Lee Jun Ho used to be largely known to be a doppelganger of Bi Rain. However, he has since shedded this cover and become the Best Leading Actor at the prestigious 2022 Baeksang Arts Awards.
At the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards hosted on May 6th, 2022, Lee Jun Ho was crowned Best Actor in a drama series. With his outstanding performance in the hit period drama “The Red Sleeve”, Lee Jun Ho has become the first idol-actor to win Best Actor at this prestigious award ceremony.
Taking the mic, Lee Jun Ho described himself as a dreamer who hoped that he’d win, but never expected such wishes to come true. To surpass big names like Lee Jung Jae (Squid Game), Kim Nam Gil (Through The Darkness), Jung Hae In (D.P), and Im Si Wan (Tracer) was simply something unimaginable.
In his speech, the idol-actor also sent his best regards to his fans for their huge support, saying: “As a member of 2PM and as the actor Lee Jun Ho, I feel extremely honored to be loved by all of you”. He also promised to work even harder in the future.
Alongside being crowned the Best Actor, Lee Jun Ho also won the Tiktok Popularity Award, which proves his outstanding number of fans.
Looking back at how the idol-actor has started, fans can’t help but be overcome with pride. When Lee Jun Ho first debuted, he was mostly known for being a look-alike with Kpop star Bi Rain, due to similar facial features and his iconic monoliths. People also compared the two’s positions – with both being strong dancers.
However, despite his skills and charms, Lee Jun Ho wasn’t the most popular in 2PM, losing to many members like Nickhun, Ok Taecyeon, and Woo Young.
It was only after having his acting debut that Jun Ho truly shined. With natural acting abilities and convincing expressions, the idol could stand alongside the most seasoned co-stars like Han Hyo Joo in “Cold Eyes”, Kim Woo Bin and Kang Ha Neul in “Twenty”, Nam Goong Min in “Chief Kim”, and Won Jin Ah in “Just Between Lovers”. His popularity soon extended to outside Korea, and Jun Ho became an iconic name in Japan as well.
Overtime, Jun Ho’s acting has only improved, being able to star in a wide variety of genres and portray a great diversity of roles, from modern to historical, from comedy to tragedy, and from romance to serious investigation.
In the near future, Lee Jun Ho will star alongside idol-actress Im Yoona in the upcoming romance-comedy “King The Land”. The series will be a classic rich guy – poor girl story with its own twists and charms. While there’s no telling how this couple’s chemistry will be just yet, many viewers are already getting visual shocks from imagining the two in the same frame.
