In these cases, viewers don’t find actors rejecting roles regrettable.
Due to various reasons, popular actors turned down even offers from big projects. However, not all rejections make viewers regretful, because of the excellent portrayal of the actors who were eventually cast.
IU
To focus on her singing career, IU has turned down multiple offers from acting projects. IU was once offered to play the female lead in the hit drama “Itaewon Class” alongside Park Seo Joon. But in the end, Kim Da Mi, who was a rookie at the time, was given the part and needless to say, she nailed it. Many viewers also think that IU’s sweet and lovely image may not be very compatible with a rebellious, feisty character like the one in “Itaewon Class”.
Park Bo Gum
The role of Son Oh Gong in the drama “A Korean Odyssey” marked Lee Seung Gi’s long-awaited comeback after 2 years of enlistment. Lee Seung Gi’s flawless portrayal made viewers mistakenly think he was the first choice to lead the drama. While in fact, the role was originally meant for Park Bo Gum. However, most viewers did not feel regret that Park Bo Gum skipped “A Korean Odyssey” because his appearance and acting style don’t seem to match Son Oh Gong’s edgy and witty charm that well.
Song Joong Ki
Song Joong Ki has turned down many casting offers in his career, most notably Netflix’s “Kingdom”. Rumors had it that he didn’t join the cast of “Kingdom” in order to focus on wedding preparations with Song Hye Kyo. Netflix then cast Joo Ji Hoon, which has later been proved to be the right decision because “Kingdom” became a massive hit that revived Joo Ji Hoon’s reputation. Although viewers felt sorry for Song Joong Ki for missing out on such a successful project, they also believed Joo Ji Hoon is a better fit for Crown Prince Lee Chang than Song Joong Ki.
Song Hye Kyo
Before calling it quits with Song Joong Ki, Song Hye Kyo was confirmed to take on the female lead role in “Hyena”, which was expected to be her biggest on-screen transformation into a fierce character in a legal drama, something she had never done before.
But about a month later, amid the shocking divorce news, Song Hye Kyo announced to withdraw from the cast of “Hyena” and she was later replaced by Kim Hye Soo. After watching “Hyena”, many viewers expressed their relief that Song Hye Kyo dropped out of the drama because in terms of acting and charisma, no one could have done a better job than Kim Hye Soo.
