twenties and thirties.lol are they supposed to be swooning over an almost 50 year old real life legendary cheater, player and sleazy guy in a romance drama??.
If maybe whoever was chosen was involved in another scandal..anything tax evasion, military related stuff, anything but sex related scandal or marital affairs.The public would still be angry since those are also serious moral and legal issues.But if the actor/actress and his Co star are selling the romance, the audience will buy it.
Same with Park Shi Hoo, he busy trying to slide back on TV and guess the role he is playing on KBS in a weekend drama.A ‘chaebol with a gentlemanly air’????, They cant be serious.A consecutive audience on a consecutive channel and that is all the casting agents they could up with.Their greed will be their downfall.How much money did these men pay to be so bold and confident like this?
M quite disappointed.. I thought she would at least cast won bin ?. Anyway now I hope he get strong female lead …and around his age.
So many great and famous Korean actors to choose from and landed with this.Good Bye.
I’m happy because he’s a great actor and have chemistry with his co-stars. I don’t understand the comments about it doesn’t need a korean drama… But maybe I just wants it because of the character, the production team, the PD, the writer and he can be in Korea with his family… For all his scandals, I’m sad for Da Hee who seemed to have a lot of potential, I love her in Monstar (more than the female lead) but it’s his private life and I don’t really care…
For the actress, I want Kim So Yeon ! I was disapointed they were not a couple in IRIS, they had so much cheimstry. 😛
@Kurama Don’t be naive hun.Dont we all wish that were true, or the good in us would like to give him a chance to redeem himself without using powerplay or underhanded tricks.But there is more reason to believe he is definitely image cleaning than just acting out of passion for his craft in this drama.He has all the qualities of a very shrewd man.
His kind are everywhere in societies around the world.They remain rich and powerful because of their ability to manipulate the masses and he has the extra ability to manipulate women too it seems.His only redeeming quality is his acting.
And no I wish Kim So Yeon unnie to stay far far away from him.She just got married.Let her enjoy her marital bliss in peace.She don’t need the backlash and hate just for being associated with Lee Byung Hun.Even if this drama will most likely be successful and santa gets his image clean.She would still get alot of unwarranted hate for months or even years.
I just remembered that Han Ye-seul is an English speaker. Would the leading lady be required to speak it too? ?
On a more serious note, I was hoping for a Won Bin comeback since the writer would seem to have the clout to manage such an impossible feat. Oh well.
I am wondering who will be the leading lady…specially with good resume on his acting career…Hhmmmm 🙂
Not that I am interested in a KES drama but big as LBH is, he is no longer relatable. At least for me, I am not interested to watch him playing some spring chicken hero. I won’t mind watching him doing something like what Han Suk Kyu did. And not that his English is that fluent like Taecyon to actually belive him as an American-Korean. Why can’t just get Daniel Henney instead? LBH casting news certainly lower down the interest.
Daniel Henney would have been perfect! Lee Seo Jin might also be a good choice.
Henney is busy w/ Criminal Minds sadly…..
It is not a spring chicken role….Based on the story synopsis, the male lead character is at least in his mid thirties to forties age wise.
Fine that it is not spring chicken role but I agree with Niffty that it is totally not relatable to watch him doing romance esp with KES track record of extreme cheesiness. Since KES was vying for high profile movie actors, I thought she would snag Kang Dong Won. Well, let’s wait and see the outcome. I suspect the female lead would be Son Ye Jin or maybe Im Soo Jung.
It is not a spring chicken role….Based on the story synopsis, the male lead character is not a young chap.
Totally anticipating this drama now. Brilliant casting choice this!
I had speculated that it could be Lee Byun Hyun that she is thinking of when I read the synopsis of her story. The male lead character would be at least mid thirties to late thirties to early forties and would need to be able to speak English convincingly. Plus she also said she already had an actor in mind for the male lead character. It is amusing to read that some international fans were speculating that how Park Bo Gum would be a great choice.
Lee Byun Hun is a very experienced and charismatic actor. He was great in all his dramas in the last 2 decades which are all hit dramas that I love so much, Beautiful Days, All In and Iris.
Hope they will cast an actress with similar level of experience, acting skills and matching age wise as his leading lady so this brilliant casting effort is not wasted.
