Kim Bum, Yoo In Na, Hwang In Yeop, and Kim Min Kyu shine as supporting actors but struggle to define themselves with leading roles.
Kim Bum
Kim Bum is a top star who rose to stardom thanks to “Boys Over Flowers” which rode the Hallyu wave at the time. Be it the high school-themed drama or the family sitcom “High Kick!”, the actor’s performance managed to overshine the leading characters’ performances.
However, after receiving new offers to play lead roles, he has been struggling for a long time. Some series were mild successes, while others were virtually unknown. His most recent dramas, “Law School” and “Ghost Doctor”, were not as much of a hit as expected. It was only when Kim Bum stars in two seasons of “Tale of the Nine Tailed” that he manages to attract more attention to himself and the name “Kim Bum” starts to be recognized.
Yoo In Na
Yoo In Na derived initial recognition from “High Kick Through the Roof” and was shot to stardom thanks to “Goblin”. Despite being second leads, Yoo In Na and Lee Dong Wook gained a much bigger spotlight than the main couple Kim Go Eun and Gong Yoo. Nonetheless, when they reunited as the lead couple in “Touch Your Heart”, their performances and romance could not bring about an impressive rating for the series.
“Bora! Deborah” suffered the same situation. The drama could barely hit the 1% mark.
Hwang In Yeop
Hwang In Yeop became famous thanks to “True Beauty” and gained recognition after several years of acting. Fans thought he could build a career on that initial success. However, the actor could not reach new heights as the male lead in “Why Her”. Through this drama, Hwang In Yeop started showing shortcomings in his acting that needed improvement. Most notably, actor Hwang struggled to express different shades of emotions, falling short of the audience’s expectations.
Kim Min Kyu
Kim Min Kyu shone as secretary Cha in “Business Proposal” and became a sought-after name in the entertainment industry. Recently, he made a comeback with “The Heavenly Idol”. Contrary to expectations, the drama could not go beyond the highest rating of the first episode and was criticized for questionable character-building. The actor himself was also under criticism for poor acting performance.
Source: Hancinema
