| Pretty boy Lee shows off his introspective side (Source) |
2009/07/09 |
'King & Clown' star talks about his rise to celebrity, and fall back to earth
There are certain things you might expect when meeting a star actor: crazy good looks, fabulous lifestyle and, perhaps, a bit of attitude.
Such was this reporter's expectation before an exclusive interview with Korean actor Lee Joon-ki on a recent afternoon. Lee, once a young and struggling actor from the port city of Busan, was catapulted to stardom with his impressive portrayal of an androgynous clown in the 2005 hit film "The King and the Clown".
Today, Lee is ranked as one of Korea's biggest box office draws. The few films he has made have attracted almost 20 million people, according to the latest figures.
This puts the 27-year-old actor on par with some of Korea's most successful veterans, like Song Kang-ho, Seol Kyeong-gu and Ahn Seong-gi.
Yes. The looks were there, although many would agree that Lee's androgynous features aren't what you would call typical, bordering somewhere between m... |More
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| Dance whiz Popin Hyeon-joon
(Source) |
2007/10/31 |
As B-boys have come to the fore, a growing number of people want to learn break dance. But many give up after realizing the brutal effort hidden behind the glamorous facade. The popularity of B-boys today is greater than in the past but their lives are still difficult. Perception has changed but the social prejudice classifying them as no more than delinquent teens is not easy to change. The first performance that brought street dance to the theater was the musical "The Ballerina who Loved a B-Boy". The popular show has been running since the world's first 'b-boy theater' opened near Hongik University in Seoul late last year. At the center of the hit performance is Popin Hyeon-joon, a solo artist as well as the leader of the performance group Gorilla Dance Factory. Tens and thousands of fans are members of his online fan club. The star b-boy has especially gained more recognition since appearing in the Korean drama 'Over the Rainbow.
Fateful start in dance
But Hyunjoon's journey ... |More
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| Hawaii Honors Lee Joon-ki (Source) |
2007/09/04 |
South Korean star Lee Joon-ki is gaining popularity in the US. The 27th Hawaiian International Film Festival (HIFF) has announced that Lee will be this year's recipient of its Rising Star award. The award acknowledges the actor's work, media image, and growing star-power in the global arena. The festival, which runs October 18 – 28, will present the award at "An Evening with Lee Joon-ki" on Friday, October 19 along with a screening of the US premiere of one of his latest films.
The young actor rose to near instant stardom at home for his role in the box office super-hit "The King and the Clown", in which he played the role of the gender-bending Konggil, an unwitting court-jester. His popularity in Asia soared thereafter, and was sealed with the Korean-Japanese co-production "Virgin Snow", in which he played opposite Japanese actress Aoi Miyazaki. Other films starring the model-turned-actor include "Fly, Daddy, Fly" (2006), and "Flying Boys" (2004).
Lee also has a role in... |More
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| Actor Lee Joon-ki. No Longer Just a Pretty Boy (Source) |
2007/07/05 |
I met actor Lee Joon-ki (25 years old) near Incheon Harbor, which was filled with large containers and cranes and the scent of the salty air from the sea on July 3 . He was shooting an MBC TV soap opera, "Time Between Dog and Wolf - Drama", or "Gae-wa Neukdae-ui Shigan" in Korean (airing at 9:55 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays), which will hit the airwaves on July 18. He seemed very tired of the extremely hot and humid weather and lit a cigarette when he spoke.
"It is less hot and humid here than when I was shooting in Thailand. It is physically hard but I am more concerned about how I can become absorbed into my character".
In the TV drama, main character Lee Su-hyeon (played by Lee Joon-ki) becomes a secret agent to take revenge for his mother's death on the Thai criminal organization "Chungbang". He disguises himself as Kay, a gangster, and infiltrates into the organized crime ring. Lee said about Soo-hyun, "He is wild but very gentle in love. His personality is very similar ... |More
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| Lee Joon-ki Appears in Korea-Japan Joint Film (Source) |
2006/09/21 |
Actor Lee Joon-ki has been cast in the Korea-Japan joint production "Virgin Snow" directed by Han Sang-hee, who earned a reputation for producing music videos by working with famous singers including "Rain" and Ivy.
The Japanese Sponichi Shimbun reported Wednesday that Lee had participated in the movie's first shoot in Kyoto on Monday, with rising Japanese actress Aoi Miyazaki playing opposite his character.
Lee plays a Korean university student who moves to Japan when his father gets a job there as an exchange professor. He has a brief but romantic fling with a high school girl (Miyazaki) with a complicated and difficult family background.
The film is co-sponsored by CJ Entertainment and Kadokawa Herald Pictures and produced by Guardtec, which also produced Lee's recent film "Fly, Daddy, Fly".
The two stars expressed their hopes in shooting the film. "I hope this film helps improve friendly relations between the two nations", Lee said. Miyazaki, who is appearing in a forei... |More
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