Nobody starts out as a genius, and our favorite Korean actors and actresses are no exception.
However, practice makes perfect, and while harshly criticized at first, certain actors
and actresses hone their skills over time.
Today, let’s check out certain cases where K-drama actors used to be harshly criticized
for poor acting skills, but have improved leaps and bounds ever since.
Lee Je Hoon As K-drama fans, you are bound to have come
across Lee Je Hoon from time to time.
The actor first rose to fame with a minor role in “Architecture 101”, and since
then has attained multiple successful works, including the super famous “Taxi Driver”,
and before that, the legendary investigation series “Signal”.
However, it was during “Signal” that Je Hoon got into trouble for his allegedly lacking
acting skills.
Playing a criminal profiler in a series full of real cases, Lee Je Hoon is criticized for
“overacting”, to the point viewers said the actor is more suited for the stage, not
a K-drama.
Comments and topics can be found everywhere about Je Hoon’s “acting controversy”,
and people were calling him “awkward”, “over-the-top”, and “cringe”.
The actor’s pronunciation also ended up being a source of ire, and the issue ended
up growing so big, that Je Hoon’s agency eventually had to speak up.
“The character, tone, and style of Park Hae Young (aka Lee Je Hoon’s character)
were all decided upon through discussion and the sharing of ideas between the actor, director,
and staff.
The director and production team were all satisfied on set”, the company clarified.
“The performance will seem more realistic in the future.
Please watch and see for yourself”, they also said.
Flashforward to 6 years later in 2022, and Lee Je Hoon is now considered a top actor.
Since “Signal”, he has constantly broadened his skills, and played in various notable
series, including “Where Stars Land”.
“Tomorrow With You”, “Taxi Driver”, “Move to Heaven”, as well as famous movies
like “Anarchist from Colony”.
Je Hoon’s versatility is also insane, and he shines no matter if the genre is melodrama,
angst, or pure action.
In fact, he is now so loved that people get angered when the actor is not nominated for
Best Actor at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards, and citing his performances in “Taxi
Driver” and “Move to Heaven” as layered and iconic.
Nam Joo Hyuk As a model turned actor, Nam Joo Hyuk has
the ideal face and height.
And yet, since the beginning of his acting career, he has always received mixed opinions
regarding his acting skills.
Nam Joo Hyuk rose to fame through series like ‘School 2015’, ‘Moon Lovers’, and
most notably ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo’, where he displayed a heart-fluttering
chemistry with co-actress Lee Sung Kyung.
However, according to netizens, he was just lucky, and he and Lee Sung Kyung were dating
on the set, so it can’t really be called acting.
And his later works didn’t serve to the actor’s advantage as well.
In ‘The Bride of Habaek’, he was called out for “having no progress”, having “hopeless”
acting skills, as well as “terrible pronunciation”.
People were so annoyed, they even started to question, “how does Nam Joo Hyuk even
score leading roles even though his acting sucks”?
However, Nam Joo Huyk is slowly but surely proving himself and polishing his skills.
This is first proven in “Start Up”.
where the actor was not remarkable, but actually decent.
Then, his total image change in “In The Lights In Your Eyes”, had managed to earn
the actor critical acclaim, and netizens started to praise his “soulful eye acting.”
Finally, in “Twenty Five, Twenty One”, Nam Joo Hyuk has proven himself as a fully
capable actor, and totally drew in the audience as the charming heart-wrencher Baek Yi Jin.
The actor’s eye acting was said to be so good, “Yijin’s gaze” has become a phrase
now.
Looking back, netizens can’t help but exclaim that Joo Hyuk has gotten miles better, writing
comments like “Nam Joo Hyuk’s acting freaking improved “, “Maybe his acting changed
after meeting an experience actress like Kim Tae Ri”, “Nam Joo Hyuk really suits the
youth concept, he’s seriously youth itself.”
It seems that the actor’s hard work has paid off.
IU Except for “Dream High”, IU entered the
acting industry with various leading roles, including ‘You Are The Best’, ‘Bel Ami’,
and ‘The Producers’.
However, while she wasn't criticized, IU was never praised as a good actress at the time.
Things took a turn for the worse when she starred in the famous series ‘Moon Lovers’
, which netizens dubbed as “IU’s biggest acting controversy”, even blaming her for
the series’ disappointing ratings.
