LEE JOON GI : ASIA’S TOP-NOTCH ACTOR
FIRST AMONG EQUALS
Indifferent Vampire
Fiery vampire: Gorgeous eyes, nose and lips
Vampire Lee Joon Gi loves his right face profile
Playful look: Long-haired vampire
Sexy vampire: Deep in thought
Vampire: very tense and anxious
Dashing vampire
ASIA’S MOST TALENTED ACTOR AND ENTERTAINER Lee Joon Gi is a top-notch actor, in fact, the most talented actor and entertainer in South Korea and Asia. There is no question about it. And there is no question about his acting credentials either. His credentials are certainly impeccable. He has done movies and dramas of different genres, singing, dancing, modelling, emceeing and other stuff. And he has performed them brilliantly.
Lee Joon Gi's energetic dancing at one of his fan concerts Lee first came into prominence with his incredible performance in his first movie, a historical gender-bender tale, ‘The King and the Clown’, which opened to critical acclaim and commercial success in 2005. He went on to make many more popular dramas and movies like ‘My Girl’, ‘Time Between Dog and Wolf’, ‘Iljimae’, ‘Arang and the Magistrate’, ‘Two Weeks’, ‘The Joseon Shooter’ and ‘Virgin Snow’. His latest, soon-to-be released Chinese-Korean movie, ‘Love In Sicily’ is highly anticipated just because Lee Joon Gi is the lead actor.
The blockbuster movie,'The King and the Clown'
Lee Joon Gi plays the beautiful, effeminate clown
Lee, in many ways, is different from other actors. He is multi-talented, and his acting is multi-layered and multi-dimensional. He displays impressive innate fiery talent naturally and effortlessly. He also has a wonderful, welcoming relationship with the camera and therefore he looks very good in any drama or movie.
Moreover, Lee Joon Gi is also such a fun actor. Behind the scenes, one can find many instances of him putting on an impromptu funny show for all the cast and crew members, rolling around on the ground, goofing off, dancing, wriggling, singing, and in his everyday life, he is up to all kinds of funny antics and actions that he almost exhausts everybody else except himself. He is a like a ball of energy that is unstoppable. And the viewers cannot wait to see more of his cheerful countenance.
Lee Joon Gi: laughing
Lee Joon Gi making funny faces
Even on the day of the press conference for the launch of the drama,‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’, Lee Joon Gi, although dressed sophisticatedly in his very formal pinstriped double-breasted shirt and trousers, at one stage, playfully pretended to jump over the glass balustrade when he heard his many adoring fans shouting his name and cheering for him from the ground floor. Where would you find another adorable and fun-loving entertainer with such infectious jovial charm who truly loves his fans to such an extent?
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2xw3t3
Lee Joon Gi introduces himself
Then, in a subsequent interview, he even performed his ‘wiggle, wiggle’ stuff which was really hilarious. That physical display of physical flexibility ultimately shows that Lee is in control of his body and he is able to use it to his advantage in his acting. He has also uploaded lots of photographs and funny videos on his Instagram. No actor or entertainer in South Korea or in Asia for the matter, can be compared to the one and only Lee Joon Gi.
Lee Joon Gi's Instagram: "Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle"
LEE JOON GI’S MARTIAL ARTS SKILLS Viewers also get to see Lee Joon Gi’s amazing athletic skills when he runs, jumps and fights in his current drama, ‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’. In one sequence, when he tries to save Jo Yang Sun from Gwi, he is seen carrying her in his arms as he runs. It takes a lot of strength and energy to carry a person and run at the same time. Oh, what a dreamy knight in shining armour!
Viewers are also lucky to be able to watch his martial arts fighting scenes in his latest drama. The fantastic sight they see is the result of many years of honing his Taekwondo, Taekkyeon and Hapkido skills. He is also skilled at wielding his sword. One can also see him ‘fly’ (jump) with his hanbok swirling in the air as he fights against some attackers sent by the palace courtiers. Think badassery. He indeed kicks ass. This pretty much speaks for itself.
THE SCHOLAR WHO WALKS THE NIGHT LEE JOON GI’S
SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCE
In the past four episodes of ‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’, Lee Joon Gi, who plays the titular scholar, as expected, has ended up stealing the whole show with his amazing acting skills and his spectacular performance.
