Another actor was the first choice for Joo Dan Tae in “Penthouse”: handsome, brilliant as villains, but rejected the offer
Actor Uhm Ki Joon became an icon with “Penthouse”, but he was not the first choice for this role.
The K-drama “Penthouse” used to reign over the Korean small screen with its intense plot and twists. While the series was criticized for its complete nonsense plot points from time to time, its popularity was irrefutable. Through the series, many actors and actresses also exploded with popularity, with Uhm Ki Joon, who played the villain Joo Dan Tae being a prime example.
However, before Uhm Ki Joon assumed this iconic role, the production team of “Penthouse” initially extended their hand to another actor, Shin Sung Rok.
Shin Sung Rok is famous for his dark, cunning, and villainous roles, making him an ideal candidate for the prime villain of “Penthouse”. However, due to overlapping schedules, the actor had no choice but to turn down the offer for “Penthouse” despite really liking the script, and decided to go for another K-drama, “Kairos”.
This handsome actor actually started out as a theatrical actor, before making his debut on the small screen with the 2002 K-drama “Shoot For The Stars”. However, it was not until 2013, when Shin Sung Rok starred as the villain of hit series “My Love From The Star”, that he finally managed to earn attention. The actor then went on to play various iconic antagonist roles, from Kang Do Young in “Liar Game””, Oh Tae Seok in “Return”, to Lee Hyuk in “The Last Empress”.
Nevertheless, Shin Sung Rok remains happy despite missing out on a project as big as “Penthouse”. According to the actor, while “Kairos” wasn’t overwhelmingly successful, it allowed him to show a different side of himself. Sung Rok married a non-celebrity in 2016, and has since been limiting his projects to take care of his family.
Meanwhile, Uhm Ki Joon is also extremely satisfied to play Joo Dan Tae, as the role earned him numerous awards, and brought his name to every Korean household.
Source: K14