According to these netizens, IU had “lost face” via the drama, and that she’s
“ruining the series with her cringey expression and comically large eyes”.
Some even went as far as to comment on the actress’s appearance, calling her “too
ugly”, and adding that she’s “not pretty enough for a lead role”.
The hatred for IU was so strong, it follows when the actress was confirmed to star in
“My Mister”.
As a result, before the series even aired, comments that question why IU keeps acting,
saying that the series will be another failure, and asking if ruining “Moon Lovers” was
enough for IU, can be found all over the place.
However, all of these people were turned on their heads, as IU managed to blow them away
in this very series!
Her performance in “My Mister” was so realistic and painful, that we could spot
comments like: “I like IU’s acting”, “she’s good”, “Lee Ji Eun is the best”,
and “give Lee Ji Eun a best actress award.
They were left crying by the end, and even thanked IU and all other actors for “presenting
it beautifully until the end”.
Honestly, IU’s acting career has only been on the rise ever since, showing just how far
this actress has come.
From being criticized as “one of the worst idol-actors”, IU’s dramas became highly-anticipated
by netizens.
Kim Se Jeong Despite being well-loved for her musical talents,
Kim Se Jeong wasn’t getting the best reception with her acting debut in “School 2017.”
At the time, the idol-actress used to be heavily criticized for having “unnatural acting”
and “excessive expressions”, with netizens saying that they “decided not to watch”
the show, the moment they see Se Jeong on the screen.
“She seemed too greasy to pull off a high school character”, one viewer said, while
another commented that Se Jeong’s voice “just isn’t good for acting”.
Likewise, when the idol-actress earned another lead role in “I Wanna Hear Your Song”,
she was drowned in criticism, and dubbed as another with over-the-top expression and cringey
tone.
However, Kim Se Jeong defied all expectations with her return in the 2020 K-drama “The
Uncanny Counter”.
This time, she played the stone-cold Do Hanna who has got through a fair share of pain,
and completely took breaths away with her coolness.
A topic was even posted on the Korean forum pann, lauding Kim Se Jeong’s acting skill
as the cream of the crop.
“Because of Kim Se Jeong, I started watching this drama”, a netizen exclaimed, all the
while saying they usually hate idols who go into acting, but Se Jeong had become their
sole exception.
“Her action scenes compilation was trending #1 on YouTube so I watched the series and
found her acting seriously good”, another exclaimed, with others all showering the actress
in praise.
And, it seems that Se Jeong has cemented her acting skills, since her newest work, “Business
Proposal” has been a hot topic as well.
People find the actress’s comedic skits super natural and fun, while completely drawn
in by her bright and charismatic acting.
Se Jeong’s acting skills have done a 180 turn!
Park Hyung Sik Finally, we have Park Hyung Sik, who was a
member of the Kpop boy group ZE:A, before making his acting debut in 2012 with the SBS
drama “Dummy Mummy”.
As a rookie in the acting world, Hyung Sik started out in super minor roles and cameos,
before earning his first leading break with the 2014 series “What’s With This Family”
Still, Hyung Sik had actually gained attention a year earlier, via a supporting role in the
hit K-drama “The Heirs”.
But unfortunately, this attention is not of the positive kind.
Looped with all the idol-actors on the show, Hyung Sik’s acting was called “awkward”
and “sitcom-like”, as well as said to be “below” actress Park Shin Hye.
“They all suck except for Shin Hye”, “I wanted to hit them”, “they are bad at
acting”, netizens complained, basically dissing all the idols acting in “The Heirs”.
In 2017 though, everything has changed, and Hyung Sik’s role in “Strong Woman’s
Do Bong Soon” completely convinced the audience.
The actor started to be praised for his natural expressions, melting chemistry, and gripping
acting that greatly endeared his character to viewers.
Over time.
Hyung Sik relentlessly broadens his horizon, taking up more challenging work, and renewing
his images.
The actor’s hard work eventually earned him nominations for Best New Actor at the
40th Blue Dragon Film Award and the 56th Baeksang Arts Award - which are true testaments to
his talents.
Recently, Hyung Sik’s role in “Happiness” has earned the love of netizens as well.
People think he couldn’t have done a better job at portraying the brave, strong, yet super
sweet Jung Yi Hyun.
And that’s the list!
Do you agree with the netizen’s opinion, and think that these actors and actresses
have greatly improved?
Who will you add to the list?
Do let us know in the comment section!