In the dark vampire drama, Lee Joon Gi gets to play all sorts of colours: joyful, wretched, wrathful, lascivious, seductive, evil, vengeful, cold, and Lee has fully fleshed out the vulnerable vampire character so far with many layers to his emotions, and viewers believe that he will continue to do so for the rest of the drama.
The drama is not even on its halfway mark but has already garnered a lot of publicity and support because of its exciting and riveting storytelling and interesting cast, especially with Lee Joon Gi helming the drama. There is a story to be told in every episode and there is going to be even more palace intrigue, thrilling love triangles, revelation of secrets, love scandals, grisly killings and more killings, gory blood feasts, earth shuddering vampire rampage, palace madness, and great music.
When we think of great music and songs in this vampire drama, why is Lee Joon Gi not given the opportunity to sing some romantic songs to his fans?
Jang Jae In (장재인) – Secret Paradise (비밀낙원)
봄이 찾아 오겠죠Spring Will Probably Come - 별Byul The tale is fraught with many emotional scenes that Leeperforms to spectacular effect, especially in the first, second and fourth episodes.
KIM SUNG YEOL
Lee Joon Gi plays the role of the vampire scholar, Kim Sung Yeol, who lives more than 120 years. He is a scholar in his late 20s who works in the Joseon Library in the palace and is involved in writing and documentation work. He is compelled to be a vampire after a guardian vampire, Hae Seo, bites him. His life vacillates between good and evil as he has to, under animalistic compulsion, have his monthly supply of human blood. At the same time, he, as a new guardian vampire, has to maintain proper discipline in the vampire world.
http://tvpot.daum.net/v/va1c3ieffwweSHxferimIIr
Hae Seo, the guardian vampire bites Kim Sung Yeol
Kim Sung Yeol lives his life as a vampire uneventfully for 120 years until he meets a pretty crossdressing bookseller, Jo Yang Sun, who eventually paves the way for him to retrieve the former Crown Prince Jung Hyun’s diary which contains his secret plans on how to outwit and destroy Gwi, the evil vampire. 'Gwi' in Chinese means ‘devil’.
It is therefore, not unreasonable to expect that the saguek vampire drama, ‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’ which is helmed by Lee Joon Gi, should be nothing short of awesome.
PRETERNATURAL HORROR A DARK AND COMPLEX CHARACTER
In the drama, the vampire scholar, Kim Sung Yeol, has a dark past filled with bad luck. He is distraught with the fact that he is a supernatural serial killer of human beings. He kills only once a month to stave off his thirst for blood. Although, viewers are naturally uncomfortable with the idea of watching a killer vampire, they do love the idea of Lee Joon Gi playing the part of the sexy vampire.
Nonetheless, Kim Sung Yeol is still a beast. A sexy beast, indeed. What is most frightening about Kim Sung Yeol is his total calm, his calculation, his preternatural stillness, and also his constant struggle to remain in control of his vampire urges, especially in the sucking of the blood of his beloved, Jo Yang Sun. He is like a bomb about to explode. This makes him one of the most frightening and memorable characters around. Viewers shudder but they love Lee Joon Gi’s acting. Lee has seamlessly slipped into the skin of the vampire and viewers will certainly root for him all the way till the end of the drama.
Lee’s vampire character is a rather complex and dramatic one whose presence is like a double-edged sword: too much and too little of him is deleterious, but his presence is essential for the survival of the Joseon World.
And Kim Sung Yeol is always living on the edge as he is constantly in immortal combat with Gwi and is forever trying to save the Joseon population. It puts him in a morally precarious or risky position as he is half-vampire unlike the full-fledged sadistic vampire, Gwi.
LOVEY-DOVEY COUPLE
KIM SUNG YEOL AND LEE MYUNG HEE
LEE JOON GI PLAYS HIMSELF
(First Episode)
In what respect is Kim Sung Yeol endearing to the viewers? And to what extent are they captivated by him?
Lee Joon Gi is extremely professional when he is filming even when he knows he is almost playing himself. Leehas, in the first episode of the drama, created a character who viewers, especially fans, naturally assume, is like him. In real life, Lee Joon Gi is always happy, fun and playful. He is a naturally joyful person, and is forever smiling from ear to ear. He is humble, has good-natured humour and is fun to work with. All these are gleaned from the pictures and video clips that he has uploaded onto his Instagram.
