[SBS Star] Lee Dong Gun Says He Played a Divorced Character Based on Real-Life Experience

Actor Lee Dong Gun says his portrayal of a divorced character was based on his own experience.

On July 12, Lee Dong Gun spoke with several news outlets about his most recent work, Netflix's drama 'Celebrity'.

The actor made a successful return with 'Celebrity' last June after a long hiatus that began in 2019.

First, he shared his thoughts on returning to the screen after a lengthy absence.

"I didn't get much break, actually. But since the filming and the post-production stage of 'Celebrity' took a long time, the viewers might have felt that I've been absent for a long time."

He resumed, "There was a lot of concern from people around me, They kept asking, 'Why aren't you filming something?'. I wasn't stressed about it since I had already finished shooting 'Celebrity' and was waiting for it to come out."
But as the drama's premiere date drew near, Lee Dong Gun became increasingly nervous.

"I got extremely nervous in the final week leading up to the reveal of 'Celebrity'. I was probably anxious about it all along and didn't realize it until that point.", he explained.

"After attending the drama's production presentation, I got sick for two days. It could have been the flu, or it could have been the stress. I got pressured by wondering what people would think of me."

Lee Dong Gun portrayed 'Jin Tae-jeon', the wealthy and powerful lawyer and the CEO of a legal firm, 'Taekang'.
The actor described the character as 'some kind of a sociopath'.

"He presents as a good husband and competent lawyer at first, but his true colors begin to show as he deals with some events. He's a sociopathic villain who can't stand to see his possessions getting out of his hands or his dignity getting scratched."

Then he jokingly added, "I'm a very calm person, the opposite of 'Jin Tae-jeon'."

Back in 2020, Lee Dong Gun and actress Cho Yoonhee got divorced, ending three years of marriage.

Some have wondered whether Lee Dong Gun hesitated to play 'Jin Tae-jeon', who gets divorced in the drama.

However, the actor claims he didn't second-guess himself for that reason.
"I didn't make a connection between my own divorce and with what happens to 'Jin Tae-jeon' in the drama. Yet, when acting, it is hard to keep my own experiences out of the character. Maybe the fact that 'Jin Tae-jeon' goes through a divorce is why I felt I could play him."

"While I was playing the character, I tried to fully portray the life of 'Jin Tae-jeon' based on my experience.", he concluded.
(Credit= Netflix Korea, FNC Entertainment)

(SBS Star)