To be or not to be Lee Ji-hoon
by javabeans
Singer and actor Lee Ji-hoon (You’re My Destiny, Hello Miss) is wrapping up his role of the Prince of Denmark in the musical production of Hamlet and had a few thoughts on the experience playing one of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters.
And while I’d like to make some thoughtful commentary on his taking the role and the existential soliloquy it’s most known for, I’m too distracted by how awful Lee Ji-hoon looks in these photos. I like the guy, really I do — he has an approachable warmth to his acting — but he looks like some cheesy cosplaying Luke Skywalker/The Bachelor hybrid. It was almost enough to make me file it as an “Oh Snap” and make some inappropriate commentary about the handling of his sword and maybe some references to thrusting technique.
(At the risk of alienating y’all further, I cannot be the only person who hears the words “Hamlet” and “musical” spoken together and immediately flashes to the old Gilligan’s Island episode where they set the soliloquy to Carmen, right? I KNOW you know what I’m talking about. Update! Here we go. The Offenbach has to be my personal favorite.)
Back to Lee Ji-hoon. The role of Hamlet is actually being shared among four actors; Lee Ji-hoon alternates with Park Gun-hyung, Im Tae-hyung, and Yoon Hyun-ryul. Currently, he’s spending his free time practicing his sword skills, particularly for his fight with Laertes, since timing is the most important aspect in the fight choreography.
Lee explains that he’d always wanted to do a musical, having begun his singing career more than ten years ago and now enjoying a television acting career: “I want to show people yet another side to me that hasn’t been shown before. I want to try new things and be recognized for them.” With the curtain about to come down on the production, Lee hopes he’ll be able to correct all his previous flaws in his last performance.
Hamlet is currently running and closes on September 21.
Via Newsis
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Tags: Lee Ji-hoon, musicals
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1 raahmose
September 20, 2008 at 7:01 PM
"cannot be the only person who hears the words “Hamlet” and “musical” spoken together and immediately flashes to the old Gilligan’s Island episode where they set the soliloquy to Carmen, right? I KNOW you know what I’m talking about. "
I TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT.
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2 K-lover
September 20, 2008 at 7:22 PM
“cannot be the only person who hears the words “Hamlet” and “musical” spoken together and immediately flashes to the old Gilligan’s Island episode where they set the soliloquy to Carmen, right? I KNOW you know what I’m talking about. ”
"Luke Skywalker/The Bachelor hybrid"
Ha...ha lol, yeah I wouldn't really take the musical that seriously either unless they do some melodramatic songs which I stil cannot see him being quite too serious at all (remember "Hello Miss!" ?)
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3 Muffin
September 20, 2008 at 7:32 PM
Now, the photo of him holding the flower is definitely "slasherific," but the others don't look so bad. He's still a cutie.
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4 Ndegeocello
September 20, 2008 at 7:42 PM
Hey, it's Silly Puddy!
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5 ar
September 20, 2008 at 10:02 PM
I can't imagine Hamlet as a musical! And Lee Ji Hoon does remind me of luke skywalker in these pics.
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6 hanlenguyen
September 21, 2008 at 12:51 AM
Hey, he's still look very handsomes. My prince forever!!!!!
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7 infiniti512
September 21, 2008 at 7:52 AM
Poor LJH. Those pics arent flattering. I do like the guy. He has a sweet voice and a smile that makes you feel warm. He seems like a good guy. But Hamlet as a musical?! Hmm....
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8 invisibelle
September 22, 2008 at 8:47 AM
Heh. LJH is actually one of my top favorites (I think I'm the only person on the planet who really loved him in Hello! Miss), but wow, these photos are awful. They should fire that stylist, the shirt doesn't even come close to fitting him.
And I just can't imagine Hamlet (the character) as being Asian, haha. I always think of the Mel Gibson version when I think of Hamlet.
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9 nurse.v
September 22, 2008 at 12:21 PM
I'm with you, invisibelle, I also loved him in hello miss....
but dang. the picture with the rose just kills me.
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10 klover87
September 22, 2008 at 12:43 PM
lol his lips are pouty enough he didnt have to add some extra volume to it
and the shirt.....poor cutie
getiing harrassed like this!!!
he should sue his clothing managers!!!
lol how can they make him look like this
his sexuality might be questioned on this one ......
but hes still really cute.....^^
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11 belleza
September 22, 2008 at 11:59 PM
He's so cranky and sweet in You Are My Destiny; it just breaks my heart that he'll end up the loser here.. . . One of the pitfalls of 10,000 episode daily dramas is when you fall in love with The Other Guy. You know that The Other Guy will never defeat The Boring Lead. You know that The Other Guy will go through 4 months before he realizes he is unfortunately The Other Guy, give up and become a celibate vegetarian. And yet, it's SO OBVIOUS that The Other Guy and Orphan Girl should be together. Inevitable disappointment comes when, after episode 597, you can't deny that, because he wasn't cast in the main role, even if he's killing the other guy in terms of actual acting, charisma, and romantic chemstry. You could be MY destiny Ji-hoon oppa!! :D
A Hamlet musical is a wonderful idea BTW. Rosecranz and Guildenstern just has Tenacious D written all over it. And Hamlet needs to be played by Tablo. He's Hamlet without the hot mom.
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12 pa-oon
September 30, 2008 at 10:27 PM
Even..I also accepted about these are not the good choices for JH Hamlet's pictures(I quite don't like them much)...but ...you saw all these sets of 4-Hamlet pic (in the same dresses and posted)yet??
I thought that they all looked not good enough if compare to the how great looking of them on the stage.
As I saw him..ocne..
He's realy realy handsome and charisma.
He can make...Hamlet as his own stage...as Hoon-let prince.
He can show us how professional he is.
If you have time..
Korean world version rock opera Hamlet is recommended musical you should see.
For me..tee hee..
Hoon-let prince is the best(for JH lover like me^^)
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13 Beige
October 5, 2008 at 4:04 PM
This is going to be one platform leap for the great voice of his.....if we can just get past the outfit ( hope a costume change slips in somewhere in the musical, or at least for later photoshoots )
To be able to enter the Shakespearean Hall of Actors and Actresses is something many aspire to.....Aja, Lee Ji Hoon, Prince of Kdrama.
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