Lee Beom-soo and Yoon-ah as potential romantic pairing. What.
by javabeans
Er, what now? KBS is preparing a new Monday-Tuesday drama to close out the year called Prime Minister and I, and the two names in the mix as likely candidates for the leads are Lee Beom-soo and Yoon-ah. It’s just so odd.
Sure, they’re both headliners and popular stars. But… together? Lee Beom-soo (History of the Salaryman, Giant) is as sharp and charismatic as they come, an actor’s actor who has had so many memorable performances that you can’t pin him down to a single character or type. Intense? Done it. Quirky? Done it. Badass, hilarious? Done it. And Yoon-ah (Love Rain) is an idol star twenty years his junior (he’s 43, she’s 23).
The age difference is intentional, if that makes it any better, as Prime Minister and I is being called “the Korean Sound of Music”—except instead of an army captain and a nun-governess, we get a prime minister and a musical actress who gives up that dream to become a private tutor in his household. Great, now I’m thinking of how amazing Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer were in the original and sighing.
The project is being produced by SM C&C, which explains a lot of things. From the wording of the news articles, it sounds like the producers are trying to woo the stars; Lee Beom-soo’s reps were very careful to say that they’d received the script and the offer, but were not ready to make decisions with Lee focusing on his film (God’s Play) for now. Yoon-ah’s reps stated that although she is considering favorably, she hasn’t confirmed.
Prime Minister and I will follow Mi-rae’s Choice on KBS, premiering in December.
Via Star News
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Tags: Lee Beom-soo, Prime Minister and I, Yoon-ah
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51 thursdaynexxt
September 11, 2013 at 3:01 PM
Getting more "The Prince and the Showgirl" vibes from this one, rather than Sound of Music (the one with Marilyn Monroe). Not good.
But may stick around to watch it for LBS, for all that!
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52 Orion
September 11, 2013 at 3:03 PM
@javabeans
I just noticed you now inadvertently have three 'Giant' leads in the top three posts of your home page. You warm this fan's heart. :P
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53 crazedlu
September 11, 2013 at 3:13 PM
bleh.
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54 Betty
September 11, 2013 at 3:33 PM
Yoon Ah.... yawn....
Lee Beom Soo on the other end is something else altogether.
I would love to watch only for him + I know he can have chimistry with young actresses like for exemple in The descendants of Hong Gil Dong with Lee Shi Young. Of course for that he need the right actress opposite to him...
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55 mnstpdu08
September 11, 2013 at 3:51 PM
Given the plot, the age difference makes complete sense. It is not my taste but I mean which one of you all want to be a tutor at 30-something?
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56 Perrie
September 11, 2013 at 4:45 PM
What is Lee Bum Soo doing with his career lately -_- deserves so much better than this as an actor!
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57 kdrama_addict22
September 11, 2013 at 5:48 PM
I'm all for LBS (love him to bits, brilliant actor that he is) and could care less about the age gap, but not feeling Yoona as a potential lead. :/
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58 kiki
September 11, 2013 at 6:26 PM
Him I love. He's awesome. I don't know anything about her though.
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59 Veggiesamurai
September 11, 2013 at 6:31 PM
It's more of a sound of music/king and I mash-up. Which seems really weird for a prime minister.
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60 Tushi
September 11, 2013 at 6:33 PM
Can someone be kind enough to give give the link to this post to those involved in decision making?
Surely,our voices would make them put down the pipe for a min and think.
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61 Sajen
September 11, 2013 at 6:35 PM
Look SM I can understand wanting one of your idols in the show since you're producing the show, if it has to be someone from SNSD why not give Sunny a shot. While I have not seen Sunny act she has a couple advantages one she has so much charisma it's hard not to like her, so even if she can't act she'll still be likeable. Two she's smart, calm, quick thinking, and I at least for the most part perceive her to be much more mature than her peers not sure how that relates to acting but I'm sure it's got to be an advantage somehow. Also oddly enough Lee Beum Soo and Sunny doesn't bother me nearly as much, odd how perception of maturity or lack there of changes my views on the couple.
As for Lee Beum Soo, yay I hope he takes the role.
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xox
September 12, 2013 at 9:32 AM
Majority of the Korean audience appearently find Yoona more likable than Sunny, prettier than Sunny.....There is a reason why Yoona is more popular. More popular means more money...so...
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fairytail
September 13, 2013 at 9:26 AM
well, singing wise, Sunny has the advantage too. She has also experience on musicals. However, Yoona is more popular. It doesn't even matter if she can sing or not.
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62 Mojaslatka
September 11, 2013 at 6:52 PM
As soon as I read Sound of Music reference, I thought of T-ara's Eunjung right away. She can act, she can sing, dance and can be cheeky, full of aegyo, has worked with children in Hello Baby. Well, she is close to Julie Andrews to me.
