Actor Byeon Woo-seok's somewhat awkward acting has produced an unexpected reflective benefit that makes the relatively calm and weighty Gong Seung-yeon shine. Byeon Woo-seok and Gong Seung-yeon are close colleagues who belong to the same agency and have known each other for a long time, but with only one actor receiving praise for their acting, it is not a situation where they can simply laugh.
On Oct. 10 the first broadcast of Perfect Crown recorded a 10.1% metropolitan rating and 9.5% nationwide in just two episodes, rising to first place in the same time slot. Not only did it surpass double digits in metropolitan household ratings in only two episodes, it also recorded 5.3% in the 20-54 rating, a key indicator of channel competitiveness reflecting changes in media consumption, ranking first across Saturday, generating buzz. (Nationwide household basis)
Interest is already gathering toward ratings above 15%, and expectations are soaring that the MBC gold-and-saturday drama might even break the once-unbroken 20% barrier. Separate from this pleasant high-rating run, assessments of the lead actors' acting skills are sharply divided. In particular, a wider variety of evaluations are pouring in about the male lead, Byeon Woo-seok.
Byeon Woo-seok debuted in 2016, and the only work in which he took the main title role and carried the drama entirely as lead is considered to be tvN's Lovely Runner (2024). Although titles such as Strong Girl Nam-soon (2023), Moonshine (2021), Record of Youth (2020), and Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency (2019) list him as a lead on his profile, in reality Ong Seongwu, Yoo Seungho and Park Bo Gum were the centers, so it is hard to say Byeon Woo-seok was the main lead.
Many people first encountered Byeon Woo-seok's acting through the mega-hit Lovely Runner. At the time, he benefited greatly, delivering chemistry and synergy beyond expectations with the highly skilled Kim Hyeyoon.
Byeon Woo-seok also appeared on You Quiz that same year and said, "If Hyeyoon hadn't been there, I don't think I could have expressed Seonjae's emotions this much. The emotions given on set felt sincere, so I think I could express them better," and said, "Hyeyoon, I really learned a lot from the energy you gave me during filming and your attitude on set. Thanks to you I was able to do well in the role of Seonjae. If you want to eat something delicious, contact me anytime. I'll buy it for you anytime. I was so, so grateful," attributing the popularity syndrome to his co-star Kim Hyeyoon.
Byeon Woo-seok, who rose to stardom through Lovely Runner, had to prove his acting in Perfect Crown to show he was not a fleeting lightning star. He carried that pressure from the start.
In fact, the role of Grand Prince I-an in Perfect Crown is a much more difficult character to portray than Seonjae in Lovely Runner. In the royal power struggles he must hide his true feelings as much as possible, and there are many moments when deep anguish and emotional shifts must be conveyed solely through expression and a single line. Compared with Seong Hee-ju (played by IU), who shows all her emotions on her face and acts freely, Grand Prince I-an may be a character that requires more inner skill.
In particular, the scene in episode 1 where Grand Prince I-an and queen dowager Yoon I-rang (played by Gong Seung-yeon) engage in a power struggle over the regency for the young king ignited controversy over Byeon Woo-seok's acting.
The queen dowager complained that no one worries even though the young king nearly died, saying all of this is because of the regency. Grand Prince I-an responded, "His majesty the king's Boryung is only eight. He is far too young to perform official duties, so my regency is unavoidable," and countered, "Besides, is regency that great? Politics! Politics is what politicians do. Business is what merchants do. The royal family has nothing it can do. Doing nothing is the only thing left to do."
While the tense balance of power between Grand Prince I-an and the queen dowager was not broken, it was a scene in which Grand Prince I-an raised his voice at the queen dowager. However, in the nearly two-minute scene, Byeon Woo-seok's expression remained stiff, and many felt he failed to convey the prince's turbulent emotions properly. That scene spread as clips across various social media and online communities with comments that he "cannot act." At the same time, extreme opposite reactions appeared toward the charismatic queen dowager Gong Seung-yeon, asking, "Has she always acted this well?"
Earlier at the Perfect Crown press conference, when asked, "How will you portray the complex character of Grand Prince I-an?" Byeon Woo-seok replied, "I talked a lot with the director and I also tried harder and talked about it a lot before," and said, "For this work I also tried my best so that people could emotionally empathize with the character when they see it. I paid more attention to that part. I tried to focus solely on the character's narrative."
The drama is still in its early stages, consisting of a total of 12 episodes, so there is still a long way to go. Depending on story developments, Byeon Woo-seok's portrayal may improve positively, but it is regrettable that acting controversy has emerged around such a highly anticipated work.<
[Photo] capture of Perfect Crown
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