Agreed. LBH’s scandal does leave a very bad taste in my mouth but one can’t deny his top notch and charismatic acting with a long list of distinguished movies and dramas. And he does create great chemistry with her female leads.
It makes sense that KES has written this new drama with him in mind, like what she did for CDG in Gentlemen’s Dignity. And she does a better job with older and mature male lead than young ones. It will be interesting to see who will be the female lead to match him up. I wouldn’t mind to see a Beautiful Day reunion with CJW.
I don’t know why but after hearing this news I’m having a lingering feeling that KES is about to taste extreme faliure for rhe first time in her career.
If it were for a western drama i wouldn’t mind. But as we are often critisize for being too open minded by South Korea conservative society, I say stop with the hypocrisy! Talent doesn’t excuse the way he treated his wife. INCOMPREHENSIBLE. A lot of actors still blacklisted for minor scandals . UNFAIR. I’ll pass because of principle and injustice towards women.
it’s just really sad that despite the controversies these actors get into, they still manage to bounce back, while an actress getting into a much less controversy would have a hard time staging a come back.
whatever happened to dahee of glam? she’s one of the girls involved in the blackmail issue with LBH, right?
I was excited for this drama. Casting him is such a disappointment.
Well if it needs a half-written drama without a plot to bring back LBH then so be it. There won’t be enough fans to eat this drama like candy no matter how bad it is or how bad LBH’s image is.
I will definitely stay away. The premise sounds meh anyways.
Of course I meant: There will be enough fans to eat this drama like candy…
I may not always like KES drama but she manage to spring out sth. And the last 2 of her dramas i enjoyed the leads n do like them as an actor and as a person. When i first heard of her new project, i was excited n wished Won Bin, Kang do Won or even So Ji Sub to be the lead. This confirmation of LBH..m vy disappointed. And i hope none of my fav actress would do this drama. I find LBH sleazy n i dont thk its that great to b casted opposite him. Just my opinion
A great actor but such a scumbag. SHK was traumatized by her relationship with him. Then there was the scandal with the Korean-Canadian gymnast and finally the issue when his wife was pregnant. I am sure he’s doing this just because KES’s stars, particularly the male ones, get so much mileage out of her dramas. I love KES’s work but that’s partly because the good people always win. In a world based on KES dramas, people like him wouldn’t deserve to be heroes.
all the blame should be on kes,as a woman herself she should have known better and not entertain a cheater.i am soo disappointed in kes.
the only way to punish kes and lee santa is not to watch mr sunshine and let them taste defeat for the first time in dramaland.this will humble them for the better.
I must be really influenced by Korean standards of beauty by now because all I could think of when seeing his pictures is how big his head looks. lol.
Damn you Korea, and your fascination with face/head sizes. lol
He might be good actor and but he and Um Tae Woong are much worse than Yoochun and Park Shi Hoo in my book. Romance drama, umm no.
Am very disappointed if it is LBH.
1) to see LBH romancing a lady makes me puke and wonders whether he wud seduce her in reality.
2) am disappointed with Kim eun sook. LBH is such bad hat and it wud be tough for viewers to enjoy his romancing acts
3) Kim eun sook’s drama is so well acclaimed that it makes any actors become famous overnight.
Hwr if LBH is selected, this cud be first time that Kim eun sooks drama lose viewership.
So please scrape LBH
He seems to be mature both in looks and age for a romance korean drama. He is nearing 50. Totally unexpected.
@anya77.these are not the only ones.there was a book prepared by power brokers of korean ent. industry which became a hot issue at the time for it many revealing secrets.
it was made for various companies and advertizers to enable them access each artist image to know which one to choose for their companies asproduct spokemodel.it leaked to the media.
there was an information in it about how lee santa grades all the women he beds in the scale of 1 to 10 and many more disgusting details.
Gosh. Now I detest him even more.
I’m sure before she wrote the script, KES already had someone in her head. If the character just someone who knows acting plus english well, no doubt Lee Seo Jin is the best choice. Lee Seo Jin is also known has better personal life. If she wants in their 30s, she can choose Lee Jun Ki or Eric. But nope, she decided to give Byung Hyun even before the script done.
