The recent projects of these actors were expected to achieve more success.
Names like Gong Yoo, Lee Min Ho, Lee Dong Wook,… are all top-tier actors of Korea’s entertainment industry. However, the impact of dramas and movies they starred in within the last few years somewhat fell short of expectations.
1. Gong Yoo
Gong Yoo is known to have a good eye when picking scripts. The majority of productions he appeared in are all massive hits, such as Train To Busan, Goblin,… With his excellent acting skills and charisma, Gong Yoo almost never disappoints the audience whenever he makes a comeback.
However, in 2021, with his return to the screen in Seobok and The Silent Sea, Gong Yoo did not achieve as much success as expected. Although the results of Seobok and The Silent Sea on the box office and Netflix rankings were not bad, they were not excellent either, especially for a top star like Gong Yoo.
The viewers’ reactions to both Seobok and The Silent Sea were not explosive, which is understandable because the plots of both productions are neither as public friendly nor high-rated as Gong Yoo’s previous works.
2. Lee Dong Wook
After having a successful comeback in Goblin as the second male lead, Lee Dong Wook continued to draw keen attention with his leading roles in Touch Your Heart, Stranger From Hell, Tale Of The Nine Tailed.
However, in 2021, Lee Dong Wook’s mystery action drama Bad And Crazy failed to earn high viewership ratings, even though it also starred Squid Game breakout star Wi Ha Joon. The average nationwide rating of around 3% was considered a disappointment and a downgrade from Lee Dong Wook’s previous series.
3. Lee Min Ho
Lee Min Ho is undoubtedly one of the most popular Korean actors, not only within Korea but also across Asia. He is the star of some of the most iconic K-dramas such as The Heirs, Boys Over Flowers, etc. However, his recent dramas failed to leave such a lasting impact.
From Legend Of The Blue Sea to The King: Eternal Monarch, these dramas attracted much attention in the early episodes but could not keep its charm and make the audience impressed until the end. Part of the reason is Lee Min Ho’s acting, which is said to be the same across dramas with no striking changes.
This year, Lee Min Ho will take on a villain role for the first time in Pachinko. Therefore, he is expected to show a brand new side of him as an actor through this upcoming show. Hopefully, Pachinko will achieve much success for Lee Min Ho to cement his status as a top K-drama star.
4. Yoo Seung Ho
Yoo Seung Ho gained huge attention and impressed the viewers after starring in “Remember”, “The Emperor: Owner Of the Mask”, “I’m Not A Robot”, etc.
However, Yoo Seung Ho’s recent works were not as successful as the previous ones because the actor seems to be consistent with only familiar images. Dramas, such as “My Strange Hero”, “Memorist”, and most recently drama “Moonshine” didn’t leave much impression on the audiences.
If Yoo Seung Ho tries to challenge himself with more complicated characters, such as villains, or tricky stories, he might regain his popularity rapidly.
5. Ji Chang Wook
Many drama fans say they recently feel regret for Ji Chang Wook the most. He used to attract huge attention with his excellent performances in “Empress Ki”, “Healer”, “Suspicious Partner”, etc.
However, it seems like viewers’ responses for Ji Chang Wook have decreased a lot ever since “Backstreet Rookie” and “Lovestruck In The City”. The two mentioned dramas failed to make big hits despite the actor’s reputation.
The actor’s poor performance might have resulted from his choices of scripts. Many viewers pointed out that Ji Chang Wook’s recent works were too simple, easy, and lacked highlights, so they couldn’t help the actor show off his acting skills.
6. Park Bo Gum
The last name on this list is actor Park Bo Gum. He once created huge crazes after starring in “Reply 1988”, “Love In The Moonlight”, etc.
However, after getting involved in the controversy over Song Hye Kyo and Song Joong Ki’s divorce, Park Bo Gum seems to have lost the heat of his name.
Some people believed that the actor’s reputation was negatively affected by the divorce of Song-Song Couple. However, many audiences pointed out that it was the boring scripts that caused the actor’s popularity to drop despite his impressive acting.
Some of Park Bo Gum’s“unsuccessful” works were “Encounter”, “Record of Youth”, and “Seobok”. However, with his amazing skills, Park Bo Gum is expected to retrieve his hot popularity with more high-quality projects.
Above are actors who are said to have become less popular than they used to be. Their poor performances can be explained by many different reasons, from uninteresting scripts to boring acting, or just because they were unlucky. However, since they are all actors whose acting skills have already been recognized by the public, they definitely can reclaim their status with more impressive performances.
