Starting a new career with a new name
I’d wondered why actor Kim Nam-gil, who had gone by the name “Lee Han” for the past few years, suddenly reverted to a different name, particularly when his career was beginning to take off.
He was “Lee Han” until his role in 2008’s Public Enemy Returns, after which point he reverted to his real name (he may be more recognizable in the pic to the right; his new look had me double-taking to make sure it was really him, and the name change didn’t help!). Other projects he’s done as Lee Han include dramas When Spring Comes, Lovers, and Goodbye Solo.
But he’s used Kim Nam-gil ever since, with subsequent films Modern Boy and Portrait of a Beauty. He’s picked up something of a reputation as “Chungmuro’s dark horse,” and he’s seems poised for a big career; keep an eye out for him in the future.
One reason for his initial name change to Lee Han was that as a new actor at MBC, he’d often encounter the similarly named veteran comic actor Kang Nam-gil (Who Are You, Gourmet). But after using a stage name for a while, he began to feel a desire to use his real name: “I felt that acting under my birth name would make me be more honest with myself.”
At around the time he started feeling that way, directors Kang Woo-seok (producer of Modern Boy) and Jung Ji-woo (Modern Boy writer and director), as well as actor Seol Kyung-gu (Public Enemy Returns), encouraged him to revert to using his real name. “As I started using my real name, I felt I was starting anew. It allowed me to feel more humble and gave me the opportunity to be harder on myself, which is satisfying on a personal level.”
Via E Daily
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Tags: Kim Nam-gil
I really like him. I mean REALLY……
I noticed him in Lovers, which I had watched for Lee Seo Jin, but I turned traitor. Lovers bored me out somewhere in between, but I had to forge on for Lee Han. His charisma pushed Lee Seo Jin out of the picture totally (the truth is Lovers sidetracked into cheesy relationships and dragged LSJ along with it).
He is good in the movie No Regrets and I’m waiting to catch up with his latest projects. I’m glad he is receiving the attention that he deserves.
I was confused about this name-change issue, and I was wondering if I got his name wrong in the first place. Thanks for clearing it up.
i love him (and Lee Young Hoon) in No Regret which was the first of his works that i watched. sadly, he mostly played supporting roles in dramas so far. though i wish he’d have bigger roles in dramas and movies in the future, i’d still be thankful just to see him acting however minor his role is. he’s not too overly good-looking but i like his face.
Jac, Thank you for mentioning the gay indie film No Regrets (Huhoehaji anha), reviewed at http://koreanfilm.org/kfilm06.html#noregrets. I thought this was a courageous move for a mainstream actor in Korea. I liked him also in When Spring Comes — must be the most overlooked drama ever. ^^
There’s also a director named Lee Han (b 1970) ~~ maybe he wanted to avoid the confusion?
Thank you, Dramabeans, for everything you do! We are forever in your debt. :)))
Huh. I have troubles with Korean names (always have, probably always will) and celebs changing names back and forth sure doesn’t help. *clings to dramabeans.com* Thanks, Javabeans, for always telling us who does what and when.
Jac and Paula, thanks for mentioning that short!
i have to agree with 4. sere…i have the toughest time with korean names. it just doesn’t make sense to me. i know a doctor from israel who had the same problem with “american” names. he said that israeli/hebrew names had a meaning so he would have to translate back to his head to remember any patients on rounds.
ps: dramabeans and colleagues, i really admire your dedication to your site and projects. thanks.
he is much better looking in Lovers than now i dont like his looks now not very handsome anymore LOL
didnt he play in times between dog and wolf? I think he played something else again, but I forgot…
gosh he does not really look good now.. prefer his look in lovers. but that’s just my opinion. but he’s still cool (: