Lee Jun-ho has mastered the pivot. Fresh off Netflix superhero series \u201cCashero\u201d \u2014 which hit No. 2 globally and cracked the Top 10 in over 70 countries \u2014 the K-drama star is plotting his next reinvention as a villain in \u201cVeteran 3.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 2PM member, who made history as the first idol-actor to win the Grand Prize at the 2022 APAN Star Awards, has been deliberately reshaping audience expectations with each project. After back-to-back hits with period drama \u201cThe Red Sleeve\u201d and romantic comedy \u201cKing the Land\u201d \u2014 the latter reaching No. 1 globally in Netflix\u2019s non-English TV category \u2014 Lee chose \u201cCashero\u201d as a calculated departure.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my previous roles, I played Yi San, the Crown Prince in \u2018The Red Sleeve\u2019 and Gu Won, a chaebol heir in \u2018King the Land\u2019 \u2014 both are composed characters with sharply defined roles and heavy sense of gravity,\u201d Lee tells Variety. \u201cWith \u2018Cashero,\u2019 I wanted to step away from that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Popular on Variety<\/p>\n
The series offered Lee the chance to explore a grounded protagonist that resonated with Korean audiences while maintaining global appeal. \u201cHe\u2019s someone that you would encounter in real life in Korea,\u201d he explains of his character Kang Sang-woong. \u201cHe is an ordinary guy who saves up to buy a house, but the irony is that he ends up using that very money to save people with his powers. Unlike conventional superhero narratives, his abilities come at a very real cost: every time he uses them, he has to literally pay a price.\u201d<\/p>\n
The international response exceeded expectations, particularly the grassroots engagement across markets. \u201cI saw memes where fans from different countries were holding up their own currency, as if they were offering it to Sang-woong so he could use his powers,\u201d Lee says. \u201cSeeing everyone take part in that challenge was genuinely adorable and endearing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCashero\u201d Netflix<\/p>\n
Lee\u2019s awareness of balancing Korean specificity with universal themes has evolved across his Netflix slate. While \u201cThe Red Sleeve\u201d drew deeply from Joseon Dynasty history, \u201cKing the Land\u201d was positioned as accessible comfort viewing for international markets.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile I would love to receive global acclaim for every project, I am well aware that not every story would become a global hit,\u201d he notes. \u201cFor instance, \u2018Typhoon Family,\u2019 which is set during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, I was worried that such specific historical event might not resonate with audiences abroad. However, seeing global fans connecting so deeply with the story allowed me to put my worries to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
The actor downplays any direct connection between his extensive live performance experience \u2014 he\u2019s held over 100 solo concerts and sold out Tokyo Dome \u2014 and his screen work. \u201cThere\u2019s a misconception that a background in music automatically makes you more expressive on screen, or that performing in a stadium for tens of thousands of people make the camera less intimidating \u2014 but that hasn\u2019t been my experience,\u201d he says. \u201cIf anything, the only perk is that I\u2019m perhaps a bit quicker at picking up choreography of an action sequence. At the end of the day, both aim to move people\u2019s heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lee has also moved into the business side, founding O3 Collective, a company built on three principles: the artist\u2019s identity (\u201cOne\u201d), originality in content (\u201cOriginal\u201d) and structured management (\u201cOrbit\u201d). However, he maintains the venture hasn\u2019t fundamentally altered his project selection process.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt my core, I am still an actor, singer and artist, and I\u2019m focused on doing the work that I want to do,\u201d Lee says. \u201cThe decision to establish O3 Collective was driven by a desire to take on a greater sense of responsibility for work, rather than a shift to focus on different role.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company is run by professional management handling day-to-day operations, while Lee focuses on his artistic output. \u201cLooking ahead, I would love to bring together like-minded artists under O3 Collective, creating a space where we can collaborate and move forward with a shared artistic mission,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
Lee is currently filming \u201cVeteran 3,\u201d which marks another deliberate risk in his trajectory. \u201cAs an actor, I have a constant thirst for genres and characters I haven\u2019t explored yet. At this stage in my career, taking risks and rising to new challenges is essential,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019ve chosen a villain role for my next project, \u2018Veteran 3.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond that sequel, Lee has another project lined up, though details remain under wraps. When asked what kind of role would signal a real shift, he remains characteristically focused on constant reinvention rather than legacy management.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to predict what that would look like \u2014 perhaps it will be my role in \u2018Veteran 3,’\u201d he says. \u201cAbove all, my goal is to consistently reinvent myself. I hope that with every project, audiences see a new and unexpected side of me, one that feels clearly distinct from the last.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lee\u2019s brand partnerships include Dior, Godiva, Lotte Duty Free and Diageo, and he currently serves as global ambassador for Berluti and Piaget. Alongside his group activities with 2PM, he continues building a successful solo music career in both Korea and Japan, reinforcing his position as one of the most versatile artists of his generation across acting, music and luxury branding.<\/p>\n
Source: RhinoEasy News<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Lee Jun-ho has mastered the pivot. Fresh off Netflix superhero series \u201cCashero\u201d \u2014 which hit No. 2 globally and cracked<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1462\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}