Now if only that scandal didn't happen.
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63 Mint
September 11, 2013 at 8:03 PM
As much as I love Lee Bum Soo, I want him to pass this drama badly. The man deserves better, especially after Dr.Jin and Iris 2.
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64 Shilpa
September 11, 2013 at 8:14 PM
Maybe Oh-Ji Ho....he would suit the age as younger looking and also look dashin beside Yoona!!!!
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65 Melmax
September 11, 2013 at 8:15 PM
Yesss this is odd!
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66 minni
September 11, 2013 at 9:07 PM
Mmm.... Yoona isn't bad, but isn't good actress either. The plot sounds good, and Lee Bumsoo is great, i think this drama have so many potential if only the actress isn't her... She is just not ready enough...
And JB, i'm sorry if this is out of topic. Can I request you make an article about this new Kim Kiduk movie (Rough Play):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xbnmqK8lBuY
I love joon, and he has amazing acting ability but he hasn't been well recognized.
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67 Jasmine
September 11, 2013 at 9:16 PM
The age gap isn't a problem in sKorea, especially since LBS is actually married to a girl a year or two older than Yoona. However, noooo to SM idol actors if LBS takes the drama, please!! Why do kproducers nowadays force drama fans to accept mediocre to tolerable acting instead of the best?! Look at us, we're begging for SNSD's sooyoung instead of actresses with a heck more presence and character. This trend is really killing my appetite for dramas. aaaah! Btw, what is Shin Minah doing nowadays? Or Jin Seyeon, Lee Chungah...Lee Yubi mentioned in an earlier post.
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68 xclo
September 11, 2013 at 9:45 PM
I liked yoona in love rain. She's a decent idol actress, but I prefer her in a rom com...this drama sounds pretty boring and that age difference...o_o
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69 kit
September 11, 2013 at 11:01 PM
I must say, I always enjoy reading comments here whenever idols are involved. I've been interested in all areas of the Korean entertainment system for years, acknowledging how smart companies and broadcasting stations are even in my personal frustration and even anger about how it all goes around. How do we even manage to get so excited and devastated over things, and then promptly forget about them as the next thing comes along. Ah, media.
One thing I would like to say about idols though: if you're seriously mocking them in terms of their singing and dancing abilities, you've got the wrong idea. (In terms of it being all in good humour, dude, I do it all the time.) They're not supposed to be the next Wheesung or Brown Eyed Soul. They're supposed to become a brand: pretty on stage, pretty on advertisements, pretty on tv. There are countless more talented people out there, nobody's going to argue with that. But it's a cutthroat industry, the companies are ruthless in choosing the final numbers, and if anything, I think we need to respect the hardcore training that they've undertaken. They're basically what child stars are in the US: too wise in some ways, naive in others, and very broken in their disillusionment.
SM scares the hell out of me. They're trying to broaden themselves out so they have their grabby hands in every single area of Korea - Asia - no, the world. Really, all these companies have such sway over governments, the law and the people.
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windsun33
September 12, 2013 at 12:57 AM
A lot of your points are valid, especially the "brand" part. The K-pop world is probably unlike any other in the world in that the vast majority of it manufactured from start finish. I follow the k, c, and j pop charts and Korea has by far the least number of independent or small company artists on the charts.
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70 MizzMizzEka
September 12, 2013 at 4:21 AM
Well, there's no problem with age gap, really. Noona-dongsaeng's love was okay, this Ahjusshi - Agashi was okay too, but the most point just her act!
I'm not her antifans but seriously, her act was not good for me. I'm still regrets watching 'the great' Love Rain, even GeunSeuk was prefect but her, oh my! Meh.
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71 DLias
September 12, 2013 at 5:29 AM
PERVERT !
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72 coby
September 12, 2013 at 5:30 AM
I like Yoona in Love Rain during the 70s setting. When all she do was to walk, sit, smile, barely talking, pinning her hair at the back of her ears, just being the pretty girl.
H
eadaches.
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MizzMizzEka
September 13, 2013 at 8:44 AM
Okay, I 'm totally agree. As long she's doing lika you said :D
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73 Lola
September 12, 2013 at 6:43 AM
Okay, I just want to give an example when everyone thought this is he worst idea by an director/ production company ever: when Jennifer Lawrence was given the lead in "Silver Lining Playbooks". At that point she was famous for her unconventional personality and the hit movie the Hungergames and had some critical success with her role in "The Winter's Bone". No one believed she could pull that role off or survive next to Bradly Cooper (16 years age gap), Robert deNiro or Julia Styles. We all know how that story ended.
