Who is Lee Joon-hyuk? K- DRAMA
Before diving into his incredible story of self-management, let's take a look at who actor Lee Joon-hyuk is and why he is one of the most beloved and respected stars in the South Korean entertainment industry today.
Celebrity Profile: Lee Joon-hyuk
- Name: Lee Joon-hyuk (이준혁)
- Date of Birth: March 13, 1984
- Education: Hanshin University (Bachelor's in Business Administration and Media)
- Key Traits: Known for his striking, cold-city-man visuals paired with an unexpectedly warm, humorous, and deeply relatable personality.
A Chameleon of the Screen: Major Hits and Influence
Lee Joon-hyuk is a veteran South Korean actor who has built a massive fandom through his ability to flawlessly execute any genre, from sweet romance to gritty thrillers. His influence in Korea is immense, largely because the public deeply respects his "chameleon-like" dedication. He is known as an actor who completely erases his own personality to breathe life into his characters.
- Past Mega-Hit - Stranger (비밀의 숲, 2017 & 2020): Lee skyrocketed to immense critical acclaim playing Seo Dong-jae, a corrupt, ambitious, yet strangely lovable prosecutor. The drama was a massive domestic and international hit, hailed as a masterpiece of Korean television. His character was so popular that it recently spawned its own highly anticipated spin-off series.
- Recent Blockbuster - The Roundup: No Way Out (범죄도시3, 2023): Lee took on the role of the main villain, Joo Sung-chul. To physically match the terrifying presence of the lead, Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee), Lee underwent an extreme physical transformation. The movie was a monumental success, drawing in over 10.68 million admissions at the South Korean box office, officially cementing him as a "Ten Million Actor"—a highly prestigious milestone in Korea.
- Recent Romance - Between Greetings (나의 완벽한 비서): Transitioning smoothly from a hulking villain, he completely slimmed down to play a sharp, sensitive, and perfectionist CEO in this highly anticipated office romance.
Upcoming Project: I Work Even If I Win the Lottery (로또 1등도 출근합니다)
Currently, fans are eagerly waiting for his upcoming TVING original drama, I Work Even If I Win the Lottery. The drama is expected to be a highly relatable, comedic, and touching story revolving around ordinary office workers whose lives are turned upside down by the dream of a winning lottery ticket. Lee Joon-hyuk is set to show yet another fresh, everyday charm that resonates with the general public.
The Fierce Self-Management Story of Actor Lee Joon-hyuk
Hello!
Today, I have brought you the fierce self-management story of actor Lee Joon-hyuk, a man who hides the aspect of an immense glutton behind his cold, handsome exterior, and who pushes his body to the absolute limit for the sake of his projects!
We have come to realize just how much hidden effort goes into the flawless results the public sees on gorgeous cinema screens and television monitors. Many people assumed that actor Lee Joon-hyuk would be extremely picky with his food and eat very small portions. However, it has become a hot topic with his massive "twist charm" as it was revealed that the reality is the exact opposite.
Today, I am going to talk in detail about how he creates the perfect image for every single role he takes on, and the hidden struggles behind those transformations.
Lee Joon-hyuk's Secret to Dieting
First and foremost, what caught people's attention was his bone-chilling transformation process. He gained a whopping 20 kilograms (about 44 lbs) in a short period for a specific role, only to immediately shed it all and return to his original sleek figure for his next project.
Many people reacted with shock when it became widely known that he is actually a massive gourmand. In his normal daily life, he can easily cook and eat up to seven packets of ramen at once, and he can effortlessly finish two to three whole pizzas by himself!
Leading up to the filming of The Roundup: No Way Out, he revealed that he forcefully ate a staggering six meals a day and endured over four hours of high-intensity workouts daily just to bulk up his physique for the role of a rugged villain.
Even for someone who genuinely loves eating and has a huge appetite, forcefully stuffing down massive quantities of strictly calculated meals while exercising must be an incredibly difficult battle. Seeing him easily surpass his own limits solely for the sake of a single production truly makes you feel what a genuine professional he is.
However, it seems that what exhausts him even more than the painful weight gain is the dieting period where he must rapidly shed the weight to return to a fit physique. It is said that he put in an unimaginable amount of effort to transition straight from his hulking image in The Roundup: No Way Out to the highly sensitive character in Between Greetings.
