Male Actors Try New Roles in TV Dramas

One of the viewers of the KBS TV2 drama "He Who Can't Marry" has recently written that she was surprised by its main male character, Cho Jae-hee, who is played by actor Ji Jin-hee. So far, Ji has mostly played gentle and smart men, but this time he has been transformed into a narrow-minded old bachelor, whom he portrays in a comical way. The viewer said she had no idea Ji could portray comical roles and that they suited him perfectly.

Ji is not the only one to reflect the latest small-screen trend. A growing number of male actors are shedding their existing images to try on new roles. Despite the risk, so far the majority of them have succeeded in their transformations.

Ji Jin-hee, Lee Jong-won Realize Their Long-cherished Dreams

Ji Jin-hee has played only serious roles so far, such as Min Jung-ho in "Dae Jang Geum", Oh Tae-seok in "Spotlight" and his big-screen roles in the movies "Soo" and "The Old Garden". But in the TV drama "He Who Can't Marry", Ji plays a very rigid man who receives hemorrhoids surgery from a female doctor, to his great embarrassment, and is engrossed in playing with a toy like a child. Ji said he was glad to take on this comical role because he had wanted to play a cheerful role for a long time. He also added that sometimes he gets carried away during filming, prompting the director to stop him.

Actor Lee Jong-won from the KBS TV1 drama "Jolly Widows" also portrays a comical man, as if trying to shed his image as a playboy. Lee, who played a cool-headed doctor in "General Hospital 2" and a charismatic prince in "The Land of wind", recently impressed viewers by perfectly portraying a man who was cheating on his wife. However, this time he is back as a completely new actor, both in terms of the way he looks and acts. He wears round-framed glasses, which have earned him the nickname "fat Harry Potter", to portray a cartoonist who puts on a headband and turns on the theme song of the movie "Mission Impossible" whenever he has to meet tight deadlines. Lee says it wasn't his intention to portray only serious roles and that it feels good to portray an upbeat role for the first time in a while.


Kim Seong-min, Jeon No-min in Vicious Roles

Kim Seong-min from the MBC TV drama "Can I Get A Meal?" and Jeon No-min from the MBC drama "Queen Seon-deok" have also drawn the spotlight by appearing in vicious roles. Kim Seong-min, who has so far mostly played comical roles, such as those in the TV drama "Glory of the Family" and the movie "The Mafia, The Salesman", appears as a man who cheats on his wife in "What's for Dinner??" He is unabashed and rude, but when his wife asks for a divorce, he ignores her request.

Actor Jeon No-min has played righteous and kindhearted men so far, but in "Queen Seon-deok" he plays a vicious man who does everything to destroy his enemies. Jeon says he had wanted to try a new role when he was cast for the drama and that although he still feels awkward portraying a person who is obsessed with jealousy and wants to realize his ambitions by any means, he is glad to try his skills at a completely new role.


Cha Seung-won, Han Sang-jin in Melodrama Roles

Actors Cha Seung-won and Han Sang-jin, for their part, have made a major transformation by taking on romantic roles in the SBS TV series "City Hall" and the KBS TV2 drama "My Too Perfect Sons", respectively. Cha, who has already gained significant recognition for his skills in portraying comical roles and also successfully playing a charismatic character in "Eye for an Eye", perfectly portrays a romantic guy in his first small-screen role in six years. Viewers have lauded his acting skills so far, and said they were impressed by his acting in crying scenes.

Actor Han Sang-jin, who has gained popularity for playing "Yi San" in the drama "White Tower", also plays a romantic man in "My Too Perfect Sons" in a break from his previous roles that mostly included "dry-hearted" guys who had no interest whatsoever in love. Han's character--an intelligent and exemplary reporter--tied the knot with an actress in an episode that aired June 28. On that day, the drama's viewer ratings exceeded 30 percent. Han says it is fun to finally play a man who has a girlfriend and even gets married.