Actor Lee Hyoje has resolved to firmly become someone's role model after having been a child actor for someone.
Lee Hyoje met global viewers as Hyunguk in the Netflix YA (young adult) horror series If Wishes Could Kill, which was released on the 24th of last month.
If Wishes Could Kill tells the story of high school students who, warned of sudden death by the curse of the wish-granting app "If Wishes Could Kill," struggle desperately to avoid the curse. With a fast-paced plot that deals with smartphone apps and teenagers' anxiety, friendship, jealousy and desire while capturing genre thrills, it received a hot response, rising to No. 4 on the global top 10 non-English shows shortly after release.
Lee Hyoje played Hyunguk, a mischievous teen who likes hanging out with friends and is the first to become entangled with If Wishes Could Kill, firmly showing his face to the world. He portrayed the character's diverse facets, from the look of an ordinary high school student to moments of anguish at unexpected realities. In particular, he delivered an immersive performance by finely calibrating Hyunguk's gradual descent into terror over time through his eyes, expressions and facial muscle tremors.
Because of If Wishes Could Kill's success, Lee Hyoje is receiving a lot of support from global viewers, and his nickname is "The Little Prince." About this nickname, which even prompted his peers to edit his open encyclopedia entry, Lee Hyoje said with a laugh, "It makes me think I must not lose my innocence."
Lee Hyoje's innocence showed on the set of If Wishes Could Kill as well. Known for playing the young versions of Gang Dong-won and So Jisub, Lee Hyoje met his own child counterpart for the first time. "When I saw a mini-me who looked exactly like me, I was moved. Seeing the mother who came with him reminded me of my own mother from the past, and it made me think of the senior actors who had taken care of me, so I wanted to take care of him more. If that kid confided his worries, I want to be the senior who tells him, 'Even if the door is narrow and it's hard, find the essence of why you love acting.'"
Having achieved a successful image transformation through If Wishes Could Kill, Lee Hyoje said the series is only the beginning and that he wants to be active in a variety of genres and meet viewers. "Rather than taking off the school uniform quickly, I want to show more of the fresh charm that can be seen only at this age. I definitely want to try the romantic comedy pace of a film like Your Wedding."
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