LEE JOON GI’S SMILES AND LAUGHTER
At the beginning of the drama, that is, in the first episode,Lee Joon Gi plays the dashing, confidant, happy and playful scholar Kim Sung Yeol who is smiling and joking all the time. He is a witty and quick thinking charmer whomanages to worm his way into the heart of Lee Myung Hee and the viewers’ affections.
Lee stirs up the viewers feelings and they warm up to him easily. He has such an adorable persona. His warm and brotherly expressions towards his close friend, Crown Prince, Jung Hyun and his sweet lovey-dovey expressions of love towards his beloved fiancée, Lee Myung Hee, really touch the viewers’ hearts. Viewers love his throaty laughter, masculine voice, expressive eyes and his charming lopsided smiles. When he smiles, it lights up his whole face, as if it is wreathed in sunshine. How does he manage to twist his mouth into such a naughty, lopsided smile sometimes?
The Kiss: Kim Sung Yeol and Lee Myung Hee
THE ACTING PROWESS OF LEE JOON GI KIM SUNG YEOL: THE BECOMING
FIRST EPISODE
Lee Joon Gi is awesome in this saguek vampire drama. His gruesome but touching ‘becoming’ or transformation into a vampire in the first episode of the drama is so amazing. The once charming and joyful scholar is compelled to change into a vampire, and because of Lee’sincredible dramatic skills, he has made viewers feel that the vampire is a figure worthy of sympathy.
The becoming of Kim Sung Yeol is one of the most compelling and exciting scenes of the drama so far as it shows what an excellent actor Lee Joon Gi is. Lee must have a highly developed and lively imagination; his eyes, his voice, his mouth and his body tell stories.
When Kim Sung Yeol is bitten in the neck by the vampire mentor, Hae Seo, the venom takes effect. Lee Joon Gi is incredibly amazing at displaying the transition from human to vampire. Just look at the way Lee Joon Gi’s brows furrow, the way his eyes squinch, the trembling of his hands, the writhing of his body as if he is in agony and the guttaral sounds that he makes. It seems as if his body is on fire. His facial expressions seem to morph and shapeshift not unlike the body of a vampire. One can actually hear the deep shock, pain and sorrow in his voice, not just see it on his face, and feel the intensity of his emotions. One can applaud his mastery of his facial or physical movements. His look of bewilderment is heart wrenching. The diversity of the range of emotions that he expresses and his realistic portrayal of a man in anguish effectively show why he and his talents are highly appreciated by his fast-increasing number of fans.
It seems easy for Lee Joon Gi to access and tap his raw emotions. He is never afraid to give his all, shapeshifting his face to allow his real emotions to shine through. He brings Kim Sung Yeol’s ‘becoming’ to life and thus, makes an emotional connection with his viewers. Everyone who watches him is stunned by his amazing performance. Although Lee Joon Gi plays a flawed and conflicted hero, his viewers are no less supportive.
In the drama, Lee Joon Gi’s ability to take the scary, intimidating vampire character and effectively humanise him is beyond the expectations of viewers. The way he displays his acting abilities is incredible. No one could have pulled off that role, like Lee Joon Gi could. His acting blows viewers away. Well, he has many things in his favour: his amazing acting skills, his flexible body, seductive voice, expressive eyes and sensual mouth.
Kim Sung Yeol cries and sucks Lee Myung Hee's blood It is without a shadow of a doubt that Lee Joon Gi has the rare quality of being able to communicate and express his emotions so well that he is able to engage and connect with his viewers. Lee can effortlessly make his viewers and fans feel the same emotions that he expresses and they want to cry, smile, laugh or roar with him. You have to see the actor in action to believe it.
Later, the becoming of Kim Sung Yeol is only complete when he bites and drinks Lee Myung Hee’s blood. The gushing sound of him sucking the blood is horrible - as horrible as his expression of sucking his beloved’s blood. He is distraught and guilty about the draining of her blood for his very own survival and this brings on his emotional meltdown that is portrayed to perfection by Lee Joon Gi.
