Actor Lee Chang-min opened up about his goals for 2026 and his commitments as an actor.
On the 20th, actor Lee Chang-min visited the OSEN building in Mapo-gu, Seoul, for an interview to mark the new year.
Lee debuted in 2021 with the film 'Jeongmin's Winter' and then appeared in the drama The Matchmakers, Oh My Ghost Clients, The Mantis: Original Sin, and Ms. Incognito, among others, gaining recognition for his face and name.
After three works were released back-to-back last year and he had a busy year, when asked about his recent life after the dramas ended, Lee said, "I'm maintaining my daily life. I rested at home, met friends, managed myself and lived ordinarily. I think everyone is similar: watch YouTube, watch movies, catch up on pending dramas. I like chatting with friends, so I talk with them and sometimes exercise," he said.
When asked what his standard for "self-management" was, he added, "I'm trying to pay attention to mental care. I tend to think a lot, so to let it out I take walks, read books, and in winter I tend to stay at home, but when it gets too stifling I go exercise, and I try to keep a flow that goes well."
It has only been about three to four years since he began acting in earnest. Lee said, "Including theater, it's been about that long. I'm the type who fights with myself a bit. When I first acted I was anxious, I wanted to do really well, and it was a very draining style. I had desires and tried to seize them, but as time passed the strength faded. Acting is something you learn, so forcing it doesn't mean it will work out. The more relaxed I become, the better my acting seems to get."
How did Lee Chang-min come to dream of becoming an actor? He mentioned his first motivation, saying, "During puberty I didn't have many things I wanted to do. But I also didn't just want to study. While thinking about my career path, I watched a lot of films. The actors were so cool, and I had a vague thought that I wanted to try acting too."
Lee said, "After thinking deeply about it, I reached the conclusion, 'Should I try?' Acting academies were uncertain, but my school had a theater club. I thought I should experience theater once, and it was actually so fun. Making plays, interacting with people—although my skills were lacking, the process was enjoyable, so I kept doing it."
When asked if there were times he wanted to quit midway, Lee confessed, "Looking back now, things went very well for me. I think I was a lucky case. I think debuting is somewhat like fitting through the eye of a needle. Luck has to follow, and I was a lucky case."
Was there a specific person or role model who made him dream of becoming an actor? Lee said, "I think it was driven by stubbornness. I said I tend to fight with myself, and when things didn't work out I developed a kind of anger. The feeling of needing to accomplish it came, so with a mindset of crawling through a swamp to grasp it somehow, rather than copying someone, I fought with myself and that discipline was fun. It was fun to see a new side of myself. I felt I was growing through it."
When asked what new sides he discovered while acting, he said, "I used to be very introverted and my face would turn red when presenting. To act you have to stand in front of an audience, and I realized I'm braver when I'm cornered than I thought. I don't think I used to express myself much, but I realized I had a strong desire to express myself inside."
Lee also said that although acting feels increasingly difficult, he wants to try playing characters in more diverse genres. He said, "I once saw an interview where seniors said, 'The more you act, the harder it gets.' At the time I thought, 'Wouldn't acting get easier as you learn more?' but it seems it's truly difficult. And while doing it I want to try this and that. When I was in school I thought only cool roles or leading roles were desirable, but now any role is fun. I think experiencing every genre will be valuable to me later, so I want to try them all."
When asked which genre he wants to try first, Lee said, "It changes by moment, but recently for some reason I feel like trying melodrama. I never had that thought before, but lately when I watch dramas I find myself looking for melodramas and wanting to try one."
Regardless of genre, the type of character he wants to play is 'a person with duality.' He said, "Whether villain or hero, humans have two sides, and sometimes feel contradictory. When I encounter such characters I get interested and want to try them. Depending on the situation a villain can seem very heavy but then appear light. I'm attracted when a character shows various aspects beyond a single narrative."
About the fun he feels on set, Lee confessed, "Preparing acting alone is lonely. On set, when you meet seniors and fellow actors and exchange beats, the exchange itself seems to trigger dopamine. There's a sense of accomplishment and exhilaration when what I prepared fits perfectly."
Lee said, "Actually I often stay alone at home, so when I go to set and there are so many people I can feel the energy, and I unknowingly feel excited. I like that the set is energetic. I feel passion too." He added, "There are times on set when observing people I think, 'This is it! It's so cool.' Everyone must be tired, but I also resolve to immerse myself and work hard, which gives me strength."
In the most recent drama Ms. Incognito, Lee appeared as Ga Seon-woo and co-starred with actor Jang Yoon-ju as siblings. The two drew attention for looking so composed they appeared to have a hierarchical relationship beyond a simple sibling bond.
Regarding that, Lee said, "That setup was in the script itself. Seon-woo had a backstory, and although Ga Seon-young was the older sister, there was an age gap, and because Seon-woo grew up without a mother he probably thought of Ga Seon-young as a mother. Ga Seon-young is a controlling figure, so she would have kept Seon-woo under control, which could make it look like a hierarchical relationship."
On working with Jang Yoon-ju, Lee said, "The senior led readings, invited me to the studio, and made practice comfortable. So even though I was a bit anxious, I relied on senior Yoon-ju a lot and I remember shooting very joyfully." He added, "She seems to have a charm that puts people at ease."
Born in 1997, Lee Chang-min turned 30 this year by Korean age. At a time when peers are enlisting, Lee has already completed his military service and can now focus solely on acting.
Lee said, "I went in mid-2018 and was discharged in 2020. I enlisted in my sophomore year. (Going and returning early) put my mind at ease. I didn't really feel weird about having gone early. When friends were going I thought I should go too, and I wanted to learn diligently and go slowly. Since my peers all went, I also felt I should go quickly and did so."
When asked how he wants to enjoy being 30, he answered, "Honestly, I was more excited about being 30 than being 20. At 20 I wandered a lot inside, so I thought I'd wander less at 30. I actually feel more at ease. As a 30-year-old member of society, I have a strong desire to work hard. I went to school and learned in my 20s, so I want to use that properly. I also want to save money and become independent."
About his goals for the year, Lee smiled and said, "I want to be busier. I can't stop here." He added, "This year's motto is 'live boldly.' Whether I live or die, I want to crash into things and live boldly."
When asked if he had a written bucket list, he said, "I actually used to write 10 goals every year. But I only achieved half of them, and that frustrated me. I felt, 'I couldn't even do this,' and it was painful; such plans kind of trapped me. So this year I won't set goals and will go with the flow to try everything, not be afraid and just go for it."
Finally, regarding his goals as an actor, Lee said, "I really want to be an actor who performs for a long time. Act until I die. Rather than rising vertically, I want to travel the ridge for a long time." He concluded the interview, saying, "Please watch over me a lot. I ask for your support."
[Photo] Reporter Ji Hyung-jun
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