Friday Feature: More Model/Actors

We celebrated actors who have made the leap from the runway to the screen in an earlier feature. Now, we offer more thespian eye candy for your viewing pleasure.

So Ji Sub

So Ji Sub started his entertainment career in high school, working as a jeans model (in between a stint on the national water polo team, if the internet is to be believed). Aptly enough, one of his first dramas was “Model”, where he appeared in a supporting role as, you guessed it, a model. While I’m mostly convinced that bad pictures of So Ji Sub do not exist, I am aware that modelling in the 90s probably involved terrible clothing and hair like Joey from “Friends”. Maybe it was for this reason that it took him until 2004 to break out in the weepy drama, “I’m Sorry I Love You” (though, his hair in that is substantially worse). While he’s had a string of hits and misses since then, his profile is high enough that he consistently puts out great photos. Sadly, I’ve yet to see him grace a catwalk, but watching him shoot people in the movie, “A Company Man” came close. – Only 만

Song Jae Rim

In the midst of the anemic acting of the bizarre “Nail Shop Paris”, Song Jae Rim turned in a heart felt and nuanced performance as the second lead, and ended up winning the girl. In the more recent “Surplus Princess”, he served as nothing more than the object of desire of a lusty mermaid who seemed especially fond of his apple bottom. He was also low key in the female-dominated “Unkind Women” though there were loving shots of him topless, and he was given the chance to romance the female lead. Hopefully, in his next drama, Song Jae Rim gets to assert himself as a confirmed male lead. – Junggugeo Kaenada 중국어 캐나다

Gong Hyo Jin

Gong Hyo Jin also got her start in the entertainment industry as a model, and followed that up with a long and varied career as an actor. I’ve seen her in several dramas, though I’ve yet to check out any of her movies, and she is consistently watchable, playing a broad range of characters. She consistently puts out great pictorials, which reflect both her love of fashion and her laid-back style. One thing I like about her photos is that she always seems to be enjoying herself, which, true or not, is a feat in itself. – Only

Kim Young Kwang

I have seen Kim Young Kwang in five K-dramas, “Triple”, “White Christmas”, “Love Rain”, “Can We Get Married?”, “Pinocchio”, and both of his movies, Runway Cop and Hot Young Bloods. So far, he has not made much of an impression on me; it seems that his characters have either been attractive and agreeable young men or chaebols. The only notable exception was Hot Young Bloods, in which he transformed himself into a lovestruck thug. It is this last character that hints at typecasting rather than a lack of range on Kim Young Kwang’s part that is to blame for the rather narrow and bland characters that he has played. – Junggugeo Kaenada

Kang Dong Won

Not technically a K-drama actor since he works exclusively in film, Kang Dong Won started his entertainment career after being scouted as a model in university. He quickly switched to acting, and has spent the last decade building up an impressive portfolio of roles that range across the spectrum. He’s not what I would call traditionally handsome, but his photos are generally interesting to look at, and I can definitely see his appeal. – Only

Lee Kwang Soo

Admittedly, I have only seen Lee Kwang Soo in “Running Man” and “It’s Okay, It’s Love”. In the variety show, he is a hilariously weak competitor who is picked on by the others, and readily resorts to backstabbing. For such an entertainingly goofy guy, Lee Kwang Soo surprised me with his credible depiction of a man suffering from Tourette’s Syndrome in “It’s Okay, It’s Love”. I also found it hard to believe that he is a former model, aside from his height, though Lee Kwang Soo is pretty sultry in this photo. – Junggugeo Kaenada

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Readers: Which model/actor catwalked their way into your heart?

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