Viewers have to salute Lee Joon Gi for taking on this very difficult, complicated and dark role. Although Kim Sung Yeol is the hero in the drama, his character has to constantly struggle against the animalistic instincts of a vampire. Fans have the greatest respect for him for taking the bold step of portraying an ambiguous character. Lee’slatest drama changes the way they look at him, his talents and abilities. His acting, they are convinced, is now at least, one notch higher.
KIM SUNG YEOL
THE BAD BOY OF THE VAMPIRE WORLD
SEX APPEAL
Well, the undead can be quite scary but one thing viewers know, Kim Sung Yeol, though sinister, is definitely sexy and seductive! He is the 'bad' boy of the vampire world unlike Gwi who is the evil devil vampire.
Girls prefer bad boys, and vampires are at the far end of the scale for badness. Kim Sung Yeol may drink the blood of some humans but it does not impede his romances with the lovely ladies. His magnetism and hypnotic charms must take the blame.
Lee Joon Gi brings his character to life and projects an magnetic aura. Lee has made Kim Sung Yeol a highly interesting and exciting vampire who has a great presence - a larger than life presence. Lee hypnotises all the ladies on-screen and off-screen with the effective use of his kohl-rimmed eyes and his alluring vermillion lips.
Look at the way Kim Sung Yeol makes eye contact with his beloved ladies and the viewers. Study his uplifted eyebrows, his intense look, his penetrating stare, the nuanced smile, the well-timed smirk, the sneer, the vulnerable look and the cold, frosty expression. Have viewers imagined all of these? He looks so irresistible. IsLee Joon Gi mind-controlling and brainwashing the viewers into believing he is a sensual and romantic vampire? Perhaps, Lee Joon Gi has developed Kim Sung Yeol into a sexy god. It’s all in a day’s work!
Love flourishes in the drama but can love conquer everything? Kim Sung Yeol drinks blood. Shouldn’t his love interest, Jo Yang Sun, be concerned about this? We want Kim Sung Yoel’s relationship to succeed. Who cares about realism? This is a fantasy drama anyway and most female viewers definitely want an idealistic conclusion!
Viewers do not know the ending but they want to see more of Lee Joon Gi for the rest of the drama and what they are certain is, his role will pan out fantastically well. His character, Kim Sung Yeol will become an iconic character if Lee Joon Gi continues to beguile and inspire the imagination of the ladies for the rest of the drama!
KIM SUNG YEOL’S ROMANCE
WITH JO YANG SUN
Second Episode
The drama has an appealing performance by Lee Yu Bi who plays Jo Yang Sun, the new female love interest ofKim Sung Yeol. She communicates surprising natural acting ability.
Jo Yang Sun, the heroine of the story, falls hard for Kim Sung Yeol and bends backwards to help him achieve his goals. His hypnotic stare makes Jo Yang Sun weak-willed, and she becomes besotted with him. He seems to hold sway over her. Is it because of his compelling masculine voice and the alluring intensity of his eyes? Kim Sung Yeol is an enigma. It is rather strange for a vampire to have a strict code of honour and it is a code that Kim Sung Yeol tries hard not to violate – drinking human blood at will. Although tempted numerous times,Kim Sung Yeol resolutely resists the urge to bite Jo Yang Sun and drink her blood. This animalistic predator, presented in a corporeal, carnal fashion, is beset with human and vampire appetites. Sometimes, he is close to biting Jo Yang Sun, and the restraint and resistance that he displays is interesting to watch. He is often reminded of his former beloved, and he is overwrought with guilt over the biting of her neck and the sucking of her blood. WatchLee Joon Gi’s twisted face and his churning eyes as he struggles with himself to make the right decision. It makes one shudder! Is he a paragon of virtue, if it pertains to her blood? When is he going to let his guard down and bite the nape of her neck?
Kim Sung Yeol restrains himself from biting Jo Yang Sun
It is interesting to note that Kim Sung Yeol, the hero, has mind control powers over Jo Yang Sun and she cannot resist his advances as evidenced by Jo’s submission to him. She is so truly and totally enamoured of him, and on his part, he is a little intrigued by her and is curious about her innocence, idealism and trusting nature. However, knowing the urgency of his mission, he takes advantage of her naiveté as she is the key to what he wants access to – the crown prince, Jung Hyun’s diary which contains his grand design of destroying Gwi. But come to think of it, when Kim Sung Yeol looks at Jo Yang Sun, does she appear as an attractive mate, or does he think of her in the same way as Koreans think of grilled samgyeopsal (pork belly meat), pan-fried bulgogi (thinly sliced or shredded beef) or grilled anago (conger or marine eel)?