@Yuaneey I agree with what you said.Even if LJK is now filming criminal minds..it will probably finish by early September.The KES drama is not even pre-produced script is not finalised.Why the rush?
Maybe she is Lee Byung Hyun fangirl.And her strategy is because no one really watches her dramas because of her plot but because of her eye candy leads, she always works with actors who already had ultra drama hits in the past.Perhaps this also explains why LBH is in the picture +the English thing blah blah.
But still this really doesn’t seem sensible at all.No matter how much we try to find the logic why things turn this way, it doesn’t make sense.There are many many other options.
Hmmm, you all criticizing LBH , pls o, is his wife complaining, at the end of the day you are the ones that will go to the cinema to watch his movie, the truth is that LBH is the best actor SK has ever produced.
I don’t think we are wrong to criticise his personality. It’s not exactly a secret what he put his wife through.
Whether we watch this sleaze bag, that is up to the viewer to decide.
@daisy96 I agree with you. It’s no like he raped or murdered anyone. What happened in his private life in HIS marriage is totally between Lee Min Jung and him. The fact is that he is a fine actor and him taking up a drama, especially KES drama, means he is up for a different path in his already extremely successful career.
If people can’t differentiate him as an actor and a private person then nothing will convince them. Yes, his life might seem messy but it’s HIS private life. It’s not like he did anything criminal, right? Not too excited about this though, but I don’t like KES anyway…
I totally understand your opinion @Gilgit and normally i think the same way . But what bothers me is that he can have a role in a drama when others ( yoochun’s private sex life, uhm Tae Woong Private sex life…)can’t. As a french i don’t care about all this stuff ,if not i couldn’t Watch the movies of PolansKi, WAllen, … but South Korea is a very conservative country . I respect that but not hypocrisy.
I’m not a fan of KES dramas either. I couldn’t finish Goblin and DOTS, but she seems to be fearless about her casting . Even the greatest directors and producers of the world have experimented failures ! It may be for her ” la fois de trop”.
@cahill, I agree with you on this topic. How is LBH different to Park Shi Hoo? Just because LBH’s acting is good it doesn’t make him suddenly immune to criticism of his private life. He didn’t commit a crime but he commit adultery. Also, I don’t believe acting and private life is separate, they are totally interlinked. If we accept his personal life, it just means we accept men stray easily in marriage. This is double standards because if a woman did this, not only is she going to be mainstream lead actress but reap the benefits of being popular also!
@Abc, Park Shi Hoo didn’t commit adultery, he allegedly committed rape. I said allegedly because the victim agreed to settle it outside the court. Park Shi Hoo dragged an unconscious girl into his room and there is cctv footage about it. You can’t compare cheating with rape. LBH is an excellent actor despite him being a a cheater in his private life. Whether I can imagine him as a romantic male lead in a KES cheesy drama remains to be seen. I admit that I can’t really see him as anything else than a villain, buthe is consciously trying to change his image and working with KES is maybe one of the most brilliant moves.
@Gilgit, I know Park Shi Hoo didn’t commit adultery. He is not even married yet. My point is people condemn him but give a free pass to LBH. This is double standards. Just because the law says it’s a crime it is more serious than adultery? Is that how you see it? So someone possessing cocaine is more serious ‘crime’ than adultery? They are both wrong.
@Abc okay I don’t know what to say to this except that there are some things that are morally more wrong than others. Raping an unconscious girl is faaaaar worse thing morally and criminal too than cheating on your spouse. I feel sorry for you for thinking like this….
@Gilgit, you don’t seem to understand my point. Yes, having sexual intercourse with someone without their prior consent is criminal and outright wrong but once someone has taken their wedding vowels and have sexual intercourse behind the spouse’s back is just as wrong. It may not be criminal but it is still wrong. How many chances are you going to give this adulterer?