When asked about his diet, he answered that he eats gluten-free pasta paired with chicken breast for breakfast.
Because he has such a deep love for bread and noodle dishes in his everyday life, he felt that he absolutely could not give up carbohydrates even while dieting. It seems he wisely found a compromise by discovering his own alternative meal plans. He also highly recommended the combination of 100% whole wheat bread and high-quality olive oil!
For someone famously known as a potato chip and pizza maniac, maintaining a strict diet is inevitably a lifelong homework assignment. Because he had to immediately jump into filming his next project without a moment's rest, he found himself in a miserable situation where he couldn't freely eat the high-calorie foods he loves so much.
Lee Joon-hyuk's Honest Confessions in Interviews
"There are actors who genuinely don't gain weight no matter what they eat, and I consider that a God-given talent. Han Ji-min can boil and eat three packets of ramen the night before filming, and her face won't swell up at all. When I see that, I feel a sense of relative deprivation... I love snacks so much and I crave them, but since I can't eat them these days, I ended up ordering six boxes of diet protein snacks. ^^"
He also added a harrowing anecdote about how he had to starve himself, eating a mere two meals over the span of two whole days, just to capture a stunning photoshoot. In the process, he shared his personal philosophy regarding the correlation between eating and depression.
♥ "I am 100% certain that if you can eat well, your feelings of depression will disappear. The majority of depression stems from not being able to eat. Eating is what sustained me during my unhappy times, but it feels so ironic that now, because my career is doing well, I can't even eat pizza."
"I also work hard on skincare. It’s not that I enjoy going to the dermatologist, but I go simply to survive."
His habit of working relentlessly on multiple projects without taking a break seems to stem directly from this very solid mindset.
Although he is no longer in a position where he has to anxiously worry about finding his next job like in his past unknown days, he replied that he feels a simple, humble sense of relief first when the public reacts positively to a project he poured his passion into. He appeared completely accustomed to the physical burdens of continuous back-to-back projects and the heavy weight of leading a drama as the main actor.
♥ "I think an actor continuously working on projects is a bit like 'Squid Game'. In the past, I had this fantasy that once I became a star, I would want to rest. I am originally the type of person who likes to fill myself up from the inside, and there was a time when resting felt good. But I think that time has long passed. Since this is my profession, I believe it is only natural to keep working. Of course, there are moments when I feel exhausted. Still, because I have played such diverse roles that give me fresh stimulation, it has become my driving force."
Actor Lee Joon-hyuk never settles for the status quo. He constantly attempts new genres and acting transformations, providing a healthy, positive influence on himself!
Does Actor Lee Joon-hyuk Wait in Line at Restaurants?
Even though he passionately loves eating, he surprisingly shared that he does not enjoy the exhausting "waiting culture" of standing in long lines in front of famous restaurants.
Rather than forcing himself to wait at places everyone else goes to, he much prefers the surprisingly delicious experience of randomly walking into a quiet, undiscovered restaurant that catches his eye. While conversing with entertainer Jang Do-yeon, he mentioned that since most food tastes good to him anyway, who he spends that time with and eats with is far more important than the grandiosity or type of food.
Lee Joon-hyuk's Ideal Type
In the continuing conversation, he finally answered the question the public is likely most curious about: his ideal type!
♥ "I want someone who can laugh together with me."♥ "My ideal type is someone whose comedy code matches well with mine. That is pretty much everything."
He gave a very honest answer, stating that he hopes for a person who perfectly shares his sense of humor when it comes to the small, slightly childish, everyday jokes.
So, we have gone through the honest interview stories of actor Lee Joon-hyuk, who, despite being an incredible gourmand in his daily life, endures hunger and maintains strict diets to showcase the absolute best acting to the public. It really makes me wonder what kind of thoughts you all have after reading this!
It is also said that he will be appearing in the upcoming TVING original drama,
I Work Even If I Win the Lottery! I’m sure there are already many people eagerly anticipating it, right?
Today, we took the time to look back at the incredible journey of actor Lee Joon-hyuk—who is currently active across all genres in the Korean entertainment industry, perfectly digesting everything from sweet romances to gritty action and thrillers with his own unrivaled colors—and summarized his intense self-management secrets.
Thank you so much for reading today's article.
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