In all the scenes Kim Sung Yeol has with Jo Yang Sun, the way he looks at her, his emotions ranging from curiosity, impartiality, coldness, warmth and sexual interest show the amazing acting talent of Lee Joon Gi. With the wide range and repertoire of emotions that he is able to summon and express, and also with his nuanced acting,Lee is able to convey his message clearly, effectively and with great depth to the viewers.
THE ILL-FATED ROMANCE KIM SUNG YEOL AND CHOI HYE RYUNG
(Fourth Episode)
Lee Myung Hee is certainly not destined to be with Kim Sung Yeol; they are star-crossed lovers like William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. And it seems they will never be eternally entwined even after 120 years when she is reincarnated as Choi Hye Ryung, the daughter of the Prime Minister, who is the lackey of Gwi, the evil vampire. She, instead, becomes the consort of the Crown Prince, Lee Yoon.
Think of it. Kim Sung Yeol has languished in his heartbreak and wallowed in self-pity about his fate for 120 years, and when he meets Lee Myung Hee / Choi Hye Ryung again, his heart must have been palpitating furiously with joy. But the coming back from the dead is not joyful for Kim Sung Yeol. One should admire Kim Sung Yeol for the grit he shows in the face of romantic adversity. The blows must be quite hard, first losing his beloved, and then, meeting his new love interest, Jo Yang Sun. WhenKim Sun Yeol meets Lee Myung Hee again, he is shocked but she refuses to acknowledge him.
Kim Sung Yeol cries on meeting Lee Myung Hee again
The light in his life is being helplessly extinguished and he feels a sense of loss. Kim Sung Yeol has not moved on. He has not found closure for his heartbreak. He seems so vulnerable.
Lee Joon Gi displays brilliant emotional acting, weeping earnestly in the marketplace when Choi Hye Ryung refuses to acknowledge him as her former fiance. Would you dream of calling Kim Sung Yeol a grovelling, besotted fool for tugging at her hanbok and pleading with her to acknowledge him? Her heart seems to be dead. Probably, when Gwi burnt her body 120 years before, her heart was burnt too. When she is reincarnated, her body is rejuvenated but her heart and her soul are gone.
Lee Joon Gi makes the scene look and feel so real to the viewer. He is truly grieving and tears well up in his eyes so naturally. One is angry at his insistence and folly but at the same time, one’s pity for him is aroused. It is obvious that he is an emotionally damaged man but he is so appealing to the viewers, especially the ladies. It is his emotional acting that makes the viewers engage with the actor.
It seems Lee Joon Gi has as much of a bond behind the scenes with his cast mates as much as he does with the viewers on screen. He has created a rich, full and complex character that makes viewers lean forward and take notice of his emotions. He has certainly cast his magic spell on them. Poor Kim Sung Yeol! Fate has dealt him so many horrible blows! An ordinary man would have gone bonkers! Viewers have a sense of loss too as they watch Lee Joon Gi’s emotional acting. They feel affectionate towards him and just want to mollycoddle him.
Lee Joon Gi has shown such a vast emotional range and has nailed his performance in a way that no actor can. He can cry with the floodgates wide open or with a trickle of tears streaming down his cheeks, sob in desperation, express gut-wrenching pain, double over with heartbreak, and express fear or anger in varying degrees.
Altogether, so far, it has been an emotional rollercoaster ride for Kim Sung Yeol, and Lee Joon Gi has been superb at expressing those emotions. His performance is nothing short of amazing. His talent and versatility have to be applauded.
Lee Joon Gi is not your average actor. He does not have to struggle with any scenes. He just sinks his teeth into any scene in the vampire drama, or any drama or movie for the matter, and his acting comes out so real. Lee is an A-lister and an iconic actor. Lee Joon Gi is such a brilliant actor, and viewers who have seen him perform believe the world has yet to really see what he can do. They applaud his passion and professionalism in his craft. ‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’ will definitely be an astounding success!
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