Some people happen to be actors while dreaming of becoming directors or vice versa. Lee Junhyuk also became interested in acting while directing a short film, dreaming of becoming a director. He made his debut in the entertainment industry by appearing in music videos and mainly built his career through dramas. He appeared in weekend TV series favored by middle-aged people, and since his debut, he has consistently appeared in TV and films without any gaps, strengthening his acting skills. His debut film is the comedy Fortune Salon (2009). He played Hojoon, a man who goes through all kinds of accidents intertwined with the heroine, a beautiful fortuneteller. Although Lee looks like a prince on a white horse, he shows a twist with a personality contrary to his charming image.

Except for his special appearance, after Fortune Salon, Lee Junhyuk returned to the cinema world in 8 years and drew attention by playing the only villain in the Along with the Gods series. In the films, Lee Junhyuk played Park Mooshin, an orphan who graduated from the Korea Military Academy and rose to the rank of first lieutenant. The character becomes a villain in the face of a crisis and makes the worst choice on his own. Since the story is mainly about the grim reapers and the dead, Lee’s character, Park Mooshin, had a small portion in the film but he showed his presence clearly. First Lieutenant Park commits a greater evil to cover up his crime that he made through a wrong judgment but asks for forgiveness at the last moment with a hint of guilt. Lee Junhyuk pulled off such a complicated performance successfully. With the first and second episodes of Along with the Gods series drawing 10 million viewers, Lee Junhyuk was clearly stamped on the movie fans’ minds.

In No Mercy (2018), Lee played a secretary who looks good in a suit but acts like a puppet of a gangster-like city councilman. In the seasonal TV series Stranger, he played an undignified and despicable prosecutor, who’s being heard, “Have you become a prosecutor by your handsome face?” In 60 Days, Designated Survivor (2019), he appeared as a handsome presidential candidate from a soldier holding secrets. As you see, most of the characters Lee Junhyuk has played tend to emphasize his handsome appearance first. So, when filming the independent film Baseball Girl (2019), the director of the film had to worry because he wasn’t sure if Lee Junhyuk, a superb good-looking actor, was suitable for the character Choi Jintae, the baseball coach with a good heart. However, as if the actor’s debut film was a revelation, Lee has mainly shown very different images from the charming prince on the white horse. Of course, it’s all thanks to the actor’s broad acting skills to freely pull off a loser, a mean character, a sneaky one, and a cruel, which subvert his good-looking. This is why we are already curious about how colorful characters Lee Junhyuk will play in the future, including his next film, Firefighter. Jung Sujin