@Abc, adultering is not ’’just as wrong as rape’’. Rape happens WITHOUT CONSENT and is a VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND CRIMINAL ACT BECAUSE RAPE IS NOT SEX, IT IS ONE OF THE MOST EXTREME ACT OF CRIME AGAINST SOMEONE’S FREEDOM, HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITY. Rape is a violent crime, adultery is just breaking trust and relationship promises.I think adultery is a bad thing and I can’t stand cheaters, but it’s not ’’just as wrong as rape’’. It’s quite disturbed to think like these two acts are morally on the same level tbh…
Many people think of adulterer on a different level of ‘wrongs’ but I know exactly where I place these two if it happened to me personally. This is exactly where people are justifying serial adulterers as though they are ‘less wrong’. Nope, not to me. Isn’t it great and convenient for LBH to have his wife and KES to think the same way as what most of people these think? If a marriage isn’t working between two people you get a divorce and date someone else. Not resort to being unfaithful to your spouse.
‘Human rights’ I love these word so much. Where is the spouse’s human rights in all this cheating???
Okay so you, a person who has been cheated, has it worse than a person brutally raped. Or might even add that the pedophile Roman Polanski’s victim’s experiences must be as bad as yours too. Good to know. do everyone a favor and stop embarrassing yourself… also calling LBH ’’ahjusshi’’ spitefully is childish af. Has it occurred to you that your dearest bias PSH has acted and will act with ahjusshis in future too?
@Gilgit, Good one. One can’t compare rape with cheating lol. I’m not fond of this guy either and Mr. Sunshine is a pass for me, but it’s outrageous to lump adultery with rape and comment that both are morally equally wrong. You might as well write that gluttony is morally as wrong as murder if you go by the biblical sense of moral weight of sins like adultery. Also, I get that cheating has left Abc scarred, but this is even in my opinion too much to even compare such a heinous crime with cheating lol.
I remember hearing she was going for a big name, and I thought it was Won Bin so – yep – I was wrong. Anyway, I’m hit or miss on the writer; still can’t get past episode 9 of Goblin and have given up. Sometimes KES writes addictive dramas, and there is no doubt that this guy is a seriously good actor so we’ll see.
i disagree with those who say its his private life so we should leave him alone.
as a public figure, he automatically becomes a rolemodel to many people whether he likes it or not.therefore he should live by example and if he gets no consequence for his cheating actions then what prevents others from emulating him.
secondly look at the humiliation and stress he gave to his wife and both their families.
thirdly,as a married man he baited and tempted this 2 young women with riches to sin and spoiled their future forever.they will remain a burden to their families forever.the insults and disgrace suffered by the 2 girls families is also another factor.
even the bible says and i quote : temptation will come but woe unto thee from hence it comes.
You have no idea what happened for real. You only read gossip sites and already form an idea of that situation, be it real or not. Cheaters are awful, but that doesn’t mean they can’t work wtf?? If it bothers you, you can choose to ignore that drama. Quite frankly, I’m appalled after seeing comments like this and some other drama sites where supposed adults compare serious criminals like rapists to LBH, who allegedly cheated. And actors are NOT obligated to be role models. No one is obligated to be a role model. Drama fans, be realistic please. Parents should raise their kids well, there is no need for some random actor to act morally upright…
Very well said
someone expects an actor to be a role model is a total idiot!! Even a President cannot live up to this grand standard in the Western world… Forbid your kid to watch any public media is your best advice!!! LOLOLOL…
KES strikes again with her Midas formula : controversial casting + “bad” buzz + netizens curiosity = Huge success = Lee Byung hun scandal forgotten and netizens(those who badmouth him) raving about him !!! And why not proposing the lead female role to his wife. She owns to have a hit too. And i’m not being sarcastic. A lot of couples work together Lauren Bacall/H Bogart, Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman, KHepburn/Spencer Tracy, Marion Cotillard/Guillaume Canet…
KES Midas formula : controversial casting = buzz= curiosity of netizens = success of the drama = the netizens(the same who were badmouthing LBH) raving about him and the drama = Both are winners. Why not proposing the female role to Lee Min Jung ? I swear that i’m not being sarcastic. After all she owns a part of the “success cake” too ! I honestly think so.
Dude as also a guest recently on PSY’s mv.
1) Beautiful Days was my favorite early Kdrama for a long time.
2) Was a LBH admirer once upon a time, he’s a great actor who gets into any role, and becomes it. But I started drifting away I think shortly after he broke up with SHK (looked like a control trip down to changing her gym mbership to his). macho man image, which is really the MCP manipulative control, fr another angle.
3) so much for his boyish grin which used to be endearing and charming … and acting which he carries into real life, fooling most of us. That smile actually looks like it’s masking steely sinister intentions these days.
Ok so let’s be ahead of the casting news and finalise the dream casting for this drama;
Lead Actor: Lee Byung Hyun
Lead Actress:Kim Min Hee
Second lead actor:Park Shi Hoo
Second lead actress:Sulli
Supporting Cast or Guest Actors:
Park Yoo Chun
Kim Hyun Joong
PD:Lee Yoon Jung(Director of Cheese in the Trap)
Collabo scriptwriter:Jang Hyeok Rin(the one who wrote Yong Pal)
Music OST:Almost Paradise(BOF) and Love is the Moment(Heirs)
And it’s a wrap.I mean they might as well go big, go hard or go home.Thats the motto for this drama.
Rubyred: I like your humor and agree with you
Frankly I believe that we shudnt crucify an actor from acting due to his personal life. I can accept park shi Hoi, park yoo chun , lee Jin wook. But I can’t aceept LBH. He seduces every woman that comes his way. What if the lead actress is pressured due to his amorous ways?
Moreover, KES drama is a love story type. I’ll puke to see LBH romancing,,,, his lifestyle cheapens the word “love” nad even make it vulgar!
This will be a first for KES when ratings fail!
Well, i don’t have much respect for a woman who only writes stories to depict men as somewhat perfect. She has already proven herself with all her dramas and I was hoping that she will be brave enough to finally write a story about women who remain strong and resilient despite adversity. Money indeed talks!!!
and to cast a man who got the worst reputation when it comes to women. Is this writer a woman hater? So sad!!!
Unfortunately, I strongly think this writer is one of the biggest woman haters out there. She writes men as perfect swoony (nasty in my opinion) who get everything and anything in their lives, and women as helpless romance objects without any personal goals and desires,
Gilgit so agree. Hated Secret Garden. Never watched a KES drama after that but the synopses all sound dire.
It does recur in a fair few dramas, not just KES’ tbf. One of the reasons I got selective after an initial binge.
Haaa taking Kim Eun Sook’s drama will definitely fix his image I mean it did just that for his Ex girlfriend that had a tax scandal ..it seems all will be forgotten/forgiven if you act in that writer’s drama lols
compare apples with apples. one is a civil case and the other is criminal.
LBH has never been charged or accused of a criminal case before has he? I thought cheating on your wife was no longer a crime in Korea?
@vang on, Compare apples with apples. One is a civil case and the other is criminal.
Me rolling my eyes hard at people skipping the drama because LBH is lead actor. That’s actually the main reason to watch though? The man is pure talent and the actress I hope she goes with is Lee Yoo Ri. Now that’s a bonafide drama.
If I had to stop watching All Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, and Ben Affleck movies becaus of their family life. That would be a sad day.
He got off because he is a man with money and influence. We all know how corrupt Korea is and money talks. In my eyes he is guilty as he is a womanizer and prey on young women. No one is disputing he is a good actor but he will never be a convincing faithful, honest gentleman as portray by many of the writers leading man. A dog can never hide from it’s own flees.
Drama viewers and film viewers are really different. LBH recently did a few films and no one was pearl clutching that they don’t want to watch the movie because he is an adulterer or whatever. Instead they reviewed the film.
Whatever happened is for him and his wife to deal with. Far as I know he hasn’t been hauled up by the police. Drama viewers really need to understand that a) almost all the actors you sigh over will not be “pure” and faithful and are never going to crush on you and b) unless there are criminal proceedings a performance has nothing to do with private lives. Will you stop dealing with a doctor you trust if he is an adulterer?
I wish I could give you a thousand upvotes. I guess dramafans really must think their fave unnies or oppas are innocent and faithful little virgins….As long as they are not actual criminals who have raped/murdered/human trafficked or some other really, really bad things. Dramafans need to accept that their fave actors/actresses aren’t morally upright all the time but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to work. I wonder what these people would do if they need surgery and their surgeon has committed adultery in their private lives? Theses actors are just doing their jobs ffs. And LBH is more then qualified. KES is winning big time with this casting actually
@Nodame @ gilgit i agree with you with the fact that people must diferenciate actors and their public image from their private life . But my meaning is that other actors and actresses with same or minor scandals should have the same treatment. Adultery, sexual préférences , taking drugs… are all a private matter . Some here misunderstood me. All i want is fairness . If he can work why not the others ? Please explain it to me.
