Singer and actor Lee Ji-hoon (You’re My Destiny, Hello Miss) is wrapping up his role of the Prince of Denmark in the musical production of Hamlet and had a few thoughts on the experience playing one of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters.

And while I’d like to make some thoughtful commentary on his taking the role and the existential soliloquy it’s most known for, I’m too distracted by how awful Lee Ji-hoon looks in these photos. I like the guy, really I do — he has an approachable warmth to his acting — but he looks like some cheesy cosplaying Luke Skywalker/The Bachelor hybrid. It was almost enough to make me file it as an “Oh Snap” and make some inappropriate commentary about the handling of his sword and maybe some references to thrusting technique.

(At the risk of alienating y’all further, I cannot be the only person who hears the words “Hamlet” and “musical” spoken together and immediately flashes to the old Gilligan’s Island episode where they set the soliloquy to Carmen, right? I KNOW you know what I’m talking about. Update! Here we go. The Offenbach has to be my personal favorite.)

Back to Lee Ji-hoon. The role of Hamlet is actually being shared among four actors; Lee Ji-hoon alternates with Park Gun-hyung, Im Tae-hyung, and Yoon Hyun-ryul. Currently, he’s spending his free time practicing his sword skills, particularly for his fight with Laertes, since timing is the most important aspect in the fight choreography.

Lee explains that he’d always wanted to do a musical, having begun his singing career more than ten years ago and now enjoying a television acting career: “I want to show people yet another side to me that hasn’t been shown before. I want to try new things and be recognized for them.” With the curtain about to come down on the production, Lee hopes he’ll be able to correct all his previous flaws in his last performance.

Hamlet is currently running and closes on September 21.

Via Newsis

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Tags: Lee Ji-hoon, musicals

Filed under: Theater/Musicals by javabeans - 13 Comments →

Stars came out in full force, from A-listers and all the way down, to the opening night of the 2nd Chungmuro International Film Festival, held on September 3. The celeb list boasted some big-name actors and even a few kpoppers (Girls Generation) who turned out in fine feather on the red carpet. (Well, minus a few sartorial misses.)

Attendees included the likes of Chae Rim (above), Jang Dong-gun (below), and event representative Kim Jung-eun, for starters.

The festival, headed under the theme “Discovery, Restoration, Creation,” runs over the next week and closes on September 9.

Check out the CHIFFS red carpet >>

Tags: Chae Rim, Choi Su-jong, Eom Ji-won, Eugene, fashion, film festivals, Girls Generation, Ha Ji-won, Jang Dong-gun, Kim Jung-eun, Kim Min-joon, Lee Hana, Lee Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-hyuk, Lee Mi-yeon, Shin Ae, Shin Hyun-joon, Yoon Soyi

Filed under: Chungmuro/Film by javabeans - 31 Comments →

I feel like I’m turning into the Star Accident Watch. Who wants to start a pool for the next celebrity fender-bender?

The most recent incident involves Lee Ji Hoon, the busy actor and singer whose schedule is so jam-packed that he had no time to get a physical checkup after his car accident on June 1 (disclosed belatedly to the public), and instead rushed from the accident site (coming from a filming location) to his next shoot. The collision was described as minor and occurred in Seoul; the vehicle Lee Ji Hoon was riding in was hit by a car swerving to avoid another accident up ahead.

With no time to stop by the hospital (money doesn’t make itself, you know), Lee Ji Hoon jumped back to work. He’s currently currently acting in the daily drama You Are My Destiny on KBS, as well as promoting his sixth solo album, which marks his return to music after four years. His current single is the ballad “가슴아 미안하다” (I’m sorry, my heart), which apparently takes precedence; he plans to get a physical checkup “just in case” after first performing on live music program Music Bank on June 6.

When are they going to change the motto “Land of the Morning Calm” to “Land of the Perpetually Overworked”? Or “Land of the Too-Busy-To-Enjoy-One’s-Fame”?

