K-dramas have always been famous for romance, but there’s another genre where male actors
can capture the audience’s heart – action.
Due to the dangerousness of this genre, many actors opt to use stuntmen or rely on filming
and editing techniques to pull out stunning action scenes.
Some actors, however, are actually good at action scenes and got professional approval.
Any guesses yet?
Well, today we are tackling some of the best action stars in Kdramas.
1.
Ji Chang Wook Let’s start with a familiar face.
You may have noticed him in ‘Healer’ and ‘The K2’, series of which fame went beyond
Korea.
Ji Chang Wook is a household name when it comes to action stars.
Despite his young image and short experience at the time, Chang Wook willingly put himself
at risk for shootout and fighting scenes – always doing stunts by himself.
Practice makes perfect, and Ji Chang Wook has proven that.
He even took the effort to enroll in an action school to deliver the best performances.
His hours of hard work and constant practice had contributed to the stunning, jaw-dropping,
and exciting action sequences featured in his work.
The director of ‘Fabricated City’ said: “His action scenes were splendid.
This is his first movie, and yet Chang Wook was so stunning that it blew my mind.
I wonder if there’s anything impossible for him.
Ji Chang Wook is an action gem.”
Even the crew’s martial arts director did not hesitate to compliment the star.
“Ji Chang Wook learns fast and has flexible instincts.
He worked hard to perform tough car chasing scenes, did his own stunts, and we got 3-4
times more action compared to other movies.”
Charming as he is in the action genre, Chang Wook seems to be laying his eyes on romance-comedy
dramas in recent years.
It’s a bit upsetting that we can’t witness his cool fighting side just yet, but let’s
expect his comeback with ‘Annarasumanara’ – a psychological drama upcoming in 2021.
2.
Kim Nam Gil Next in the list is Kim Nam Gil, an actor
long acknowledged for his excellent acting and successful works.
He debuted in 1999, but only broke through in 2009 with his role in the period drama
‘Queen Seondeok’.
Ever since, Kim Nam Gil constantly delivers satisfying action sequences, starring in numerous
series and blockbusters like “Portrait of a Beauty”, “Memoirs of a Murderer”,
“The Pirates”, and most recently, “The Fiery Priest”.
Nam Gil’s performance always leaves the audience extremely satisfied: He draws in
Numerous directors had praised the actor for his work ethic, stating that Nam Gil was fearless
and dedicated, performing his stunts to the point of perfection.
The actor was so engaged that he injured himself while filming ‘The Fiery Priest” – a
work that won him the esteemed Grand Prize Award at SBS Drama Awards 2019.
After a year of recovery from the action genre, Kim Nam Gil is going to make a comeback with
disaster movie ‘Emergency Declaration’ and OCN’s psychological drama ‘Island’.
Let’s expect even better performances from our fearless actor.
3.
Lee Jun Ki We can’t talk about action without mentioning
Lee Jun Ki – the star of the genre.
With his swift movements and agility shown in multiple works like ‘Gunman in Joseon’,
‘Lawless Lawyer’, and the more recent ‘Flower of Evil’, many hailed Junki as
“The King of Martial Arts’.
Debuted with a ‘flower boy’ image, Lee Jun Ki transformed himself with his role in
‘Fly, Daddy, Fly’, where he played a high school student aspiring to become a famous
boxer.
But his stunning kicks did not come out of thin air – Jun Ki had to continuously practice
boxing for 3 months and changed his diet to perfect the transformation.
From practicing for his roles, the actor soon found passion for martial arts.
He is now a pro in Taekwondo with a black belt and is on an advanced level in Jiu Jutsu.
Martial arts director Kim Min Soo, who collaborated with Lee Jun Ki in ‘Time between Dog and
Wolf’, only has good words for the actor.
“Junki still contacts me during filming.
He asks for advice before every action scene.
There’s no need for stuntmen, really.
Junki always does an excellent job,” he said.
In Junki’s recent interview with Wave Magazine, he shared he’s “carefully going through
many possible options”.
Will we see further cool actions from the actor, or is he going to show a completely
new side?
Can’t wait to find out.
4.
Kang Dong Won No such thing as a perfect man?
“Wrong, there’s Kang Dong Won” – is what many would say when they talk about this
movie star.
Kang Dong Won is born to a rich family, handsome, studies well, has a whopping IQ of 137 and
sick acting skills.
What’s more to ask for?
Throughout his 17 years in the industry, Kang Dong Won dedicates most of his career to the
large screen, having starred in famous blockbusters like ‘Temptation of Wolves’, ‘Secret
Reunion’, ‘The Priest’, ‘Violent Prosecutor’, and ‘Peninsula’ – sequel of the famous
film ‘Train to Busan’.
Upon watching, many film critics had expressed their fascination with the actor’s performance,
saying that he is among “the most talented in the generation”.
Kang Dong Won had also branched out of K-biz with his Hollywood debut in the disaster movie
‘Tsunami LA’.
With a constantly rising fanbase, always improving acting skills, and satisfying action sequences,
the actor is sure to hit it even bigger with future projects.
But, what’s next so far?
If you want to see this ‘perfect man’ back in cinema, anticipate his next work ‘Brokers’,
which will also star famous K-pop artist IU. 5.
Jung Woo Sung To tie off today’s list, let’s talk about
action star Jung Woo Sung, who is favorably dubbed “the most desirable Korean Man”,
“the star of all stars”, and “the perfect gentleman” by Korea’s largest forum Daum.
Jung Woo Sung’s road to fame is a story of rags to riches, as he had to quit school
to support his family.
After many odd jobs, he was finally scouted to become a model, and his handsome face soon
swayed the hearts of young ladies.
From 1994, he starred in numerous action movies like ‘Born to Kill’, ‘Shanghai Grand’,
‘City of the Rising Sun’, and “Beat”, where his motorbike scene had robbed the hearts
of many Korean viewers.
The years go by, but Woo Sung’s charm never fades, as he continues to star in more action
movies like ‘Steel Rain’, ‘Illang: The Wolf Brigade’, and ‘Steel Rain 2’.
His drama role in Athena had won him the title of ‘Best Action Star, and he had become
the model of all aspiring actors, the Jackie Chan of Korea, proving that age never limits
performance.
Even now, Woo Sung is still a hard worker, soon to star in action film ‘Hunt’.
Like all of this work, this one is worth looking out for.
. Alongside the above 5 stars, I want to add
some other actors who are not yet recognized by martial artists, but also have great performance
in action films, such as Song Joong Ki with his role in “Battleship Island’, Lee Seunggi
with “Vagabond”, and Lee Minho’s iconic performance in “City Hunter”.
These actors do all the stunts on their own, and will soon shine brighter in the action
genre.
. So, which of the above actors fascinated you
with their stunt skills the most?
Do you have any other action stars to recommend?
Just comment down below.
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