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Lee Joon Hyuk reveals he initially didn't want to do Dong Jae, the Good or the Bastard.
Stranger's spinoff Dong Jae, the Good or the Bastard tells the story of prosecutor Seo Dong Jae (Lee Joon Hyuk), who wants to move on from his dark past as a sponsor prosecutor and build a reputation in the present. The series promises exciting tension as Seo Dong Jae engages in a relentless mud-slinging battle with Nam Wan Seong (Park Sung Woong), the CEO of Lee Hong Construction, who is determined to bring up past mistakes Dong Jae would rather forget.
On November 15, at a café in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Lee Joon Hyuk shared his thoughts on returning to the role of Seo Dong Jae four years after Stranger Season 2.
Lee Joon Hyuk didn't want to play Dong Jae again after Stranger
He began by saying, "To be honest, I didn't want to play Dong Jae again. I'm not the type who likes to play the same role twice, and I generally prefer taking on a wide variety of roles, so I didn't want to do it. But one day, without me even realizing it, things were already in progress."
He continued, "While my agency is supportive of me, they probably saw this as a good opportunity regardless of what I think. [At that point] I had already fought so much. We're very close, so I kept asking, 'How am I supposed to do this again?' The pressure was overwhelming... But then, there was a lot of support from fans. Honestly, I was still very conflicted until then. I thought, 'Should I do it if so many people like it?' That's when I first received the script [and ended up doing it]. It's like the fans convinced me. That's really how it came to be."
He continued, "Dong Jae wasn't even the main character in Stranger, and the character itself was kind of strange. I often thought, 'Who would even watch for this guy?' ... I knew there was a fanbase, but I had no idea how big it was.
"After the article [announcing the K-drama will be made] came out, I could see that so many people actually wanted it. There were quite a few twists and turns. The script was rewritten about three times, and writer Lee Soo Yeon didn't come in to help from the beginning [of the project]; she joined in later. I developed a great camaraderie with writer Lee Soo Yeon and other writers. We had a lot of meetings while filming," he added.
Even after filming began, he couldn't stop regretting it. Lee Joon Hyuk recalled, "I kept having regrets while filming. But I was so grateful even in those moments. The staff was amazing. Even the youngest staff members on set were so nice to me."
Regarding working with writer Lee Soo Yeon, Lee Joon Hyuk said, "This is my fourth project with her, and this time, I had the chance to have a lot of conversations with her. I feel that she's a very strong person. The same goes for the other writers; I don't think I could have done it without the team. They consistently remained strong and carried on, even through ridiculously tough schedules."
Talking about his character, Lee Joon Hyuk said, "First of all, as a fan myself, I wanted to show something new. While Dong Jae is a character with a compassionate side to him, what made Dong Jae appealing in season 1 was his novelty. I liked how it broke clichés, like with the ending. Although this is a Stranger spinoff, I thought it could present a different genre and show a lot of new things. Even within the drama itself, we aimed to show something new. We took on a lot of bold attempts and challenges. Many of them weren't easy to accept, so I'm thankful to TVING and the production company for being supportive in that regard."
Lee Joon Hyuk on Dong Jae's charm
On what he found appealing about Seo Dong Jae, Lee said, "It's his brazen attitude. He acts as if no one is watching him, like he's home alone, jumping and enjoying. I wonder if I could ever be that happy, like a child. There's a line where he says, 'So this is what it feels like to be the main character. For me, playing a leading character comes with pressure and stress, but Dong Jae genuinely enjoys it doesn't he? Honestly, I find that aspect of him fascinating and enviable."
Despite his fondness for the character, Lee admitted to frustrations with Dong Jae's talkative nature. He revealed, "What disappointed me about Dong Jae was just how much he talks. I once received a 12-page script, and that was even after it had been edited for broadcast. I asked the writer, 'What am I supposed to do with this?', and he just replied, 'But you’re good at it,' I couldn't say anything. I didn't really care about Dong Jae’s personality, but he just talks too much."
The synchronicity between himself and the character was extremely low. Lee stated, "We're completely different. People who see me in private might even misunderstand and think, 'Is he in a bad mood?'"
Lee Joon Hyuk says there is no absolute standard for looks
Famous for his looks, Lee Joon Hyuk responded to the praise he received for his character Seo Dong Jae's appearance by saying, "The role was set to be older than my actual age. I've often played characters older than me. When I was in my mid-20s I played a character in his 40s in I Am Legend. In this project as well, I didn't have time to manage my appearance. I used to feel shy about receiving compliments on my appearance, but now, I like it," he said, adding, "When I look at my physical self, of course, I notice all the flaws. But I've come to realize that appearance is a matter of perspective, and trends change with time."
The actor continued, "Now that I'm in my 40s, I feel that I should cherish my appearance more. People who look similar to me will keep coming, right? So, I want to be someone who can give them confidence. I think it would be wrong for me to be negative about or belittle myself. If I do that, then people with similar features — like those with very fair skin and dark eyebrows — might feel the same way. Back when I was much younger, being fair-skinned wasn't trendy [considered cool]. Dark skin with a rugged look and a beard was considered cool."
He added, "Times are always changing, so I hope people think of it [the physical traits] as an advantage and take [them] positively. Back then, male actors used to ask me why I am so fair-skinned, and I often used to darken my skin with makeup. [Now,] I've come to realize there's no such thing as an absolute standard."
