“Until a few days ago, it didn’t feel real, but now people are starting to recognize me offline.”
Actor Lee Hyo-je (22) spoke with a cautious smile. With the Netflix original ‘Girigo’ hitting #1 globally and receiving an explosive response, Lee, one of the five friends in the series, is now in the spotlight. DMs are flooding into his social media accounts, and more people are recognizing him on the street. Known as a “complete child actor,” Lee Hyo-je has successfully made a name for himself through ‘Girigo,’ moving beyond just playing someone’s younger self.
Lee debuted in 2014 with the movie ‘We Are Brothers.’ He then appeared in major films like ‘The Throne’ (2015), ‘The Priests’ (2015), and ‘Vanishing Time’ (2016), playing the younger versions of stars like So Ji-sub and Gang Dong-won. While he was noted for his solid acting skills as a “specialist in playing top actors’ younger selves,” he faced a difficult transition into adulthood.
Hundreds of failed auditions and long gaps followed. Lee described ‘Girigo’ as something he found “at the edge of a cliff.”
“There was a time when I had so few projects that I wondered if I should stop acting. I felt skeptical about having started so young. I failed many final auditions, and after hundreds of rejections, I told myself, ‘I’ll struggle until the end of this year, and if it doesn’t work, I just don’t have the talent.'”
It was with that mindset of letting go that he auditioned for ‘Girigo.’ Director Park Yoon-seo had contacted him after seeing his performance in the movie ‘Concrete Utopia.’ When he practiced the script, he felt freedom instead of pressure.
“I think the thought of ‘I have to do well’ actually made me more nervous. Since I thought it was my last chance, I felt like ‘I can do anything.’ I kept telling myself to do it without regrets, and then I was cast. When I got the notification, it felt so unreal, like a dream. I was so happy I almost cried. It felt like I was being compensated for all the time I’d spent waiting.”
Gaining 24kg in just a month and a half…
In ‘Girigo,’ Lee Hyo-je plays Choi Young-wook, a playful and ordinary high school student who loves hanging out with friends. He is the first to discover the mysterious ‘Girigo’ app and makes a wish as a joke, only to be controlled by a ghost and meet a tragic end. His death becomes the trigger that turns the peaceful Seorin High School into a bloody scene of a curse.
When casting Lee, the director requested weight gain. Lee gained 24kg in exactly one and a half months, exceeding the 20kg requested by the director.
“I’ve always been a good eater. I thought I had a constitution where I didn’t gain weight easily, but it turns out I was wrong (laughs). I used to eat a lot only during meals and stop when I felt full. But to gain weight, I’d order Rose Tteokbokki as soon as I woke up, and for lunch, Rose Jjimdak with extra Chinese glass noodles. I think I spent 3 to 4 times more on delivery fees than usual. If I felt like I could fit one more piece of kimbap after 30 minutes, I’d eat again. At first, I focused on expanding my stomach.”
As his body changed, everything changed. His range of motion decreased, his breathing changed, and even tying his shoelaces while standing became difficult, let alone while sitting. However, he says those changes helped complete the character.
“I liked that my image changed. I think the character came to life because of that. As I gained weight, my muscle mass also increased, and it felt like I was finding my actual body type. I realized I had been too skinny before.”
After filming ended, he lost 7kg in a week to prepare for his next project, SBS’s ‘Taxi Driver 3.’ He has now lost about 20kg and is showing off his handsome visuals once again.
“I should live like Young-wook”… A character he dove into with method acting
Lee Hyo-je strove to resemble Young-wook not just in appearance but also internally. Instead of his usual cautious and serious self, he said, “I lived like the cheerful Young-wook, who doesn’t care what others think.” He even confessed that as a side effect, he was teased for “laughing too flippantly” even after filming ended.
He also looked into the games and anime Young-wook enjoyed. Starting with ‘Jujutsu Kaisen,’ he dove into the world of ‘Demon Slayer,’ and he completed a one-month process of clearing the game ‘Skul’ in just two weeks.
“The story of the game Skul was so sad it made me cry. It’s a story about a prince who becomes a skeleton while trying to save the Demon King. I’ve always liked collecting figures, but I didn’t like it when others saw, so I didn’t watch anime. But for Young-wook, I memorized lines and studied the movements that appear in the anime.”
Ghosts on set? “I had sleep paralysis twice”
Fitting for a horror drama, there were strange experiences on set. During filming at a closed high school in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, he experienced sleep paralysis twice.
“After the first day of filming, I was lying down and had sleep paralysis. I thought, ‘I need to wake up,’ but my body wouldn’t move and my voice wouldn’t come out. At that moment, a long black figure suddenly lunged at me, and I snapped awake.”
Even more surprising were the lights he saw on set. The structure only allowed electricity in the main building, yet lights were on on the 3rd floor of the new building where there should have been no power.
“The moment I noticed it, the curtains closed and the lights went out. I was so shocked I couldn’t even check. I only remembered it after the show was released, and when I said, ‘I think it was a ghost,’ everyone got goosebumps. It turns out other actors also experienced sleep paralysis at least once.”
“Seniors So Ji-sub and Park Hae-il, whom I want to meet again”
Working with renowned actors from a young age became a valuable asset for him. In particular, So Ji-sub and Park Hae-il are seniors who remain deep in his heart. When asked which seniors he wants to meet again, he immediately named So Ji-sub and Park Hae-il.
“Senior So Ji-sub took care of my birthday even after filming ended and contacted me every New Year. Since I told him I like figures, he even bought me some. From senior Park Hae-il, I learned the attitude and mindset toward child actors. While filming the movie ‘The Last Princess,’ he came to watch me act even when he didn’t have any scenes. He told me he used my performance to supplement his own character. I felt that’s something I should learn.”
Lee Hyo-je is someone who never gave up on his dream of being an actor even during times of frustration. While he hoped to establish himself by focusing only on acting, he recently took a leave of absence from school to find healthy hobbies, practicing judo and drums in his spare time.
When asked what wish he would make if the ‘Girigo’ app actually existed, his answer was once again ‘acting.’
“Even if I were to be cursed under the same conditions, if the wish comes true, I want the people around me to be happy. And if I don’t die, I want to keep acting until the very end. I want to do it consistently.”
