The man behind the Voice: Lee Seon-kyun interview

39 December 5, 2010December 5, 2010

by girlfriday

He’s The Voice, The “Shep,” the guy who makes hobo hair look like sexy bedhead, and angry yelling seem…kinda hot. Lee Seon-kyun (Petty Romance, Pasta, Coffee Prince) sits down with Joy News for an interview about his latest project, acting, and life after becoming a husband and father.

His latest role is an adult manhwa writer in Petty Romance, opposite Choi Kang-hee, who plays a sex columnist…without any sexual experience. The sexy romantic comedy is the Korean version of R-rated (19+), giving the two free range to talk a good game, and well…work out their issues in the bedroom.

Lee and Choi have starred as a romantic couple before, in the 2008 drama My Sweet Seoul, although as Lee tells it, this is the project where they actually became friends.

“The set? It was like a college club. The script wasn’t any harder to portray than how it appears onscreen. We really had fun filming. Choi Kang-hee-sshi and I started off at odds initially, and this was the first time that we actually became close. We shot comfortably, happily, and freely.”

Makes me wonder what the set of My Sweet Seoul was like. Choi Kang-hee has described Lee as having “the mentality of a seven-year old,” which just makes me die of laughter. It’s generally the vibe I get from him, no matter what character he’s playing. He seems gleefully immature, but in that self-aware way that makes it lovable and cute somehow, and not just exasperating.

“There’s not much difference between me now, and me as a college freshman. (laughs) I like that feeling, so maybe that’s why I’m gradually growing younger…”

Despite being known for his free-spirit attitude, in May of last year, Lee married his girlfriend of (then) six years, actress Jeon Hye-jin, and became a father to a baby boy.

“I have less freedom than before and I feel responsible for my family now, but this is the happiest time for me. After getting married, I didn’t necessarily set a new goal as an actor. Just like other dads, I want to work harder at what I’m doing, and do it well.”

“Other people worry that I don’t set goals, but I believe in fate. I think it’s most important that I’m working hard now. I don’t get stuck on the past, and I’m not the type to worry about the far future either.”

Other than his trademark voice, Lee is known in the industry for being a naturalistic actor. I’ve always liked him because his characters always seem like an extension of him, with slight tweaks. It’s a different kind of talent than being a chameleon or totally method, but I think he has his own appeal because of his naturalistic, unforced, uncanned performances. He’s always a little off the cuff, and therefore always raw. I don’t think his acting talent is necessarily better than his natural charisma, but hell, said charisma goes a LONG way with him.

“As far as acting is concerned, I think it’s best to be natural. Rather than straining to immerse yourself in a role, being comfortable, and not tense is the most natural, and what I like.”

“I want to do other things too, but I think my roles are different every time, and I want to meet the challenge with my projects. Rather than focusing specifically on one type of thing, I want to be broad and try everything.”

I think my favorite thing about him is that despite being an actor, he seems like a normal dude. Like if he were busy, he’d skip a shower and just show up in yesterday’s clothes, because he doesn’t give a rat’s ass. In a sea of perfectly packaged pretty boys, he’s a breath of fresh air, because frankly, that’s how REAL men are.

Via Joy News

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Tags: interviews, Lee Seon-kyun

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1 xiaoSxin

December 5, 2010 at 1:26 PM

Like LSG!! Lucky woman to me married to him since he seems like a genuinely good man and husband material.

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2 bluelime

December 5, 2010 at 1:29 PM

thanks for posting this interview! <3

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3 Pat

December 5, 2010 at 1:38 PM

cute pics. of course

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4 olivia

December 5, 2010 at 1:48 PM

So....i like totally am in luurve with his voice....and his face too <3

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5 annie

December 5, 2010 at 1:51 PM

Thanks for translating this!

I agree about him being real and down-to-earth. It's part of his appeal; he's hot in a way that pretty boys aren't, because as lovely as they are they just don't seem like real people (or should I say men). He's a GUY, and he also has mind-melting charisma. Add on to that his acting ability, and we mere women are toast. :P

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faye

December 5, 2010 at 1:55 PM

Cosigning!

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maria

December 6, 2010 at 7:20 AM

i dunno about toast--- *goo* i think more aptly describes me when i see LSK :P

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6 giddygirl108

December 5, 2010 at 2:01 PM

Love how real he is too. <3

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7 therainhouse

December 5, 2010 at 2:23 PM

charisma goes a LONG way with him.

*huge grin on my face*

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8 Christy

December 5, 2010 at 2:42 PM

Yes, shep! ;)

I love LSG. He's so refreshingly real and cute.

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9 Tama

December 5, 2010 at 3:18 PM

What an absolute sweetheart he is. Thanks for posting this interview. I'm working my way through My Sweet Seoul, and he's finally showing up more onscreen. I fell in love with him in Pasta, and then fell in love with him again, but totally differently, in Coffee Prince.

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10 lessaofpern

December 5, 2010 at 3:43 PM

He is a sweetheart :D

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11 moony meia46

December 5, 2010 at 4:13 PM

I just love him.....