I’m not concerned about his personal life but what about the rumor of his being abusive towards Song Hye Kyo. SHK didn’t said anything in detail but revealed she had extreme heart-ache due to this relationship.
What about his lawsuit where well respected person like Kim Seung Woo testified agianst him in an assault case on the set of IRIS which he apparently won. There are several rumors keep surfacing about his approach. LBH is one powerful man in Korean film industry and he even owns a very powerful agency. Even though he was robbed off the CFs he still owns multiple businesses.
He doesn’t need to star in in KES drama. What is his motive? I’m preplaxed. He is not even at the age where he could maintain his popularity among female viewers. There must br something deeper but it may also backfire.
Thanks Gilgit. Yes simply because a “scandal” does not exist does not mean that a person is like a K-drama hero. Often you feel drama fans are confusing the role and the person. You may in fact be supporting a person who has “scandals” but they are simply good at keeping public and private separate.
Ret yes but they are either rumours or settled cases. Of course laws everywhere are weighted to the powerful but we accept the verdicts. He is no different from any private citizen one may know who may have a drunk disorderly charge or cause heartbreak or whatever and we continue interacting with them. If we applied high moral standards AND people’s “scandals” were as public as with stars there would be a fair few people we could boycott.
Not the biggest fan of LBH’s acting btw just commenting on the fan response.
I find it cringeworthy when he goes to fan-meets in HK/Taiwan post successful drama and loads of females drool over his acting but can’t agree with his private life. It is very naive to split audiences up into drama and film. Most people will watch both. However, most drama viewers are females and the hypocrisy that’s goes on is due to our acceptance of most married males or even males in a stable relationship straying. I’d like to see a modern world Elizabeth Taylor then let’s speak in equal terms.
” I want sex equality ” (good movie). That’s all ! If it was her wife who commited adultery she would be banish with the scarlet letter !!! That’ s the point of all my replies here. FAIRNESS for all.
@cahill, understood. You have your point and I have mine. There is one good point I have to give LBH. Even with the mess of his private life he has the hunger to act and that is something to be admired. The same goes for Park Shi Hoo. They are not afraid to stand in front of criticisms. However, this has nothing to do with me agreeing with their personal life actions and given the choice I will not watch them.
@Nodame. It is not a good comparison between a specialist doctor vs a good acting doctor who are both adulterers. 1) For the doctor you might not have the choice. 2) Patients don’t need to know the doctor’s personal life to be treated. For a male lead who will be starring in KES’s drama this is different. They rely on their good image to gain viewers trust and the amount of CFs they can get afterwards is horrendous. This is a con. If he just did the film/drama but didn’t reap the benefits afterwards pretending to be a good role model I couldn’t care less.
*vs a good acting actor*
Well then we are on a different page Abc. I am not interested in “good image” etc. of actors as creating images is an industry in itself. Imo women viewers need to stop having screen baes, crushes, shipping, fangirling etc beyond a certain point – this is what causes blurring between reel and real and gives unnecessary power to actors. We should understand that it is a business, enjoy the drama and leave it at that. And if at all I would be more bothered by my doctor’s morals as I would rather my child have a doctor as a role model than some actor.
@cahill I agree. Korean ‘scandals” are usually ridiculous and the smaller actors are penalised. As I said it is an industry and they are in the business of creating images so there are bound to be a few unfair casualties (barring those who seriously do deserve a term of jail).
Despite being a terrible human he is a good actor. I’ll watch for sure and pray that his lead actress is not too young or an idol.
It’s a pass for me.. I hate KES drama plots and dialogues to begin with and Lee Santa acting like a romantic hero at this point will look ridiculous…
Like it or not , they choose him . Netizens don’t have their word on it. but they have the choice to watch or not the drama . Simple ! So peace my friends and have a good day !