I don't want to compare her to Yoona, but to write Yoona off is pretty unfair, especially since most of you havn't even seen her in Love Rain or just see her as idol/ member of SNSD.
In an interview Yoona said that she had acting lessons with Jun Ji Hyun whose is giving classes at her university and she is known to not only rely on her pretty face because she actually hates it to only be known as such. And here is a link to what the drama critics from Orsen and Review had to say about her acting.
http://www.soshified.com/2012/04/yoona-impresses-with-her-improved-acting-skills-in-love-rain
So before you actually go out and say that the drama is doomed, give it a chance. Sometimes those hardcore acting opposites get out the best in you, as seen with Jennifer Lawrence who credited her cast mates for her acting in this role.
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Fudge
September 13, 2013 at 5:24 AM
But J.Law can act that's why she pulled her role off with flying colors, while Yoona have dramas under her belt but with the same acting skills which is a..meh.
Not hating on Yoona though. She's such a pretty face and seems such a nice girl. But she better stick with SNSD activities or being a CF Queen.
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Kiara
September 13, 2013 at 7:53 AM
Jennifer Lawrence really? She was just an unknown actress before Winter Bones not because she couldn't act. Someone must have seen her in "The Burning Plain" or she did a dang job during the audition.
Yoona should be compared to the worse actress in Hollywood. She DOES NOT HAVE IT end of story.
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skelly
September 13, 2013 at 11:01 AM
That whole mess is so typical. Idol actresses/actors are ALWAYS "improving." Whenever idols continue to perform poorly (which they do all the time) the press is trotted out to write pandering stories describing how hard they work, how they are improving, the classes they are taking, etc. etc. This allows corporations the justification for casting these idols (when the real reasons is $$$$$) and gives fans the reassurance they need that their idol is actually worth their loyalty and reverence.
In actuality, it doesn't matter how hard someone works, or how many classes they take, or how cute they are - some people can act, and some people can't. As Yoda says, there is no try, there is only do. These idols are not cast again and again because they are improving, but because they make money off a gullible public. As long as there are fangirls, there will be "actors" like Suzy, Yoona, Taecyeon, Jung Yonghwa, Yunho, KSH, etc. etc. etc.
As for Yoona saying she hates her pretty face? Don't make me laugh. Someone paid good money for that face, and I am sure she hates it all the way to the bank.
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Orion
September 13, 2013 at 11:10 AM
This. Although he idols themselves are slaves to their companies too (even though some might have become that willingly and while knowing what they were doing). Meaning they do live glamorously, but only because they obey. And fangirls and fanboys love that and keep feeding it. They just see idols as dollies they can keep in their box and play with when they themselves want to. And they demand those dollies be available for them in any medium and at any time they like.
It sells, it pleases the masses, so they keep doing it. I hope this will not eventually happen to their movie industry too. There is still some decency left there. Although you still get the occasional money-focused movie and idols too.
I am not saying there are no idols who are also good actors, since there are a few, but if we're talking majority and the kind of roles and scenes they are usually given, it's a sad situation.
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Mari
September 25, 2013 at 1:27 PM
@skelly@orion Your analyses are so spot on, but it all makes me uber depressed at the same time. These days, the quality of Kdramas is literally a crapshoot. I want to be optimistic that the film industry will be unaffected, but idols without the acting skills are being given lead roles in movies now, too. I despair...
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Lola
September 13, 2013 at 11:35 AM
Firstly, I meant she hates to be reduced to the "pretty face" not that she hates having it.
About either you can or can't: I can't dance, I am really clumsy, but after one year practice I was able to pull standard dance at competition. Because you used Yoda, I use an old saying that the queen of acting, Meryl Streep, said herself: Practice makes the master.
I don't deny that casting Yoona is because of SM (production) and money matters, but it does gurantee a successful drama.
All I am saying is, give her a break and see how she is doing, then you can still critizise her as much as want. But basically, talking her down and making her look like a petty person is simply fair. What is wrong with wanting to be more than SNSD member and CF queen.
Jennifer Lawrence came to my mind in terms of critics and I said I don't compare there acting talent.
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Lola
September 13, 2013 at 11:37 AM
*doesn't gurantee
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74 Ritztarits/Rita
September 12, 2013 at 9:02 AM
Bad casting, bad pairing!
He will look like her grandad! Yoona please do not do this project. The pairing a turn-off!
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sa
September 12, 2013 at 5:56 PM
LBS, please please do not take this role!!!! You deserve better.....hmm...that's more like it!
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75 Addy
September 12, 2013 at 11:07 AM
I really think everyone is jumping ahead of themselves. Yoonas only had one major drama. How abt we stop stomping on her and give her a chance to impress us. I'm sure both actors know the challenges they will face as a pair which will be their motivation to prove us all wrong. See how we all insulted Joo won and choi kang hee. They weren't that bad after all. I am excited abt this OTP!! Hopefully they both sign on to this project.
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yuka sato
September 12, 2013 at 7:29 PM
one? I thought it was 3??
and all of them were major drama, where she's the main roles.
let see, cinderella man, my destiny then love rain.
isn't that enough to improved her acting?
sooyoung got one major drama (on TV cable that is) but she received favorable review, so it's enough to say the acting ranking on the group???
and joowon and choi kang hee was bad. like, the drama is airing in my country right now, and I can't sit through 5 minutes of it without being embarrassed to liking korean stuff.
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Lola
September 13, 2013 at 1:06 AM
Yoona, received very favorable reviews for her first drama, You are my destiney, at the age of 18/19, some major drama awards and a lot of recognition because she played the older women convicingly. It was not because she was SNSD Yoona but because she made a name for herself with acting. At that time SNSD was not that big in Korea. And even after that she improved her acting as said by many actresses/actors and critics. So before you jump to conclusion check your facts!
And as I said before many teen actresses were talked down when they were cast in a film that appeared to big for them but surprised everyone. Yoona deserves the chance to proof herself. If she fails you can all say "I said so!", but if she proofs everyone wrong, it will be her breakthrough as an actress.
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76 SHOPENJULIE CLAUDINE
September 12, 2013 at 11:25 AM
WAWW I LIKE Lee Beom-soo
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77 jennie
September 12, 2013 at 4:00 PM
oh god.
why does SM keep trying to advance his idol actors? honestly alot of them cannot capture scenes plainly with their acting talents.
hopefully someone else under SM C&C who's actually good at acting can take it (pretty sure SM C&C signed a couple of those)
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78 salt n' pepper
September 12, 2013 at 5:45 PM
As much as I like SNSD, casting Yoona for this role is a definite NO.
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79 Tha
September 12, 2013 at 8:23 PM
Just a thought...what about Jang Nara?!
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80 chaloner
September 12, 2013 at 8:34 PM
Oh God just think of them kissing, omg daddy lol
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nara
October 14, 2013 at 4:59 AM
lol~
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81 Viki
September 12, 2013 at 10:03 PM
This is soooo weird. I'm Yoona's age and my mom is just 4 years older than Lee Bum Soo!
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82 Waves
September 12, 2013 at 11:01 PM
The age gaps between costars in k dramas are getting insane. The 10-15 years age gaps between couples in recent dramas were bad enough, and now we're heading towards 20 years.
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83 ruzi mano
September 13, 2013 at 12:27 AM
I hear your voice, age gap btw the 2 leads, is like, blah...
NOW this?
I had a marathon session of Giant tsese few days. It is really something. That is an epic drama, worthy of accolades.LBS deserves far better female lead.
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84 meanrice
September 14, 2013 at 2:49 PM
Yoon-ah has been in some of my least favorite dramas.
Lee Bum Soo has not...so let's not ruin his streak ok?
IF we have to go with an SM actress go with Sooyoung, she was delightful in Cyrano Dating Agency.
Im going to keep asking this question until someone casts her as a lead in something: what about Lim Ju-Eun? She was cute in wild romance and scary in arang and she can sing too i think...from what i remember about what's up?
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Waves
September 14, 2013 at 6:03 PM
I like her too, but I think she'll be busy with Heirs.
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85 MARI
September 24, 2013 at 1:55 AM
OMG ! THEY LOOK FATHER AND DAUGHTER ...........................
LEE BEOM SOO EXCELLENT ACTOR BUT YOONA WAS GOOD ENOUGH BUT TO BE COUPLE IN DRAMA NO WAY ......
IT'S BECAUSE SM ENTERTAINMENT WAS SO POWERFUL OH1 COMMON PLS.......
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86 MARI
September 24, 2013 at 1:57 AM
OMG ! THEY LOOK FATHER AND DAUGHTER ...........................
LEE BEOM SOO EXCELLENT ACTOR BUT YOONA WAS GOOD ENOUGH BUT TO BE COUPLE IN DRAMA NO WAY ......
IT'S BECAUSE SM ENTERTAINMENT WAS SO POWERFUL OH COME ON PLS.......
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87 nara
October 14, 2013 at 4:56 AM
oh please.. CHANGE the actress, although i like Yoona but the age difference is too big.. not suit with LBS.
#badenglish XD
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88 bob
November 19, 2013 at 4:42 PM
I think its a bit weird thats lee bum soo and yoona would end up together. I think it would be better if she ends up with yoon shi yoon instead. I cant really imagine yoona and lee bum soo together cause they r like father and daughter so its a bit creepy...
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