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12 YoSoyHaru!!!!!!!!!!

December 5, 2010 at 4:26 PM

I agree with you 100%. Thanks for translating this for us :D

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13 Chuck

December 5, 2010 at 4:51 PM

"In a sea of perfectly packaged pretty boys, he’s a breath of fresh air, because frankly, that’s how REAL men are."

Amen. I've seen him in White Tower and Pasta, two diametrically opposite characters, and he was great in both roles. I like him.

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14 djrsb

December 5, 2010 at 5:00 PM

Love him!!

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15 snow

December 5, 2010 at 5:01 PM

he seems very genuine, and i'm glad for him that family and work are going well for him!

he looks totally bad-ass in that first pic, then like a cute little boy in the second pic. so adorable!

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16 isamouse

December 5, 2010 at 5:10 PM

What a handsome man.
*swoons*

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17 Ani

December 5, 2010 at 5:48 PM

"... if he were busy, he’d skip a shower and just show up in yesterday’s clothes, because.... that’s how REAL men are"

HAHAHA! Mr Voice FTW! *swoon*

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18 pumpkinattack

December 5, 2010 at 6:34 PM

This is great! Thanks for the post. ^^
Yep, he was there when I watched my first Korean drama... that makes him special.

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19 Stephanie

December 5, 2010 at 7:41 PM

His voice says he's born to be hot. His character says he IS hot. He is naturally fantastic.

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20 come2noona

December 5, 2010 at 8:22 PM

One of my favorites!!! Among so many pretty boy youngsters out there... Here we are presented with a real man. Not perfect, and yet still hot. Mature, yet silly. I love his acting style. One of the few I can totally crush on and not feel like a total perv. I just can't get enough!

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21 JD

December 5, 2010 at 8:33 PM

hobo look is NOT sexy; voice IS.

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22 blueangel

December 5, 2010 at 8:37 PM

I forgot he got married. :P
Love him in all his drama. I've never seen his movies and this one sounds interesting. Might give it a try.
I love his cuteness in pasta. The only think that annoyed me to deaf was when people called him 'shep' instead of 'chef'. I thought i had a hearing problem but found out later that they were saying shep instead of chef. You don't know what relief I felt when I finally heard Alex say 'Chef' instead of 'Shep'

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23 MsRetta

December 5, 2010 at 8:55 PM

THUNK! I love LSG!

I agree wholeheartedly with the last paragraph!

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24 hermosa5790

December 5, 2010 at 9:10 PM

LOL! 'the Shep' words never fails to make me LOLing! I really enjoyed the double entendre in Pasta hehehehe

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25 Francesca

December 5, 2010 at 11:07 PM

His voice is totally a HOT choco ^_^

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26 Funkster316

December 6, 2010 at 6:18 AM

LSG is awesome and great! I really am a fan too and when I met him briefly, it was hard not to be too fangirly.
Thanks for this awesome interview!

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27 pohonphee

December 6, 2010 at 6:24 AM

I like LSG in Coffee Prince (i didn't realize what thing that interesting from him, but now I know his VOICE), but I dislike his character in Pasta since I don't man character who like to yelling and shouting when he's ordering someone. meh

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28 rose

December 6, 2010 at 8:04 AM

i just love him in that first pic heehhee well is it hot, he is the second lead i like in coffee prince , the chef that so adorable in pasta oh love watching him ...... hope he pairs again with her leading lady in pasta forget her name but like her too

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29 koreamom

December 6, 2010 at 8:20 AM

i love your last comments. just as i feel and i love his acting. he is one i will watch for sure and follow his projects. he had me at coffee prince!

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30 nhr

December 6, 2010 at 9:53 AM

this post makes me happy. :)

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31 Carinne

December 6, 2010 at 10:32 AM

He's not rugged but spares raw quality, and that's good enough.

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32 Cam

December 6, 2010 at 4:50 PM

It's a beautiful picture of Lee Seon-Kyun & his sweetheart wife kissed each other, aw! ^__^

Wow, this is what he's shown to himself to be true and giddy! Bravo! I am sure that he will work hard to become succeed in his future. (thumbs-up) FIGHTING!

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33 eliza Starr

December 6, 2010 at 6:26 PM

Hands down one of my most favorite actors! I am impatiently waiting until I can watch his recent films, with subs!

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34 Mel

December 7, 2010 at 6:14 AM

I just died! Thanks for this!

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35 samgetang

December 9, 2010 at 10:43 AM

GF, thanks for featuring this interview on him -- i like how you describe him. although im not a big fan of him but i loved his work in coffee prince and somehow felt it was all because of all the things you called him which i cannot put a finger on before. so thanks for saying them out loud for us! now i know why he exudes that kind of charisma on screen - because in real life he is just pragmatic, an easy person and down-to-earth. good to know there are still actors like him! :-) i think the really great actors are those who are not acting at all..or not trying hard to act at all. he says he does not immerse himself too much in the role, but i guess that's precisely his talent! the role he is playing and himself already merges as one and so we feel the authenticity. will be watching his other works after reading this interview...