LEE JOON GI: The Hottest, Handsomest & Most Talented Global Actor, Action Star, Singer and Model: Lee Joon Gi: The Actor With A Thousand Faces

LEE JOON GI

THE ACTOR
WITH
A THOUSAND FACES

LEE JOON GI
THE ACTOR

WITH

A THOUSAND FACES

Bian Lian or Face-Changing

Lee Joon Gi’s Chinese fans have pegged the South Korean superstar as ‘The Actor with A Thousand Faces’. He represents what a real actor should be: someone whose appearance is everchanging. Watching his dramas, movies and concerts is like watching the dramatic Sichuan ‘Bian Lian’ or Face-Changing show. With a swipe of the hand or fan, there is an instantaneous change of the face. But, in the case of Lee Joon Gi, it is more than just a face change; it involves a thorough character change for all his shows.

(Updated: 03 May 2018)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EQcITt_ra0

For as long as fans can remember, Lee Joon Gi has been chameleon-like - ever-changing and morphing from one character to another seamlessly in movies, dramas and concerts, which may well explain the secret of his lasting relevance and enduring appeal.

Lee must have found it flattering to be described as an amazing chameleon actor. He has evolved from a pretty ‘flower boy’ to a manly and masculine man within a matter of a few years. Life had been a whirlwind in the 2000s; he was the top fashion headlines. Many males tried to mirror his style but none was close enough to reproduce his charm. And even now, he can still pull off all kinds of looks in a fresh way.

How is Lee Joon Gi able to switch from one look to another look, one character to a new one?

One. A God-given face that is dynamic. Interestingly, Lee Joon Gi is one of the few actors who can be described as pretty, incredibly beautiful, stylishly masculine or devastatingly handsome in the same breath. Lee Joon Gi has come very far. He is not boxed in by his pretty boy looks but has found ways to change his appearance.

Different Hairstyles

Two. Hairstyles. Lee changes his appearance by changing his hairstyles. When he was younger, he had a longer and more youthful hairstyle. And, he painted his hair blond, red, white and so on. He has allowed his hair to take different shapes. He was pretty then and he launched ‘The Flower Boy’ look. Trendsetter. But the trailblazer has always made his hairstyles fashionable. He has new ways, especially, hairstyles in every project, be they modern dramas or sagueks, to wow everybody.

The King And The Clown (2005)

Three. Mannerisms. Lee is also adept at adopting mannerisms and gestures, including the way he walks, talks and emotes for certain roles. Lee is consumed by his art. In his movie, The King And The Clown, he slips easily into his effeminate role. In contrast, he is absolutely masculine in Arang And The Magistrate, The Joseon Shooter, Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, Resident Evil: The Last Chapter and Ciminal Minds. The energetic, sexy and confident way Lee Joon Gi rides his horses, the skilful manner in which he handles his guns or executes his martial arts moves make other actors seem weak, lethargic and nondescript. In Criminal Minds Korea, Lee not only has a new image with new hairstyles and a new wardrobe, but, what is interesting about his amazing transformation is the image of an athletic profiler with a distinctive sexy swagger.

Time Between Dog And Wolf (2007)

Four. Weight. Lee Joon Gi has no reservations about going on a special diet to fit his character in his dramas or movies or work out to build muscle for his action roles. Lee was slim before he filmed Time Between Dog and Wolf in 2007 but he looks tougher in his boxing scene. He had probably toughened up his body for that segment to power up the drama. Lee seemed to have put on some weight for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. He looks like an alpha male - masculine and tough in his movie.

Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart: Ryeo (2016)

Another case in point is that Lee Joon Gi reduced his weight to fit the image that was required in his drama, Moon Lovers-Scarlet Heart: Ryeo. The spectacular effect is - Wang So is so alluringly handsome and unforgettable that he has left a trail of broken hearts after the drama ended.

Gunman In Joseon (2014)

Five. Sagueks. Lee Joon Gi, also called ‘The God of Sagueks’ (historical movies and dramas), gives different feels for every saguek. His appearance changes with every new saguek. Back in the no-so-distant days, Lee Joon Gi’s claim to fame was The King And The Clown (2005), which had over 12.3 million South Koreans viewers. It was the ninth highest grossing movie (US$ 74.4 million). Other Asians were simultaneously awed and touched by his breathtaking effeminate and moving portrayal of the clown, Gong-gil. Lee Joon Gi became an overnight sensation.

The Scholar Who Walks The Night (2015)

Fast-forward to 2017, Lee’s presence, impact and influence is much stronger than before. And, Lee Joon Gi has already added more amazing sagueks to his list of achievements: Iljimae, Arang And The Magistrate, Gunman In Joseon, The Scholar Who Walks The Night and Moon Lovers-Scarlet Heart: Ryeo. All are Joseon era sagueks except for the last one.

