MBLAQ's Lee Joon Sheds Boy Band Image for Tough Guy Role

While expanding his career in acting, Lee Joon took a huge gamble by making his acting debut in "Rough Play". The movie, which was released last week and tells the story of an actor's rise to stardom, has created much buzz for violent sex scenes and bad language.

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Lee had to tread carefully to portray the character in a sympathetic way. Getting it wrong could damage his image and reputation as an idol star, while getting it right could, at best, earn him praise for taking on such a provocative role.

So what prompted him to embrace such a challenge?

"When I first read the script, I thought it sounded fun, but I didn't realize just how difficult it would be", he said. "I think that's why I was able to pull it off. The director also took a big gamble by putting all his faith in an inexperienced young actor like me.

Based on the popularity of MBLAQ, who mostly appeal to teenage girls and young women with their looks rather than their musical prowess, Lee said he had harbored dreams of acting for a long time.

"When I was in my second year of middle school I decided to become an actor", he said, adding that discouraging remarks from one of his teachers made him experiment with other interests first. "I remember one of them told me that pigs would fly before I ever made it as an actor".

That's how he started dancing and entered the Korea National University of Arts, but quit after one semester and took up acting again.

"There are lots of similarities between dancing, singing and acting. It's just that the means and tools of expression are different, but they're all about expressing your emotions. That's why I have no regrets about what I do, and acting is as meaningful as singing for me", said Lee.