SONG OF THE DAY
Lee Ji Hoon - “가슴아 미안하다” (I’m sorry, my heart) [ Download ]

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Tags: Lee Ji-hoon, overworking, star accidents

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 10 Comments →

Phew, lots to talk about today:

• Get ready to welcome Go Soo back from the military! He completes his mandatory service this week; he’ll be released on the 25th and plans to have a fanmeeting that very day in Seoul. He gets back to work immediately in a play (read here) which premieres in May.
• On Air, which is doing very well in the ratings, has its next batch of all-star cameos lined up. They’ve already featured Lee Hyori and Jeon Do Yeon, among others; now they’ll feature Shin Dong Wook, Lee Dong Kyu, and comedian Kim Jae Dong. The series has been extended three episodes for a total of 23.
• As for other extensions, On Air’s timeslot competitor Who Are You? has been rumored to be extended by one episode to 17 total, and while I think this may be likely, I’m not ready to get excited until I see it confirmed somewhere outside the fan message board. (No offense to fans — they often have the earliest info, but I’d rather play it safe with an official statement.)
• Chae Rim suffered an injury over the weekend while filming for her new series Rivals. In a scene where her character argues with Lee Jin Wook’s bratty presidential-son character in a ramen restaurant, Chae Rim slipped on some fallen ramen on the ground and hit her hip on a sharp corner (of, I assume, a table). She was taken to the hospital, but no bones were broken and the injury appears to be manageable.

• Choi Jin-yi, the lead singer of rock band Rumble Fish, is set to go solo with her first single “Brilliant Days” (she’d already recorded a song with the group MC The Max earlier this year). Wait, Rumble Fish is still together, right??
• Singer-actor Lee Ji Hoon (Hello Miss, New Heart) takes his next role starring with Girls Generation pop star Yoon Ah in the upcoming KBS daily drama You’re My Destiny. He’s also set to release his sixth album (his first in four years) on May 13.
• At the wrap party for their film I Feel Good on the 18th, stars Eugene (Three Dads, One Mom) and Lee Seon Kyun (Coffee Prince, White Tower) engaged in an impromptu mini song battle. While singing karaoke, the two were prodded on by continuous encores, so they complied and sang four or five songs. In the film, she plays an pop-singer idol; it also stars Lee Soo Kyung (Soulmate, Golden Age of Daughters-in-Law) and Lee Minki (Mixed-up Investigative Agency, Dal Ja’s Spring), who were also in attendance, along with approximately 100 staff members.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Rumble Fish - “으라차차” (eu-ra-cha-cha) [ Download ]

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Tags: Chae Rim, Eugene, Go Soo, Lee Ji-hoon, Lee Seon-kyun, On Air, Rivals, Who Are You?

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 15 Comments →

Since last week was the week of many finales, that makes this week the (very busy) week of many premieres. Help me, I’m drowning in dramas! This week alone, we have the premieres of: Que Sera Sera, Hello! Miss, Witch Amusement, Thank You, Devil (Mawang), H.I.T… Seriously, I don’t know where I’ll get the time. I’ll make the time somehow. Maybe most of the shows will suck so I don’t have to feel bad about dropping them.

There was no new episode of Que Sera Sera today (boo for televised sporting events!), but I do have ONE related goody for you (much thanks to yeohweping and ay_link!):

(Theme) SONG OF THE DAY

W & Whale - “Moonlight” (”월광,” weol gwang): Main theme song to Que Sera Sera. Can’t you just picture Eric strutting down the street to this song? He’s not at all my type, but I can’t deny he IS one sexy man. [ zShare download ]

[Read more →]

Tags: Devil, Go Hyun-jung, Hello! Miss, HIT, Joo Ji-hoon, Lee Da-hae, Lee Ji-hoon, Shin Mina, Thank You, Uhm Tae-woong

Filed under: Drama Reactions & Reviews by javabeans - 51 Comments →