Actor Lee Dong-ha opened up about renouncing Italian nationality, saying he never held Italian nationality.
On the 28th, at the OSEN building in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, a closing interview was held for Lee Dong-ha of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama Manager Kim.
Lee Dong-ha played Nam, the chief aide to Joo Kang-chan (Joo Sang-Wook), chairman of Juhak Construction, showcasing steady acting and explosive action skills that increased the drama's immersion.
Manager Kim began with a 9.5% rating in episode 1 and in just two episodes surpassed its pledged 13% to reach 15.7%. It then surpassed 21.6% in episode 4, breaking the 20% barrier, and continued to exceed 20% ratings for seven consecutive episodes up to the finale in episode 10, finishing with a nationwide rating of 23.0%. (Provided by Nielsen Korea)
As a result, the production and cast of Manager Kim went on a reward vacation to Guam. However, Lee Dong-ha regrettably did not attend due to a scheduled performance. Lee Dong-ha said, "We worked hard and happily together, and though it's regretful, I want to keep a thankful heart. Also, the performance is coming up soon, so I'll focus on that, and I think my heart goes with them."
Earlier, Lee Dong-ha spoke about being born in Italy when he appeared on SBS PowerFM's Cultwo show in 2016. It was reported that he was born during his parents' study abroad in Italy and lived there until age 3, and that he had renounced Italian nationality to serve in the military, which drew attention.
Regarding this, Lee Dong-ha said he had something to clarify. He explained, "It wasn't a big deal; if you live in Italy long enough there are favorable opportunities to acquire nationality, but I didn't do that."
He added, "I just returned early and fulfilled my duty as an ordinary Korean man. Of course I had to serve in the military, but it became a heartwarming story, which is a bit embarrassing," and said, "It is not entirely true that I had Italian nationality." He also said that because he did not have Italian nationality, the "renunciation of nationality" is not true.
Finally, when asked how Manager Kim and the character Nam might be remembered, he said, "This is probably the first time I've worked so intensely and happily and people came together as one. I learned a lot from the seniors and the director. I learned a lot about communication," and confessed, "It was fun to study the script together and find details. I resolved that when I work on other projects in the future, I should continue to talk a lot and learn."
He also vowed, "I feel grateful that I benefited from playing Nam. It's a special memory I will never forget. Manager Kim showed me the direction I should take in acting. It's a thankful work that engraved a character in the public's mind, so I want to keep my initial resolve, prepare harder and show a better side."
[Photo] Reporter Lee Dae-seon, SBS Manager Kim
[OSEN]