Y’all know I have much affection for actor and former idol star Yoon Kye-sang. That affection endures despite his role as one of the most irritating characters in the recent drama Triple, and I’m eager to see the new movie he has coming out (the prison drama Executioners), which looks great. Here’s an interview with him as he promotes the new film.

“Even now, I’m still crazy about acting. And I believe in myself.”

It’s been six years since Yoon Kye-sang began acting. In 2004’s Flying Boys, he stood with uncertain eyes, not knowing where he was supposed to go, and is now a 32-year-old young man acting in movies. In the wake of his idol glory, he has been quietly walking the path of an actor. There were people who threw stones, and others who spit at him. Praise was scant, and his path was strewn with thorns. All the while, Yoon Kye-sang was always growing within his roles. No, the roles he chose reflected Yoon Kye-sang’s feelings of that time.

After he was released from military service, we met him in Crazy for Love after he’d split from a long-time girlfriend. The movie Lovers for Six Years was also an autobiographical project.

Yoon Kye-sang was called a traitor for leaving G.O.D. before the sixth album; they went on to release a seventh before disbanding (unofficially; rumors periodically surface that they may make a comeback). Yoon recently said that he had ended a six-year romance as he headed into military service, as both parties got busier and they naturally drifted apart.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 27 Comments →

The following is an interview with Park Shin-hye in Movieweek about her role as the crossdressing nun (apprentice) in You’re Beautiful. I think she, like Jang Geun-seok, had shown a lot of potential at a young age but sorta glided by in average performances for a while. But in this spunky trendy drama, I find both are really bursting with personality, and it sounds like the fun is alive both in front of and behind the cameras.

You’re Beautiful’s Park Shin-hye: “I have dark circles under my eyes… The new challenge is thrilling!”

MOVIEWEEK: I didn’t know you had such a bright side.

PARK SHIN-HYE: “I’ve taken on a lot of quiet, sad roles till now. That’s why a lot of people have told me that they’re seeing a new side to me in this drama. But actually, Go Mi-nyeo is a bit like me. We’re similar in how we bump into things left and right, and how we mean well with good intentions, but end up causing accidents and trouble.” (Laughs)

[Read more →]

Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 71 Comments →

SBS’s You’re Beautiful showed off its Ilsan, Kyunggi-do, filming location on the afternoon of October 13 for an open set day. The cast showed some behind-the-scenes activities (and new hairstyles!) and gave interviews with the media, who were on hand to watch some new scenes being shot.

If you’ve been watching the drama (or just following along with the developments), you’ll know that A.N.JELL is the drama’s fictional idol group, led by Jang Geun-seok and also consisting of Park Shin-hye, Lee Hong-ki, and Jung Yong-hwa. In these scenes, A.N.JELL appears on a television variety program (as so many of kpop’s real idols do) and participate in some silly games.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 107 Comments →

Kim Heechul, resident oddball of boy band Super Junior, is probably more known for his singer status, but he’s done a bit of acting in multiple television series. They include the heartwarming comic family drama Bad Family, last year’s Golden Bride, and his latest project, SBS’s new I Love You Ten Million Times, which stars Ryu Jin, Lee Soo-kyung, and Jung Kyeo-woon.

“I act, but Suju is my eternal home”

“Because of the popularity, at one time I wanted to drop out of Super Junior, but now it’s an important name, one I couldn’t shake off if I tried.”

This is Kim Heechul, whose name became known through the popular idol group Super Junior. But if you take a look, his debut project was actually KBS 2TV’s 2005 Sharp 2 [반올림2], which means that the label “singer-turned-actor” is not accurate to describe him.

Therefore, Kim Heechul’s return to television in the new SBS weekend drama Love You Ten Million Times [천만번 사랑해] isn’t a deviation from his course but actually a return to his original profession. He makes his return a year and seven months after his last television role, the SBS drama Golden Bride [황금신부], which wrapped its broadcast run on February 3, 2008.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 32 Comments →

Newlywed actress Lee Young-ae shocked the industry by getting secretly married in Hawaii last month. She made the initial announcement through her management, but had not spoken to the press after returning to Korea to resume her studies (she is currently working toward a doctorate degree at Hanyang University in its theater and film department).

Not one to let an opportunity slip them by, reporters found Lee Young-ae on the Hanyang campus as she began her new term, and ambushed her with questions. I find it remarkable that Lee kept her poise and answered questions that were obviously unwanted, and did so without whacking a reporter in the process. But then again, she’s an old pro who’s been on the A-list ranks for years, so perhaps she’s had a lot of practice.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 25 Comments →