Lee Dong-hwi "I'm the same as my 'Reply 1988' friends"

One of the works that actor Lee Dong-hwi (37) received the most love from the public is tvN's 'Reply 1988' (written by Lee Woo-jung and directed by Shin Won-ho). Lee Dong-hwi expressed his affection for his 'Reply 1988' colleagues, saying, "They are like classmates."

Lee Dong-hwi told stories about the movie and his life in an interview with the movie 'Maybe We Broke Up' (director Hyeong Seul-woo) at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu on the afternoon of the 3rd.

Lee Dong-hwi said with a laugh that he recently met with actors Park Bo-gum, Ryu Jun-yeol, Hyeri, and Go Kyung-pyo, who appeared together in 'Reply 1988', and said, "It's the same as 'Reply'. It's almost like I was born and raised in Ssangmun-dong with them."

"Many people still remember me from the 'Reply' series and mention me. I meet them regularly. They are really the same, consistent, kind and grateful friends. I feel like I actually spent my childhood with them, and when I meet them, I feel like they are classmates. “It feels like we’ve met.”

Lee Dong-hwi said he was very impressed after recently seeing the movie 'The First Slam Dunk' (directed by Takehiko Inoue). He said, "I thought I was going crazy. It's a story I read through comic books as a child until it was torn apart. It had 3D motion in it, so it was a bit unfamiliar at first, but as the famous lines I had repeated in comics unfolded before my eyes, I felt like I had returned to my childhood. “It was sad and touching,” he said.

He also said that he was surprised by actor Hyun Bin's appearance in the Netflix series 'Maikone Happy Meal' (directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda). “I was watching a drama and senior Hyun Bin appeared, and I thought that the Korean Wave was really great. I was touched,” he said.

Lee Dong-hwi, who worked with director Hirokazu Koreeda through the movie 'Broker' (directed by Hirokazu Koreeda), said, "The director's perspective on Japanese society and people is really cool-headed, and at times he's really warm. I really like the director, and this time, I'm going to try culture and culture." “I thought he created it with his own perspective and philosophy on society,” he said. He also added, “I think they are very great at discovering actors. They are all amazingly good at acting,” and added, “The virtuoso is also a virtuoso.”

Lee Dong-hwi smiled, “Personally, while working on ‘Broker,’ I made the director laugh a lot, and seeing the director laughing while holding his belly helped me regain a lot of the confidence I had lost for a long time.”

We also talked about this movie. The movie 'Maybe We Broke Up' is a movie about Lee Dong-hwi and Jung Eun-chae's real-life breakup report depicting the process of a loved one becoming a stranger. In the movie, Lee Dong-hwi played Jun-ho, a delinquent boyfriend who has been living with his girlfriend A-yeong (Jung Eun-chae) at his house while preparing for the civil service exam for several years.

Lee Dong-hwi, ahead of acting with Jeong Eun-chae, said, "I have seen a lot of actress Jeong Eun-chae's work. This is what I felt while watching actress Jeong Eun-chae's work in images and advertisements, and I thought that playing the role of A-yeong would create a fresh harmony." I took it off.

He continued, "Actually, I've never seen anyone like Jeong Eun-chae in real life. At first glance, she looked like a foreigner, and as I said before, she had the image of walking out of a portrait, but in the work, it's a realistic role that hits a very realistic wall." “It’s a character that has difficulties, but I thought that if played by an actor with an unrealistic appearance who is out of touch with reality, he might be able to portray it in a less obvious way,” he said, drawing attention.

In addition, “Eun-chae acted very well. Outside, she was kind and polite to others, and at home, she acted irritated towards her boyfriend, who seemed unresponsive. She gave a stark contrast,” he said. “On the contrary, the audience was able to immerse themselves well.” “I think it was a good collaboration because I thought it might have been there,” he said.

Lee Dong-hwi, who is said to value reality in his work, showed natural acting by playing the role of a civil service exam student with a perfect bare face in this work. He said, “I think the number one thing an actor should do is to look like a person of that profession or a person who originally lives there.” He added, “I want to become an actor who can actually be felt and experienced in front of me, not just an actor who appears in front of the camera. “I want to become an actor in that direction,” he hoped.

He is said to be crazy about clothes next to movies and acting. He also pays special attention to the costumes in movies. Lee Dong-hwi mentioned his previous roles as Yeong-ho in the movie 'Extreme Job' and the role of Ki-tae in 'Gukdo Theater' and said, "The character is a detective and a test taker, so they are people who don't care about clothes. They have to dress very comfortably and be practical. Detectives have good eyesight. “You have to wear it without being noticed,” he said. “In those cases, I absolutely tend to reduce the number of clothes. I tend to try to solve the problem with about 2 sets.”

He continued, "Conversely, there are times when you have to pay attention. If you have a desire to show off, have a lot of meetings, or are playing a role that is pretentious, you pay attention in that way," and added, "You have to do it to fit the role unconditionally. That's the truth."

Lee Dong-hwi was also humbled by the term 'fashionista' and made everyone laugh by emphasizing, "What I want to tell you is that I have never once called myself a fashionista."

The movie ‘Maybe We Broke Up’ starring Lee Dong-hwi will be released on February 8th.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr