Lee Min Ho ♥ 이민호 ♥ ィミンホ ♥ 李敏鎬 Pachinko Season 2 Aug 23 on Apple TV+; Upcoming Drama 2024: Ask the Stars; Upcoming movie 2025: Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint

[Guest prosperity]

leeminholic said: @prosperity by any chance u the same person from joonni's blog just curoius

[Guest leeminholic]

@prosperity nice am happy I found you here too so true world is a small village. Am just so excited seeing someone I know even if we never interacted before.

[Guest shewoonmoon]

Lee Min Ho Interview: The Man who wants to be a better guy as he grows older

Lee Min Ho is the type of guy that thinks that Love at first sight can be so powerful that can be so blinding when one is not too careful. That kind of love is what Lee Min Ho’s character, Kim Tan, showed and expressed for the SBS drama, “The Heirs”. He admitted that he somewhat resembles the character, but honestly, he says he has such tendencies when it comes to love. Lee Min Ho’s thought is that, as long as a man is sincere with all his heart, it can be seen through his eyes.

But then we thought, everything can’t be seen just in the eyes because people tend to be very pretentious. We asked Lee Min Ho on what are his sincere thoughts on the different views of love compared to his role as Kim Tan.

Finally, lee Min Ho decided to grant us a chance to see a glimpse of him in an interview.

Before taking the role as a high school student for “The Heirs”, Lee Min Ho was actually nervous and worried at first, as he thinks that playing as a high school student at his age won’t be very easy. He even asks himself “Will I be alright?” and answers himself in a loud voice with, “I’ll be just fine!”. Despite all his worries, he successfully portrayed his role as Kim Tan and of course, reporters would like to know more about his thoughts now that the drama successfully ended.  The interview went casual and comfortable which made Lee Min Ho very relaxed.

Q: How have you been after the drama?

LEE MIN HO: I cannot sleep properly for days. I have been experiencing insomnia since the drama ended.

Q: Why can’t you sleep well? After the drama, it seems like you’ve lost much weight.

LEE MIN HO:I actually don’t know why. I have lost about 5kg. But I naturally tend to lose weight while I am playing a role in the drama.

Q: Because of the viewers’ reaction toward the hit drama, “The Heirs” left an impression wherein men were perceived to be like the characters in the drama, what do you think about it?

LEE MIN HO: In the first place, I know that I will be chosen to play the role in the drama. (Laughs) However, now that the drama ended, I often think about Kim Tan’s character and it really was genuine.  All the words that Kim Tan has said to his girlfriend in the drama are very genuine like when Kim Tan said, “Let’s just go straight forward”, and “From now on, I like you. This is sincere.” But in reality, it might actually be really hard for any men to express those thoughts to their girlfriends. But when we think about it, those words should really be expressed by people who have extreme and pure love to their girlfriends or boyfriends.

Q: Actually, your character who shows love for Eunsang is okay, however, Kim Tan who passionately loves his brother is a bit different. don’t you think?

LEE MIN HO: Ah! This is absolutely not my style when it comes to treating my hyungs (laughs). But then if I have a hyung (brother/senior) that I truly like, then maybe I can be something like that. What’s a bit shocking though is when I gave my brother in drama, played by Choi Jin Hyuk, a back hug! (laughs). While shooting this scene, we had a lot of NGs (not good) so we had to re-take over and over again. The hugging since then, became habitual.

Q:  Though the drama has successfully ended, however, there was actually something to worry about at first. Your role in “The Heirs” is almost similar to your role in “Boys over Flowers”. But why did you still take that role? What do you think about it?

LEE MIN HO:Kim Eun Sook, the screenwriter of “The Heirs” told me that I will play a role of a rich Highschooler. I actually thought that I have already played that role in “Boys over Flowers” as Jun Pyo. But then, I believe that Kim Eun Sook is a good screenwriter, so I thought it was “good” and started with the project. Last year, I thought of not accepting any acting projects. But, it has changed. I realized that I want to work more before I reach the age of 30. I thought that it would not be a bad idea showing another high school boy side of myself (in drama “The Heirs”) before my 20s end. I thought, once time goes by, you can’t turn it back. I love this job. And I believe that I can show more skills in this project and I want to learn more. We’ve put a lot of effort in this project and I didn’t have any regrets taking it. By the way, playing a role as a rich person is not unusual to me. Playing a role of a rich person is cool because I can possess a lot of money. (Laughs).

Q: So Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho) would rather let EunSang (Park Shin Hye) borrow 50,000 won? (Laughs).

LEE MIN HO: Of course. (Laughs).

Q: The screenwriter, Kim Eun Sook, made a famous character in Kim Tan’s image. How do you think you resemble with Kim Tan’s character?

LEE MIN HO: (Thinking) Can you give me more time to think? (Laughs) Maybe, rivalries?

Q: “I Need Romance” screenwriter, Jung Hyun Jung, had a post on Twitter about your acting ability and praised you. He said that you have acted very well and you were able to express deep sadness in your character and you didn’t seem so nervous while acting on it. As Kim Tan, you have showed deep emotions and grief.  

LEE MIN HO: Kim Tan had deep emotions and pain when he was sent to United States and lived there. Though he lived like a happy-go-lucky guy, he still had sadness deep inside. When he went back to Korea, he thought that the pain would lessen but, there were still a lot of problems. In reality, my high school life is almost the same as Kim Tan’s. I also had problems as well as with the joyful side. That’s why I enjoyed playing his role. It is an advantage to me. But eventually, I think the main feelings and emotions of Kim Tan shouldn’t be missed.

Q: What was the happiest moment you had while in the drama?

LEE MIN HO: It is when I practice surfing before the drama had started. It’s because I really don’t like swimming that much, so surfing had been really fun to do. We practice every day from morning until we get the perfect shot for the scene. In my 27 years of existence, I haven’t experienced surfing. I guess that time was a really good chance for me to try it.

Q: Are you quite good at it now?

LEE MIN HO: So so. I’m not so good at it yet. I’m still practicing. It’s different because I used to practice when I was in the United States at Huntington Beach in California. The waves are different. It’s like great waves in the washing machine. Back in Korea, I practice it at Yangyang beach.

Q: The filming of your next action movie (Yoo Ha’s Gangnam Blues) is not yet finished. Are you preparing for it?

LEE MIN HO: We will start filming in March 2014, so I will go to an action school for utmost preparation. Director Yooha wanted to film the last piece of this action trilogy well so I really want to prepare ahead of time. (Not very much worried about injury) as long as I do not injure my face.

Q: What are the significant changes after filming “The Heirs”?

LEE MIN HO: Somehow, I thought of trying to love once again. Even though I would like to have that kind of love that Kim Tan had, I don’t know how to express it. However, while working for this drama, I realized, “Oh that’s how love is.” Our screenwriter, Kim Eun Sook, wants me to express that powerful feeling. That pure and genuine love. Everyone is dreaming for that kind of love. This kind of circumstance can make one nervous but if you continue to view love like this, you wouldn’t want to let it slip. As I grow older, it makes me think “why not take the chance?”

Q: So, are you in love with somebody now?

LEE MIN HO: Nobody.  None. I’m pretty sure of that.  Maybe at around 35, I would like to get married and have the kind of love similar to Kim Tan’s. I think I should meet more people to be able to do this.

Q: So, do you want to start being in love?

LEE MIN HO: I want to experience love at first sight. If I found that person, then I think I want to be in love. Even if I cannot say “I like you” frankly (laughs), it seems like I still can express how much I feel.  Actually, before, I couldn’t easily express my feelings out of embarrassment. And also, to my fans, I cannot express well how much I love them all. But, until this very moment, I am still looking for a way on how to express my feelings. Indeed, in the past, every time I hear such stories, I would always want to avoid it. But now, I can honestly express my feelings and emotions.

Q: Then this time, I will start a conversation as if we are in a drinking session (laughs).

LEE MIN HO: Right! Actually, I cannot really drink too much alcohol right now like champagne, wine or beer. Two to three cups of alcohol is enough to make me tipsy.

Q: If you’re out on a drinking session and one question should be answered, to Lee Min Ho, what is the weight of the crown of being a star?

LEE MINHO: Whenever I meet my fans, there are words that were always memorable to me like “Thank you so much for bringing this drama piece to us.” Before, while I was filming the drama “City hunter”, I’ve realized many things about how some roles are sometimes similar to how real people experience. Especially when I did the drama “The Faith”, I’ve seen a lot of people who loved my character here. So I think, my job as an actor is not just acting or making people entertained, but more on giving hope and courage to people as an actor and by means of the roles I portray. Some things get better with age, the things you were crazy for in your 20s might become something less interesting and happy a couple of years after. For me, the weight of the crown of being a star? It’s living your everyday life simply with freedom but still, always have to consider how I would affect other people’s lives.

Q:  Christmas just ended. How did you spend your Christmas holiday?

LEE MINHO: I spent a lot of time talking to my older sister and some friends of mine. I also called some of my close middle school classmates back then to just catch up. These days, my emotional state is quite stressed, so I would always want to tell myself “Fighting!” and get some 6~7 months rest.

Q:  Well, you are more of the quiet type, right?

LEE MINHO: Well yes I am, but, there are a few times in a year wherein there are days that I want more action and excitement. So then generally, I can’t stay calm and quiet all the time.

Q:  Back when you were in middle school, are all your friends boys?

LEE MINHO: Yes. I never had close friends who are girls because I don’t think such thing as a “close girl friend” exists. There will be always a tendency that you’ll start liking her and end up breaking that friendly relationship. Like with Son Ye Jin noona, we only contact each other two or three times a year.

Q: But then, the love chemistry between you and Park Shin Hye in the drama “The Heirs” was so good. How come that there’s no dating rumor that came out?

LEE MINHO: After filming our intimate kissing scene, we also heard rumors but not about our relationship. The rumors were more on like “There’s nothing much in it.” (kissing scene), and we’re just like “What?!”. (laughs)

Q: Rumors around were saying that the chemistry between you and Park Shin Hye is quite good. But Kim Tan has so much people around him that can build such chemistry too. Like his older brother and his mom. Who do you think you have the best chemistry with?

LEE MINHO: Seong Ryung mom! I think we look the best together. The love between Tan and his mother is very adorable. I can almost compare their chemistry with the one I had with Kim Hee Sun noona. What I mean is like, a baby-like couple? As men grow older, a woman becomes more attractive when she has baby-like features and character. I would like to have someone like that. (Laughs)

Q: How do you differentiate your experience playing a role in “Boys Over Flowers” wherein you were much amateur compared to now?

LEE MINHO: Well, there are several differences of course because in “Boys Over Flowers” when there were just four us, felt like we’re just common friends and we’re very relaxed. Now that I’ve matured, it feels a little different but I am still thankful that the mood between our relationships has gotten better.

Q:  We heard that you’re no longer taking Literature Art classes anymore, is that right?

LEE MINHO:  Yeah, I think it would be the last one, really! Well, except when I feel the need to wear some uniform then.

Q: How do you find working with Kim Woo Bin?

LEE MINHO: At first we have this scene wherein we shall stand face-to-face as two of the most powerful guys in school. We have to make intense eye contacts and by then I thought “I think our love triangle with Eun Sang will work so well.” He was overflowing with energy and charm.

Q: It’s undeniable that your popularity is very huge in China. Don’t you have any plans working overseas?

LEE MINHO: First, I would like to focus on activities within Korea. I’m Korean, after all. I’m receiving so much love overseas so after my local activities, I will definitely consider working more outside Korea.

Q: Finally, for Lee Min Ho, how would you think about acting?

LEE MINHO: I think I’m still working on my confidence. At my age which is over 20, I would like to break something new in terms of the art of acting. I think every actor in the age of their 20s is also still in the process of working on their self-confidence Translation: koreandrama.com

[adamfever]

guadi said:
I think doing action won't be as big of a challenge for him because he seems more at ease with actions. I'm interested to see how he's able to emote, etc... One of the interviewers said, his style of acting suits more for the big screen than small screen, because he doesn't do exaggerated acting. His approach is more natural. That question was really interesting, there's another one done recently that talks about his acting style too, and it is quite insightful. Sadly, I haven't come across English translation; so I don't want to summarize it because I might miss a lot of the meaning behind that conversation. His written interviews are always interesting to read  

[adamfever]

moonrain said: one more:
http://m.star.naver.com/minho/news/end?id=2139323
hope this can be translated...think its saying that Hollywood is eyeing him...

[Kris Silva]

can't stop staring at these gifs of our handsome Oppa ...   :-*


and this... an innocent touching of the lips, but I find it very seductive. 
cr: http://the-inheritors.tumblr.com/

[adamfever]

Maja said: [starcast] Life graph of Lee Min Ho, “Actor’s job is to give hope and courage”

Lee Min Ho’s positive mindset can also be observed from the life line he drew. The drama ‘Run Mackerel’ he starred after recovering from the injury was an unfortunate drama that ended in 8 episodes. Despite the fact, Lee Min Ho didn’t say it was a misfortune. Rather, he said, “The drama was a great experience and lesson.”
#Lee Min Ho as a child?
 

Lee Min Ho’s life graph during his childhood is also interesting. He picked his first peak in his life as the period during his ‘soccer dream team’. As known by many, Lee Min Ho was considered as a rising soccer star and was selected to be on highly competitive soccer class of Cha Bum Keun. It is told that his desire for winning was so great that he wailed when he lost a game. At age of 12, however, he broke his arm during a game. Because of his father’s intend to let Lee Min Ho study rather than play soccer in addition to the injury, Lee Min Ho stopped playing soccer and spent a “normal” childhood.

[Guest guadi]

January 5th marks the 5th Anniversary of Boys Before Flowers. For a lot of international viewers, this show is their gateway to Kdramas. BOF was not my first Korean drama, but it was the show that introduced me to this adorable dork whose acting is incredibly intoxicating, capitvating + all related adjectives. I love Gu Jun-pyo because of the way LMH portrayed this character, so here's one of my GJP moments

 He always looks good in blue :x

[adamfever]

guadi said: January 5th marks the 5th Anniversary of Boys Before Flowers. For a lot of international viewers, this show is their gateway to Kdramas. BOF was not my first Korean drama, but it was the show that introduced me to this adorable dork whose acting is incredibly intoxicating, capitvating + all related adjectives. I love Gu Jun-pyo because of the way LMH portrayed this character, so here's one of my GJP moments

[Kris Silva]

@guadi,  thanks for that great post. I also discovered LMH in BOF but I actually fell in love with him in City Hunter. Is it just me, or does LMH look younger or more boyish in his recent photo (Heirs) than BOF days ?    

[Guest guadi]

More Gu Jun Pyo  

His profile :x I love his ahjumma hair too )

(cr. via LMH Gall)

Hehehehehehe - from Mackerel Run =))

[Guest guadi]

hahahahaha @adamfever - I love his hair. I can't picture GJP without his famous curls ) Didn't you say you watched the show because of the fashion? How did you find them in that show? 

Like this famous fur =))

(cr. bofscreens via tumblr)
@Kris Silva - he definitely looks younger today than in BOF. Maybe the perm made him look older. Some people usually look older with curls; I know I do.
I made a mistake of watching the first episode of U.S. BOF today "Boys Before Friends". OMG, you guysssss, don't watch it. It's terrible. 

[Kris Silva]

guadi said: hahahahaha @adamfever - I love his hair. I can't picture GJP without his famous curls ) Didn't you say you watched the show because of the fashion? How did you find them in that show? 
@Kris Silva - he definitely looks younger today than in BOF. Maybe the perm made him look older. Some people usually look older with curls; I know I do.
I made a mistake of watching the first episode of U.S. BOF today "Boys Before Friends". OMG, you guysssss, don't watch it. It's terrible. 

[Kris Silva]

What a difference a year makes. Check out this video (cr. to Say Yes) which shows a short clip of Minho's 2012 SBS awards speech and a nice compilation of Minho's happy moments during the 2013 SBS awards. His cheeks must be hurting from all the smiling he did that night...I'm so happy for him.     

[mademoisellesia]

cr: DC (logo)
---
One of the things I did like about BOF (as compared to the other versions) are the sports they chose to compete with. Riding a horse seems so much more classy for their rich status than Meteor Garden's basketball match and Hana Yori Dango's ... I actually forgot the J-version now. Someone remind me, please? )

@adamfever
I wish I could help you regarding Faith but in my memory, every single time daejang reminisces his past with Mae Hee it was always a sad look / moment so I can only remember him giving out sad eyes and not young eyes. :-/ Isn't it faster to go back to the video and look at them? I had gone to watch ep4 where he tells Gongmin his story, again, sad eyes so I have no idea which scene from which episode he's talking about. Ep9 when he remembered Mae Hee it's also a sad one. Then other times it was him unconscious and it goes back to him practicing with her at the tree so again, how to look young? He better not be talking about a cut scene X(

[alesia44]

adamfever said:

btw, there are some questions related to that tenasia interview that I wanted to ask a long time ago (in red), i hope someone can answer me. THANKS.

1)

Let’s talk about when you were a rookie actor. The truth is that you never had to face controversy over your acting. I heard that you’d been complimented since day one on your job.

Lee: Not at all. Directors scolded me so much when I was young.

[Guest Moonrain]

sia3 said: cr: DC (logo)
---
One of the things I did like about BOF (as compared to the other versions) are the sports they chose to compete with. Riding a horse seems so much more classy for their rich status than Meteor Garden's basketball match and Hana Yori Dango's ... I actually forgot the J-version now. Someone remind me, please? )

@adamfever
I wish I could help you regarding Faith but in my memory, every single time daejang reminisces his past with Mae Hee it was always a sad look / moment so I can only remember him giving out sad eyes and not young eyes. :-/ Isn't it faster to go back to the video and look at them? I had gone to watch ep4 where he tells Gongmin his story, again, sad eyes so I have no idea which scene from which episode he's talking about. Ep9 when he remembered Mae Hee it's also a sad one. Then other times it was him unconscious and it goes back to him practicing with her at the tree so again, how to look young? He better not be talking about a cut scene X(

[Guest Moonrain]

By the way, i may be late in saying this but don't you guys notice that Lee Min Ho gives out the vibe of being somewhat intelligent...he answers very well and his speeches are great. Maybe its scripted but i kinda think its spontaneous too.
oh well, he's just so perfect :x :\"> (excuse me, fangirling here)

[alesia44]

@adamfever
If you want to know more about Lee Minho, try read his old interview with Ten Asia below

[sTAR DIARY] Lee Minho Part 1

Lee Min-ho showed up at a cafe in Seoul's Cheongdam-dong area to be interviewed for "Star Diary," looking no different from the newcomer actor he had been before he took on "Boys Over Flowers." Lee, who smiles and remarks that he "took a little break from the drama and shot a commercial today," looked more like an ordinary young man than a top star.

Lee Min-ho is making a comeback to the small screen with "Personal Taste" exactly a year since wrapping up "Boys Over Flowers." There were many changes in his life during that year -- he has become an undeniable A-lister, shooting over ten commercials, but his newfound fame also meant less freedom. He does not seem to mind it too much though.

"I was totally into skiing this winter. I think I went skiing like ten times." How was he able to enjoy skiing freely at the ski resort, which is full of people? "Nobody recognized me because I was wearing goggles and a mask. I went twice with Bum [as in actor Kim Bum], who I became close with during 'Boys Over Flowers.' It was his first time skiing but he's very athletic so he learned quickly."

While most young people enjoy snowboarding these days, Lee is sticking to skiing. "I'm the kind of person who enjoys speed more than technique, like going fast in straight descent. Haha."

But he got caught by fans a few times. "There's nothing you can do about lunchtime. When one person sees and recognizes me, then all the fans at the ski resort start looking for Lee Min-ho. Word on the color of my skiwear and the shape of my goggles spread instantly. Once I was walking down the stairs, and I heard people walking up and saying 'I heard Lee Min-ho came here today.'" (laugh)

It was around his freshman year in high school when Lee Min-ho first thought about taking up acting. "It was a means to get into college, maybe? (laugh) I was working as a model for magazines and decided to try acting after meeting my current boss. I started going to auditions regularly after I got accepted to Konkuk University as a film arts major. After a few rejections, I was cast in the EBS drama 'Secret Campus' where I made my acting debut."

He has a lot of memories about "Secret Campus" as it was his first real acting job. "It was where I first met [actress Park] Bo-young who is now one of my best friends. My character was very brusque so it wasn't too hard to play him, but I didn't really know anything about acting back then. When I had to shoot a fight scene, I would really fight. I even broke a finger and had to put a cast on it. Haha. EBS played re-runs of "Secret Campus" up until last year but I turned the channel because I could see that I was so stiff in it. I am not the kind of person who can watch my own work."

Click these links to continue to the next parts

[sTAR DIARY] Lee Minho Part 2

[sTAR DIARY] Lee Minho Part 3

[sTAR DIARY] Lee Minho Part 4

[sTAR DIARY] Lee Minho Part 5

[sTAR DIARY] Lee Minho Part 6

[sTAR DIARY] Lee Minho Part 7

[sTAR DIARY] Lee Minho Part 8

[sTAR DIARY] Lee Minho Part 9

[sTAR DIARY] Lee Minho Part 10 (END)

[Guest lily83]

Oh so today is BOF anniversary, congratulations then. I've just finish it last nite, now I want to continue with another work of him. Any idea what to choose Faith or CH first ?