I need to see the goodlooking eye dropping awe sensational eye candies like Lee Min Ho Hyun Bin Song Joong Ki Gong Yoo that she has been casting in her dramas. I dont think Lee Byun Hun fits so maybe her drama will not fare as well.
I see one reason Lee Byun Hun wants to do a drama its a power play trying to gain power upfront not backdoor. He s gets casted in American movies I dont think he s got a good number of fans in US. He got clout to get casted but no talent to be loved in US with American fans. Why would I want to see an image of him courting a woman on screen its gonna give me ulcers.
You fans try to downplay his scandals comparing him to other actors but you know what he had 2 BIG scandals with woman. He s so powerful he tries to sweep everything under but you know what I ve been waiting patiently for next one.
Given his public image about his private life, I just can’t picture him nor romanticize him as a hero in KES’s drama. Quit watching Goblin in the midway and now I don’t even bother to check this one out!?
There are so many other talented and good looking actors in SK ! Why would she pick this abusive but rich womanizer- will give this drama a pass unless they drop him . Just my personal choice- everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I agree that he’s no eye candy like Song Joong Ki or Lee Min Ho as it is .
The K Movie fans who are fans of Lee Byung Hun are also displaying naivety and when they say kdrama fans should wake up and stop thinking that their oppas and unnies are flawless.Well nobody said they are and no one is expecting them to be flawless.That’s too high a standard.we know in their private life.They date, have sex and have all sorts of skeletons in their closet, just like every other person.5 years of enjoying K entertainment, has shown me there are basically three elements that can make, or break or limit a k celeb entertainers career.These are beauty, talent and public image.Since we are talking about acting, I will focus on movies and dramas.
1.In K movie industry and audience.The ones who make it to the longest time and achieve great things are the ones with massive amounts of talent like 95%.Image comes second at 5%, but if you have mega talent but trashy image, but rich and powerful or have strong backing, you can still survive. That’s how we have actors like LBH and KMH. Beauty doesn’t matter, unconventional beauty, conventional beauty, young old..its all fine if you have the talent and ok image. That’s how you have artists like Song Kang Ho, Bae Doona and the other k movie greats.But no one in the k movie audience and industry is going to worship a beauty who cant act.People are paying money or travelling distance to go to the theatre and see the movie.Lots of investment money will be lost if a movie flops or receives negative reviews.
2.In K drama, the ones who make it the longest and achieve great things are the ones with 35% beauty, 35%image and 30%talent so all in equal proportions.If you have beauty but no or little talent and trash public image.You end up like sulli and have no chance at all in primetime public television until you get your image clean.The ones with only beauty but little acting talent and good image end up like Song Seung Hun, Kim Tae Hee and Han Ga In, who are considered top stars but not credible actor and actress.No matter how many projects they work in or how many awards they receive.They have to go on acting hiatus after a project till their acting and award crticisms die down.After a while, they get replaced with actress like suzy and seolhyun, who will go through the same cycle until they work on their acting.
The ones with only beauty and mega or ok talent, but trashy image get booted out or go on kdrama hiatus, until they somehow fix their image.Because there are other beauties with ok to great talent who are also professional and likeable image to boot. Thats why LBH and PSH comeback news was met with hostility. Kdrama audience and industry will not worship you if you have mega talent but a severely tattered image. Kdrama is watched by whole family and since its free, people tune in to see their bias all the story and directing is perfect.But a great artist with trashy image is a liability to kdrama because no one wants to see on their screen for weeks; an artist with corrupted morals, or a huge ego, or unprofessional and isnt afraid to show it.When rebuked, show no remorse for their attitude and have to be forced to apologise.
You dont wat to see this kind next to your bias who io is working hard to protect their image, because he or she will be slaughtered too, just by association which is unfair.It is also unfair to the PR staff who always have to keep the problem artist in check.Its also unfair forr the production team because they lose out if the drama is filled with negative publicity of the problem artist. This who are mega talented and good image with unconventional beauty can still achieve great things.The examples like GHJ, and JJS.The examples of ones with arguably equal proportions of beauty, ,talent and image with no known SERIOUS controversies for kdrama purposes like So Ji Sub,Park Bo Young and may many more its an endless list but just to give an idea.