A rising star has emerged.
Actor Lee Hyoje opened the powerful curtain of Netflix's If Wishes Could Kill and appears to have firmly caught the attention of global viewers.
If Wishes Could Kill, Netflix Korea's first YA horror series, follows high school students who are suddenly foretold of their deaths because of the curse of the wish-granting app If Wishes Could Kill and who struggle to escape that curse. Three days after its release it rose to No. 4 on the global top 10 non-English shows list, and in its second week (Apr. 27–May 3) it recorded 7.5 million views and surged to No. 1.
Lee Hyoje opened the drama and lent it a solid weight. The character he plays, Hyeong-uk, is a sunny, good-natured prankster who likes hanging out with friends and is the first to become entangled with If Wishes Could Kill. Lee Hyoje portrayed a range of facets of the character, from the 모습 of an ordinary high school student to moments of anguish when confronted with an unexpected reality.
As time passed and Hyeong-uk slowly descended into terror, Lee Hyoje finely calibrated everything from his gaze and expressions to the trembling of his facial muscles to create compelling scenes. He realistically captured the character's psyche as it oscillates between extremes of desperation and fear, clearly signaling the true start of the narrative. By gracefully conveying the character's tumultuous emotional arc, Lee Hyoje played a major role in getting early viewers to "settle" on this work, and praise has continued to follow.
According to his agency, Lee Hyoje did not hesitate to gain about 20 kg to bring the character to life. It seems Lee Hyoje's sincerity and passion were successfully conveyed through If Wishes Could Kill and Hyeong-uk.<
[Photo] Netflix Korea, Ghost Studio
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