Athletes to Entertainers: What's the Appeal?
(inspiration for this article was from @JojoOnDatBeat - click here to read the original)
The Big Bang Theory is an American television sitcom which premiered on the USA television channel CBS on September 24, 2007 and concluded on May 16, 2019, having broadcast a total of 279 episodes over twelve seasons. After receiving a mixed review in its first season, the second and third were so well received that it was then extended to twelve!
The sitcom mainly centred around four male scientists (Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj) and their less-intelligent new roommate, Penny, until minor characters Amy and Bernadette became major characters during the sitcom’s growth. They all live in Pasadena, California, and during the journey they grow their friendship, careers and relationships, combined with absolutely hilarious scenes that will never leave your memory!
From space theft to going into actual space, from super-hero debates that last for hours to video game marathons, from first kisses to being able to actually talk to women after several years of being shy, The Big Bang Theory will leave a long-lasting impact in this world.
Therefore, as someone who likes to watch both The Big Bang Theory (watching each individual episode at least four times) and Asian (mostly Korean) dramas on a regular basis, and then looking at the article "What Would a Korean Version of Brooklyn Nine Nine be Like", I decided to search for a perfect cast that would do great things to this sitcom if there were to be a Korean remake version of it.
The actors selected for the cast were chosen first and foremost on the basis of their acting capability, and if I thought they could play their American counterpart character well, with age also being a small factor in my decision making process. Unlike the original article however, I didn’t consider visual similarity to be too much of a thought.
As always, when it comes to articles that involve personal casting choices, there will obviously be a clash of opinions, but remember, this isn’t ever going to happen (if it does, I'll eat my shoe)! If you think someone else would suit a different character, comment down below and let’s talk about it!
Now, to the casting: a Korean Version of The Big Bang Theory.
Lee Kwang Soo as Sheldon Cooper
Famous Line: “I’m not crazy. My Mother had me tested.”
Sheldon Cooper is… well, Sheldon Cooper. The most bizarre, crazy, lunatic nerd with obsessions over many things and he is very narcissistic, to say the least. As you can already tell, traits like these make great television, and many people believe that Sheldon is the star of the show when it comes to The Big Bang Theory. He is one of the most intelligent people in the world academically, but fails to understand others’ emotions and feelings.
Lee Kwang Soo would perfectly play this role because someone who knows humour and to engage an audience is needed for such a complex character like Sheldon Cooper. I chose Lee Kwang Soo is known not only from his proven humour in variety shows such as Running Man and Busted, but also from his acting such as in the drama Live, where, when needed, can perform greatly in a more serious setting, which is exactly what Sheldon needs to be too.
Also, let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to see the Lee Kwang Soo version of trying to seductively play the trumpet in his pyjamas?
Lee Dong Wook as Leonard Hofstadter
Famous Line: “12 years after high school and I’m still stuck at the nerd table.”
Leonard Hofstadter is a thoughtful and trustworthy friend, and is the ‘social centre’ of the friendship group - even if Sheldon disagrees. Leonard is also friendly and nerdy, making him a lovable nerd, let’s just say he’s the ‘cool nerd’, and also the ‘girl magnet’ of the group. He’s probably the most relatable character for male viewers, simply because he is the most normal when it comes to his thoughts, feelings, and actions.
While I knew exactly the person to choose for Leonard, Lee Dong Wook, putting it into words was a more difficult task for me, as I simply wanted to say: because he would be perfect for it! In actual fact though, I think the major deciding factor was from his differences in roles: Life and Strangers From Hell. Lee Dong Wook has it all, and I would love to see him play a lovable nerd that is constantly annoyed by his crazy best friend that consists of Lee Kwang Soo. Probably not a combination you would think to even read, right? But admit it, a tiny part of you wouldn’t mind watching it.
And if I haven’t mentioned already, Leonard loves a good fight. So, for all of you Lee Dong Wook fans who want to see him more of his masculine side, expect for scenes like this from him if there was ever a Korean Version of The Big Bang Theory!
Kim Ji Won as Penny
Famous Line: “Well yeah, but your Ken can kiss my Barbie.”
Penny, yes, just ‘Penny’ (as her last name was never officially stated during the whole ten years the sitcom was on air), lacks the academic intelligence (which, in my opinion, gives The Big Bang Theory a fresh edge), but is one of the most lovable, funny, and strongest characters the sitcom has. Unlike Sheldon, Penny knows how to read thoughts and feelings, and has the street-smarts. She may have a problem with alcohol and commitment, but she has no problem winning the hearts of the viewers.
Which is why I think Kim Ji Won would perfectly play this role, as she too can easily win the hearts of the viewers, no matter what role she plays. Kim Ji Won is just the type of lovable actress, where, no matter the story/genre, people know that she will go above and beyond to make something out of what she is given. Personally, I think Kim Ji Won would excel playing the role of a lovable girl, just like in Fight For My Way, as she would also excel in the more serious parts when it comes to relationships, hers and helping others.
Did I forget to mention that Penny is from Nebraska? And sometimes her accent slips out? Perhaps a Korean twist could be for Kim Ji Won to spit out a certain dialect when the dialogue calls for it.
Penny is also a bad driver, although not as bad as Sheldon.
Park Seo Joon as Howard Wolowitz
Famous Line: “I say, ‘Hey Ma, what's for dinner?’".
Howard Wolowitz is the absolute comedian of the group, by far the funniest out of all, even if some may cringe with his crude comedy that occurred during the first few seasons. During the seasons, he calms down, mainly due to getting married, but his comedy doesn’t disappear, it just changes, like him. Without Howard, The Big Bang Theory wouldn’t be as half as funny, so this is a very important, and sometimes underrated character.
