Charismatic Lee Soo-Hyuk MARIE CLAIRE INTERVIEW

Charismatic Lee Soo-Hyuk: MARIE CLAIRE INTERVIEW

Lee Soo-Hyuk is busy with his ongoing filming. The shooting of the series ‘Local Hero’, which will be broadcast on OCN screens in January, continues at full speed. In the TV series ‘Local Hero’, he plays the character of Choi Chan-Gyoo, who has been studying for the police exam for five years but has failed multiple times. He is reborn as a hero by receiving training from a former agent living in his neighborhood. Lee Soo-Hyuk, with his new bright look as a neighborhood young man due to a change in hair color, participated in a photo shoot for ‘Marie Claire’.

The local man has a very different appearance than the Lee Soo-Hyuk we are used to.

“It was very easy to portray the characters I played. I always wanted to portray a character with less power, but this is not easy at all. The reason for this image of mine was probably due to my extensive modeling activities. I starred in ‘King of High School Life Conduct’ and ‘Valid Love’ because I really wanted to try different roles, like in those TV series. Finally, I came together with a character that I felt comfortable with.”

Perception vs. Reality

We always thought you had a serious and mysterious appearance. Was there a misunderstanding?

“It seems like a lot of people think that I’m just a quiet person sitting at home. I’m just an ordinary guy. I have similar hobbies as other guys my age, like assembling Lego blocks. I also get along well with my friends. It’s nice to be given the opportunity to portray a man like Chan Kyu in ‘Local Hero,’ who is a little more docile and familiar. These days, I’m eager to gain different acting experiences.”

Career Evolution

Were you assertive before?

“I worked like crazy when I was in my early 20s. At that time, I was working on my own without having an agency. I was on my own for a really long time without being affiliated with an agency. So I think I had to build my image on my own. I don’t want to show that I’m lacking. However, now I am a little different. I want to offer more and I think I have the courage to make this possible. It is also true that I am impatient.”

Did you have more freedom back then?

“Of course, I was free. I was sure of my tastes. As I got older, my tastes expanded. In the past, I was only aware of the things I liked and did them because I was happy with them. Now, I am aware of more things and I think there are more people who like me as an actor.”

Do you miss your life when you were free and sure of what you loved?

“I’m not the type to have regrets. So I don’t miss it. However, I keep my good memories. I really had fun when I worked abroad. I remember encountering some problems when I couldn’t really speak English, and then I wonder at the courage I had to do it in the past. Maybe because I was young, I probably succeeded. It depends on how you look at it; I worked as a model and received a lot of love. After I started acting, I realized how much I was lacking in many areas.”

Challenges and Growth

Have you experienced any disappointments while working as an actor?

“I think it is fair to say that I have faced more limitations than disappointments. I have always wanted to be an actor since my childhood, but compared to my enthusiasm, I was not sure that I had prepared myself properly to become an actor. I could not cope, but as an actor, I had to work harder before appearing in front of the audience. That’s why I didn’t take part in any projects for a year after the TV series ‘Shark’ ended. I improved my body by working out, gained some weight, and it was a time of change for me. Now, when I think about it, I found myself first in order to start a proper acting career. It makes me sad that I didn’t change it sooner. If I had done this, I wouldn’t have revealed my shortcomings even a little bit? I feel sad about this. Since I was not completely prepared, I will show you this image after I completely destroy it.”

Personal and Professional Evolution

What is the biggest difference between the man today and Lee Soo-Hyuk of the past?

“I feel like I focused primarily on trends. And it was all about image. For example, there was a movie that I loved as a kid called ‘Velvet Golden Time.’ I don’t know if it’s natural for me to think this way, but it was like ‘life is about image’ because I was a model. (smiles) At that time, I was holding on to such things. Now, I realized that it was not possible for me to create this so-called ‘image’ the way I wanted. And I realized that showing myself correctly through roles is more important than anything else.”

Reflections on “Firsts”

This interview is for the January issue. So I’m going to ask about your ‘firsts.’ Do you remember the first tears you shed in your life?

“Oh, I really don’t remember. I almost never cry. Even when I watch a sad movie, I don’t cry. I just feel sad. I probably cried because I was a kid when my mom didn’t buy me something I wanted.”

First failure of your life?

“I made my debut as a model when I was 17 and was lucky to get a lot of attention. I had confidence and went to Paris to walk the runway at the Paris collection show. I spent over a month there trying to get cast for the seasons, but I didn’t get a single job. At that time, during the entire collection shows, only one Asian model could make it to the catwalk, and she was Chinese. During my stay there, I only ate kebab and came back. This experience when I was young was a big shock to me. If things had gone well for me then, my acting career would have started later. My original plan was to stay in Paris longer and participate in modeling-related activities and then start my acting career after studying acting properly. In fact, I continued to feel sad even after I started acting because the Paris collection show was a bad start for me. So, when I took a break from acting for a year, I went there to try to walk the catwalk in Paris once again.”

Achievements and Future Plans

It is very rare for someone to join overseas collections after starting their acting career.

“You’re right. And if it’s someone like me who has a strong model image, then it’s even rarer. I understand that such an image can be toxic as an actor. However, I felt like there was something left in me as a model. So, on January 1, 2014, I got on a plane and went to Paris alone. When I got there, I was very worried at first. ‘Oh, here I go because I want to walk on the catwalk after I start acting. So, if it doesn’t work again and I go back, what do I do then?’ However, fortunately, I managed to attend five shows: Balenciaga, Balmain, and Juun.J.”

What was your first bad behavior?

“Hm… I don’t know.”

Do you drink alcohol well?

“I use it, but I don’t drink it often. When I drink too much, all my plans fall apart the next day.”

Do you enjoy living a planned life?

“I’m not someone who goes with the flow. Since I’m not a free-spirited person, learning about these emotions and watching a lot of movies is more important than taking acting lessons. I think. (smiles) Actually, my entire schedule is full right now, as I enjoy living according to whatever is planned.”

What will you do on the last day of 2015?

“Before, I was definitely careful to celebrate such things. The end of the year, birthdays, New Year’s Eve, everything. Now I’m not like that. I feel like I was just living in a dream in the past. Being a model has been my dream since I was a child, and the reality of being an actor was just a dream. At first, I hoped people would look at me no matter what. However, now I feel like I’m actually experiencing it. I have the power to do what I want to do, and as an actor who just has more of a ‘I’m busy’ mentality, I have to be someone who embraces that fact. Real life made me realize that, as I don’t really celebrate specific memories like anniversaries.”