[Interview] Lee Jong Suk Wants to Keep Acting without Worrying About Managing His Filmography

Lee Jong Suk is literally an actor who ‘works like an ox.’ After starring in SBS’ Secret Garden and MBC’s High Kick, which spread his name, he worked restlessly, acting in KBS 2TV’s School, SBS’ I Hear your Voice, Doctor Stranger and Pinocchio. Apart from the dramas, he also starred in the films Face Reader, No Breathing and Hot Young Bloods.

Attending an interview with Newsen after Pinocchio ended, Lee Jong Suk expressed his love for acting.

Lee Jong Suk said, “Director Jo Soo Won told me this. ‘We can’t rest for more than a month.’ I also want to work again if I rest for a month. At home, I live without much meaning, without anything special. It’s entertaining to act out a character in a drama and monitor it later.”

He said, “I can only see the weaknesses when I monitor. I think ‘why did I say or end the speech like that?’ and if I look at the edited version after monitoring myself, they sometimes look different. I borrowed the power of editing this time. For the parts where I thought, ‘I should’ve acted it like this,’ the director edited it well (so that it looks like that),” and laughed.

During the SBS Drama Awards at the end of 2014, Lee Jong Suk won the Special Award, gaining recognition for his acting in I Hear Your Voice and Pinocchio. At the time, Lee Jong Suk’s acceptance speech left a deep impression on many.

During his acceptance speech, Lee Jong Suk said, “I will act hard so that I can be a hard working actor instead of a precious actor.”

When asked what he means by a ‘precious actor,’ Lee Jong Suk said, “I actually didn’t know that I’d win the award so I didn’t know what I was saying. But I correctly said what I meant in that part.”

Lee Jong Suk explained, “Some of the actors manage their filmography. But in the process, they cannot work on so many projects. I said that because I didn’t want to be like that. I want to keep acting but if I get picky with projects, I won’t be able to work on projects as much as I want. Whether it succeeds or fails, I want to act no matter what. If it fails, I might get paid less but it is my job to act.”

Revealing that he doesn’t mind taking supporting roles, Lee Jong Suk said, “I still ask (my agency) to get me projects with many sunbaenims, even if my role is minor. I felt it while I acted in Face Reader. I learned many things. I feel comfortable when I act with the seniors and it looks a bit better when I watch on broadcast too.”

Although he is stingy when he assesses himself, Lee Jong Suk has many fans not only in Korea but around Asia.

Lee Jong Suk stated, “I really can’t feel it. Even if I hear things like ‘Your popularity increased in China,’ or ‘Pinocchio earned over one billion views in China and was sold for how much,’ I can’t estimate or imagine what that means. It makes me ask, ‘why?’ I had a fan meeting in Korea last year and I cried so much. Because I was amazed and grateful. I felt like crying as I was going up the stage and when I couldn’t hold it anymore, I cried so much.”

Photo credit: Wellmade Entertainment

Reporter : Lee Min Ji | Translation Credit : Yeawon Jung
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