Park Seo Joon would perfectly play this role because I couldn’t think of a funnier actor to play this role, for me anyways, Park Seo Joon is immediately the first actor I think of when it comes to comedy - but obviously, he also has a proven track record of an actor who can also play the calm and collected, or sweet man too. I feel Park Seo Joon could also make his own version of Howard, to perhaps suit his humour style a little more, instead of the crude and then sometimes ‘dad joke’ humour viewers became used to with Howard Wolowitz.
While Howard does get picked on for being the least smart, excluding Penny, due to him not having a PhD, he’s smart enough to go into space! I’m just imagining a Park Seo Joon version of this now. ^^
Kim Kyung Nam as Raj Koothrappali
Famous Line: “I've said this before and I'll say it again: Aquaman sucks!”
For more seasons than I would even like to admit, Raj Koothrappali was such a shy nerd that he couldn’t even talk to women, even though he was vastly wealthy and could own jet-skis at one point if he had wanted to. After the realisation he could talk to women, and sober for that matter, his femininity spirals out of control, and all he is desperate for is love. He’s the bridge between the girls’ friendship group and boys’ friendship group whenever there is turmoil between people.
After watching Prison Playbook, I feel that someone like Kim Kyung Nam would perfectly play this role because of the femininity the character desires. He is also lovable and could easily get sympathy points from the audience from some of the facial expressions he can create. The nervous-awkwardness in front of the women, yet the cocky bragging in front of the men, this is a role that Kim Kyung Nam could shine in. It would also be interesting to see his version of being desperate for love.
Jeon Mi Do as Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz
Famous Line: “I wanted to go to Hawaii, not Hell.”
Ah, yes, the woman is almost as crazy as Sheldon Cooper at times… Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, the eventual wife of Howard Wolowitz, she is a feisty-at-times woman, even if you don’t think she would be, due to her squeaky voice and short height. Well, she makes sure that her height isn’t a disadvantage. But, despite this, she can also be a very thoughtful and honest friend who gives great advice to people. It’s definitely a tough character to cast, but I think I have found someone more than suitable.
Jeon Mi Do would perfectly play this role because, even though I have only seen her acting through watching Hospital Playlist, seems the type of actress who would thrive playing a sweet at times/crazy screaming psycho at other times character - although one thing I would definitely like for Jeon Mi Do to differently is to not fake a squeaky voice - sorry everyone my opinion, the one thing I did not like about Bernadette was the fake voice! Instead, perhaps she could change the Bernadette character slightly, and instead of a fake voice, why not use her real voice to sing, as she has much experience in musicals!
Ahn Eun Jin as Amy Farrah Fowler
Famous Line: “I gave you one job! Keep an eye on him. How hard is that?”
When first on screen, Amy was a very emotionless, cold-hearted and unsocial girl, with no personality. However, once Amy had become friends with Penny and Bernadette, the lovable Amy Farrah Fowler came alive, the one who likes to play the harp, wears old-fashioned clothing, and loves other exciting things such as knitting or listening to Neil Diamond (this wasn’t meant to be sarcasm by the way, if you also do these things, good for you!). She’s a very patient woman too, especially when it comes to her eventual partner, Sheldon.
A part of me thinks, with a character that’s as unique as Amy, an actress such as Ahn Eun Jin would perfectly play this role. Ahn Eun Jin is one of the most underrated actresses in the drama world right now, and by playing a role such as Amy Farrah Fowler, could give more light on such a star. And, if anyone remembers, in Strangers From Hell, when Ahn Eun Jin looks at Lee Dong Wook, imagine her looking at Lee Kwang Soo (Sheldon) when she’s being so patient. (Side Note: It would be pretty cool if there was an Easter egg in the Korean Version, where Ahn Eun Jin, playing the role of Amy and Lee Dong Wook, playing the role of Leonard just had a scene exactly like the aforementioned one in Strangers From Hell).
Jo Han Chul As Stuart Bloom
Famous Line: "I like all kinds of music, but my favourite genre is free."
The character we perhaps feel the most sympathetic and sorry towards, Stuart Bloom, an owner of a comic book store who has shared tuna out of the can with more cats than he would like to count. While Stuart only appeared occasionally in the first few seasons like Amy and Bernadette, by the mid-late seasons, Stuart’s role changed from a support role into a main role, so that’s the reason why I have included him in this article. He’s a great friend, friendly, and willing to talk about anything. He has the most extensive knowledge out of anything that is related to art, comic books, graphic novels, or superheroes (due to his job), and while he has no money, dignity or pride by the end of things, he’s still that lovable so-and-so guy who you would miss so much if he had left the group.
Jo Han Chul would perfectly play this role because he’s so good at playing the kiss-up nerd/geek who is not confident and mumbles and stumbles along in his life, not knowing when he messed up so bad. In his roles such as Feel Good To Die and Vincenzo, Jo Han Chul has proven that not only can he be the nerd, but he can also bring humour along with the character, in his voice tones and facial expressions. While I know some people don’t like his acting, I know many people that do, and that’s why I think an actor like Jo Han Chul would play the character of Stuart Bloom so greatly.
I would like to thank @JojoOnDatBeat once more for the amazing original version, and I want to thank everyone who has read the article!! Like I said before, when it comes to casting articles, everyone will have a different opinion, but I still hope you enjoyed the article. Let me know if you would like more articles like these in the future!!
Thank you for reading xoxo
Edited by: Nymphadora (1st editor)
