[Sportschosun Reporter Jo Ji-young] Actor Lee Hong-nae shocked viewers with a bold transformation in the Netflix series "The Haunted Palace" (written by Kwon So-ra and Seo Jaewon, directed by Choi Jeong-gyu).
In "The Haunted Palace," Lee Hong-nae took on the role of a shaman and revealed a completely different side of himself. The Netflix series follows Gucheon, who can move between the world of spirits, and Saenggang, a palace maid with a secret, as they are summoned by the king and uncover the curse haunting the East Palace. The series immediately drew strong attention, rising to No. 1 on Netflix's Today's Top 10 Series in South Korea upon release.
From his first appearance, Lee Hong-nae fully transformed into the city's most powerful shaman and delivered an overwhelming aura. The character he plays stands opposite Gucheon (Nam Joo Hyuk) while serving as an ally to the Queen Dowager (Jang Young-nam). His entrance alone radiated a commanding presence, drawing every eye and leaving a strong impression. In particular, the scene in which he seems truly possessed, brandishing a sword in a fierce dance to pressure Gucheon, heightened the drama's tension with explosive energy and sent chills through viewers.
Lee Hong-nae gave the shaman depth and credibility by carefully adjusting not only his facial expressions, eyes, and gestures, but also the tempo and rhythm of his speech. He captured the character's madness, obsession, and mysterious atmosphere in a layered way, boosting the drama's pull and strengthening the story with greater narrative weight.
It was also impressive how naturally he blended into the historical drama, despite this being his first time acting in the genre. He completely erased the playful comic energy he showed as Yoon Dong-hyun in TVING's original series "Legendary Chef," which was widely loved by home viewers, and perfectly pulled off the striking makeup with his own distinctive charm.
With a tightly controlled performance that drove the pace of the drama, he added solid weight to the production and once again proved the breadth of his acting range. Above all, Lee Hong-nae prepared thoroughly to portray the shaman realistically, meeting with a real shaman before filming to study gestures, breathing, and rituals.
That effort blended naturally into the character, adding realism and credibility. His relentless gaze toward Gucheon and his desperate emotional expression created the sense that he had become one with the shaman.
Lee Hong-nae continues to leave a strong mark with completely different faces in each project, and through "The Haunted Palace," he has once again proven his strength as a standout character actor. Expectations are now rising for what he will show next.
Reporter Jo Ji-young soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
