The first reviews are starting to come in for the first episode of Heading to the Ground, which aired today (I haven’t watched it yet, but I plan to), and the reaction is tentative and mixed. Most acknowledge that headliner and newbie actor Jung Yun-ho’s acting is still raw and awkward, although many give him credit for the effort.

You know, as I’ve followed the lead-up to today’s premiere, I have to say that Yun-ho has handled himself pretty well, given his situation — he’s sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place in choosing to take a principal role for his very first acting gig. As the leader of a highly popular idol band that is famous throughout Asia, it’s not likely he would have been able to shrink into the backdrop as a supporting character, but being Headliner #1 does make him a prime target for criticism.

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Don’t call him U-Know Yunho anymore; the DBSK idol star wants to be known under his real name, Jung Yun-ho, as he takes on the lead role — and his acting debut — in the MBC soccer drama Heading to the Ground [맨땅에 헤딩].

(Not that this is new; lots of singers using stage names have switched to their real names for film and drama roles, seeking a more serious image as legitimate actors. The most famous example is probably Rain, who acts under the name Jung Ji-hoon.)

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While there are a few well-known sibling pairs in the acting world, I wouldn’t say there are a lot (you’ve got the Uhms and Kim Tae-hee and Lee Wan, among others). Now we may be getting another pair when the brother to film actor Ha Jung-woo makes his acting debut.

Ha Jung-woo (The Chaser, My Dear Enemy) was born Kim Sung-hoon; his younger brother, named Kim Young-hoon, will soon be taking on his first acting role, according to a recent interview with Ha. Kim Young-hoon was a member in a dance group in 1997 and also has some theater experience; currently, he is managed by NOA Entertainment, who also manages his brother. Also like his brother, he is expected to take on a stage name, though the name hasn’t yet been revealed. In the event he makes his debut successfully, that means there will be three actors in the family; father Kim Yong-gun is a well-known actor whom you’ve probably seen at one point in time, such as in dramas Swallow the Sun, Wife’s Temptation, and Sons of Sol Pharmacy (Eun-ji’s father Young-dal).

Meanwhile, Ha Jung-woo’s latest film project is the sports comedy National Athlete [국가대표], which also features Kim Ji-seok, Sung Dong-il, and Kim Dong-wook.

Via Hankyung

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Ha! Just days after refuting the rumors, it has been announced that 23-year-old DBSK singer U-Know Yunho is indeed making his acting debut in the soccer drama Heading to the Ground [맨땅에 헤딩].

The singer, born Jung Yun-ho, takes on the character of “Cha Bong-kun,” a role recently vacated by Kim Rae-won because of Kim’s mandatory army obligation. To achieve the impossible goal of making it as a national player, the character pours all his passion into realizing the dream. While he “has nothing to his name, the drama tells the miraculous success story of passionate soccer player Cha Bong-kun.”

U-Know Yunho said of the role, “I really like the character of Cha Bong-kun. Reading the script, my heart overflowed with emotion. I want to act that feeling with sincerity.”

Heading to the Ground follows the Wednesday-Thursday horror drama Hon on MBC and premieres on September 9. No confirmation yet on the casting of his love interest, although Go Ara remains in contention

Via My Daily, Newsis

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Uljjang-turned-pop-singer Bae Seul-ki is making her Hollywood debut in the “global project” Finale. (It’s being called global because the money is coming from Hollywood, while the director and most of the acting talent hails from Europe.)

Bae flew to Germany in early December to finalize her contract and spent a week there, shooting early teaser segments for the film. Finale is described as taking after Tarantino’s Kill Bill genre (so, a pastiche of a pastiche?), while Bae’s role in the film is the “cold killer and daughter of a mafia boss”; the climax of the film apparently pits Italian and Korean and mafia against each other in a big action sequence.

SONG OF THE DAY

Bae Seul-ki – “다가와” (Come near). Quite a different tone from her new badass-fighter film image, isn’t it? [ Download ]

More photos from the set >>

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