[Sportschosun Reporter Jo Ji-young] Actor Lee Hong-nae, 36, said, "I was told I was cute for the first time in my life."
In an interview with Sportschosun on the afternoon of the 18th, Lee Hong-nae shared behind-the-scenes stories about the TVING original series 'Legend of the Culinary Soldier' (written by Choi Ryong, directed by Jo Nam-hyung).
'Legend of the Culinary Soldier' is a military cooking fantasy drama that follows a private first class who swaps a kitchen knife for a rifle and an apron for a bullet belt as he transforms into a 'legendary cook.' Lee Hong-nae played Sergeant Yoon Dong-hyun, the cook at Kangrim Platoon, who is about to be discharged.
Lee Hong-nae first gained attention for his role as Ji Cheong-sin in the 2020 OCN drama 'The Uncanny Counter,' and later won over audiences again through 'Legend of the Culinary Soldier.' He laughed as he said, "I learned so much through Yoon Dong-hyun. I received this script at the audition site, met the director, and then got the call confirming my casting. It was a project I prepared for with everything I had. As an actor, I have a rough, rebellious side, and maybe even a scary, thug-like image, don't I? So I worried that viewers might feel distant from Yoon Dong-hyun's cute and lovable charm. I was especially concerned because of the image I had from 'The Uncanny Counter.' Because of that, I talked even more with director Jo Nam-hyung. It was something I kept thinking about throughout filming. I also worried that the colors I had shown before might somehow come through in Yoon Dong-hyun. Director Jo helped me a lot with that. In fact, he was even better at acting than I was and showed me many examples. Through that process, I think Yoon Dong-hyun became my own character. Thanks to Yoon Dong-hyun, I was definitely able to break away from my previous image. It must have been a challenge for Director Jo Nam-hyung too when he cast me. I'm grateful that he discovered my cute side."
He added, "It is embarrassing to say this myself, but until now, no one had ever looked at my work and called me cute. But through this project, I even heard people say I was cute. Even my parents, who are from Gyeongsang Province and usually pretty stoic, told me I looked lovable. That was a first for me. To be honest, my parents had always worried about me, even if they did not say it outright. Since I often played mean roles who bullied the lead, my mother would often ask, 'Did you apologize to your co-star?' Recently, there was a family gathering with all my relatives, and what surprised me most was that everyone, from my cousins to my older aunts, was watching 'Legend of the Culinary Soldier.' They all kept saying, 'Hong-nae is so cute,' and I was shocked. In my life, this is the first time I have ever been called 'lovable.'"
Based on the popular WEBTOON of the same name by J Robin, 'Legend of the Culinary Soldier' stars Park Ji-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, Han Dong-hee, Lee Hong-nae, and Lee Sang-yi. Choi Ryong, who wrote 'Chairman Is at Level 9,' 'My Shitty 20s,' and 'Dogobin Is Updating,' wrote the script, while Jo Nam-hyung, who directed 'A Superior Day,' helmed the series.
Jo Ji-young, soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
