Rising young actors and actresses sometimes need luck to get their big break. Such is the case of Jang Dong Yoon who has been in several dramas up til now but his male lead role in KBS sageuk The Tale of Nokdu was tailored made to vault him into star status. He was so beautiful as the cross-dressing widow yet also so masculine and handsome as the young warrior discarded prince. Good looks isn’t enough, he had the ability to project the personalities of both roles and create a fulsome character that viewers could fully love. I cannot wait to watch him again in another romance drama, and lucky is the actress who gets to play his leading lady ashe has the ability to solely focus on his romantic interest like there is nothing else and no one else around. But a romance drama isn’t next on his agenda, K-ent is reporting that Jang Dong Yoon is in talks for the male lead of OCN drama Search set in the world of the military.
Iām whamming excited! I love you JYD
I will watch anything he is in. His acting is soooooo good. Great to try different genres and not be type casted.
Same, I like that he’s trying out different genres and expanding the type of work he does. I loved him in his high school roles but Nokdu is really next level, and (best of all) actually got him noticed for his acting and not just his good looks….even if Widow Kim is freaking gorgeous.
didn’t expecting this project would be make him has more fans . Thank God he is already served his military services. So I can watch him without worried about military duty. haha
I was hoping he would be starring in JTBC, TVN, or KBS drama since OCN is miss and hit for me. at times they are glorified violent. It will depend on who will be the director.
Maybe he want to try OCN. He had drama with JTBC, TVN, and KBS. He was so good in indie movie Beautiful Days, so drama with indie vibe like OCN maybe something right up his alley. It’s a dilema for me, coz I want him challenge himself with interesting project, but at the same time kdramas with violence/horror are not my cup of tea. Till this day, I haven’t get enough courage to watch Kim Jaeuck drama from OCN. Other actor that I like. But if JDY want to do this drama, I am hoping that he alternate his work with something lighter in between. Or be in other variety show like miss korea so I can still watch him somewhere…
Ugh same. I can’t even watch Lee Dong Wook latest drama with Im Shi Hwan. What to do? That drama makes me lost my appetite. Thanks God Seo Kang Joon OCN drama is still good for me and tone down that aspect alot. So I still can watch him in OCN. Haha
It was actually his cross-dressing widow which got me interested. OCN projects might be too violent but at least doesn’t have to rely on romance to weave a story.
It may not be a pure stroke of luck since I read that he auditioned for the role of Nokdu. Always a pleasure to be surprised by good performances from new actors or actresses since there was no expectation to begin with at the start. Will definitely keep a lookout on his future projects. Keeping to a variety of genres will surely keep me curious š
He won the role of Nokdu by auditioning? My respect levels are going even higher as I type, he earned that big break!
This new drama sounds like it’ll be totally different from Nokdu in subject matter, setting and tone, I hope it’s good and that Jang Dong-yoon’s star continues to rise.
He is such a refreshing new star for me. Genuinely jovial (he seems to connect with all during filming including the usually reserved guarded Kim SoHyun), for me he really outshines all cast both on and off screen with his bright unpretentious personality! And his emotional acts actually tug at my heartstrings – I can feel his raw gosh-this-hurts-so-bad-that-I-cant-breathe emo (even more so than veteran KimSoHyun). Super wise of him to try a new genre to avoid getting stereotyped. Hope he can stay grounded and down-to-earth till the end!
I honestly think he has the potential to be as good and versatile as Song Joong Ki (whose career also took off like a rocket after a sageuk, Tree With Deep Roots). I don’t say that lightly, I think JDY has picked interesting projects so far and Nokdu was an absolute gem.
I’m so glad he didn’t choose a romantic genre. His chemistry with KSH just can’t be beaten. Like he said he was a perfect match to her colours.
He’s actually really good as a romantic lead in previous dramas too, notably Im Ye Jin (Nokdu’s writer!) 2017 short drama If We Were A Season.
I hope he’ll return to doing romantic leads in full-length dramas after he tries out non-romance stuff, his acting style seems to gel very well with his partners when they are good actresses in their own right.
Actually I Prefer him in Just Dance when it comes romantic lead compare to If I were season. Him with Park Se Wan look so so good together. Love their banter in earlier episode too. And the love s story conflict between him and PSW look more compelling for me, as it’s like Romeo and Juliet kind of story. Still one of his best drama Despite he is not the main focus.
If We Were A Season was only 1 hour so obviously there are limits to how much thry can show. But I thought he had fantastic chemistry with Chae Soo Bin, they were perfect as the bffs-turned-maybe-lovers, almost like the tragic version of Reply 1997. I loved Dance Sport Girls/Just Dance too, he was great with Park Se Wan and the story (which is more hers than his) was a good one too.
I’m happy for him. He deserves it. He was great in all his roles, I was sorry and angry that the writer of Poem a Day changed the story in the middle. It was really unfair and made the end of the drama pretty disapointing.
I’m not a fan of OCN drama but will give it try for him. Hope he cut his hair.
Does anyone know if he has an IG account? Thanks!
I find him look very much like Kim Soo Hyun.