Iljimae (2008)

Arang And The Magistrate (2013)

The Goryeon saguek, with Lee Joon Gi’s intense and passionate acting, took the world by storm. His kind of aggressive yet sexy masculinity revs up the drama and shatters records. The drama had 2.5 billion views in China alone, and the astonishing drama has been lauded by global viewers. In Singapore and Malaysia, it competed with the rival historical drama and grabbed 73% of Korean drama viewership in 2016. Dramafever acknowledged that it was the best historical drama and had the best ensemble in the same year. It has been an earth quaking realisation for Lee Joon Gi’s fans that his rewards have been comparatively paltry.

Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart: Ryeo (2016)

Six. Action. Lee Joon Gi is The King of Action. His martial arts skills give him a certain agility, flexibility and sexiness. His facial expressions also change with every action move. In the arena of acting where Lee Joon Gi is not only known for his acting chops, he is also South Korea’s greatest action star boosted by his awesome martial arts skills. Other actors pale in comparison to him.

Criminal Minds (2017)

Part of the draw of Criminal Minds is the series of heart-pounding action scenes which showcase his martial arts skills. Lee Joon Gi even learned new skills including Systema, the Russian art of self-defence and magic tricks to give the drama an edge, and that has made a difference to the drama. If rival actors have amazing dramas to contend with in 2017, it is Criminal Minds that is their real challenge. Lee Joon Gi is a scene-stealer in the drama that showcases his awesome face changes, acting prowess, martial arts skills and athleticism.

Criminal Minds (2017)

Lee Joon Gi now has 5 types of martial arts skills under his belt – Taekwondo, Taekkyeon, Hapkido (Korean Art of Self Defence), Wing Chun (Chinese Art of Self Defence) and Systema (Russian Art of Self Defence). It is well-known that Milla Jovovich had lauded Lee's amazing martial arts skills and she found it inspiring to work with him as he had executed his stunts without wires or stuntsmen. Outshining others, he has been described as an incomparable action star.

Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart: Ryeo (2016) (left) and Ciminal Minds (2017)

Perhaps, ultimately, it is Lee Joon Gi’s creativity, passion and determination in his continual transformation that grab attention. He probably visualises his new character and reinvents himself in his new roles or projects. Sometimes, when he is serious, dread creeps into the viewers’ heart. At other times, he looks melancholic and one cries with him. Many a time, one senses his humour and one cannot hold in the laughter. One’s adrenaline surges and moves like rollercoasters while watching him. It isn’t surprising that Lee Joon Gi easily invades the hearts of local and global viewers, and it is predicted that he would continue to do so in the years to come.

Action Scenes

THE HOTEL VENUS

(JAPANESE MOVIE)

2004

FLYING BOYS

(KOREAN MOVIE)

2004

THE KING AND THE CLOWN

(KOREAN MOVIE)

2005

MY GIRL

(SBS DRAMA)

2005

FLY DADDY FLY

(KOREAN MOVIE)
2006

MAY 18

(KOREAN MOVIE)

2007

VIRGIN SNOW

(JAPANESE-KOREAN MOVIE)

2007

TIME BETWEEN DOG AND WOLF

(MBC DRAMA)

2007

ILJIMAE

(SBS DRAMA)

2008

HERO

(MBC DRAMA)

2009

ARANG AND THE MAGISTRATE

(MBC DRAMA)

2012

TWO WEEKS
(MBC DRAMA)

2013

GUNMAN IN JOSEON

(KBS2 DRAMA)

2014

THE SCHOLAR WHO WALKS THE NIGHT

(MBC DRAMA)

2015

MOON LOVERS-SCARLET HEART:RYEO

(SBS DRAMA)

2016

NEVER SAID GOODBYE

(CHINESE MOVIE)

2016

7 FIRST KISSES

(LOTTE DUTY FREE - WEB DRAMA)

(NAVER TV CAST)

2016

RESIDENT EVIL

THE FINAL CHAPTER

(INTERNATIONAL MOVIE)

2016

CANDY IN MY EARS
(TVN REALITY SHOW)

2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku11bNAsDE0

Although TVN’s captivating show, ‘Candy In My Ear’ which stars Lee Joon Gi and Park Min Young, is not a drama, one has to mention it as it is one of Lee Joon Gi’s stellar achievements.

‘Candy In My Ear’ has been promoted as a reality show but obviously, it is not a 100% reality show. A paradox. Certain parts are real but the romantic setting has been staged. One should not think of it as scripted acting despite the fact it feels like a sort of romantic comedy being played out freely by two talented actors within a reality show. TVN’s ‘Candy In My Ears’ has showcased the remarkable acting abilities of both actors who have remained friends for over ten years.

The reaction to the show was stupendous, one that is almost similar to that of Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart: Ryeo. The editors had probably cut off a ton of footage, lending the show an air of romance. The show has garnered the empathy of the viewers who have openly confessed to being teary-eyed over the heart-wrenching ending.

One can conclude that TVN is quite innovative and creative, and the production staff should be given due credit for their efforts.

On hindsight, the controversy that was stirred up was obviously due to mischief makers who spread rumours out of petty jealousy and competition.