Lee Dong-wook Opens Up about Considering Retirement Due to Slump, How Gong Yoo Helped Him Through
On Feb 6th, a live broadcast was held. Lee Dong-wook, who starred in the Disney+ original series “A Shop For Killers,” appeared as a guest.
During the live broadcast, Lee Dong-wook confessed, “I didn’t leave the house for about a month after experiencing a severe slump right after the drama ‘Life’.”
The drama ‘Life’ had high expectations. However, despite starting with the highest viewership rating in JTBC history, it maintained a similar level throughout its run and ended.
He explained, “I received criticism for my unsatisfactory acting and negative evaluations of the drama and myself, which became a target of condemnation. Because of personal regrets and disappointments, I decided not to act anymore. I even thought about emigrating. I was 37 at the time.”
He continued, “It seemed like all the regret about this drama was being solely blamed on me. I felt like if I hadn’t been in this drama, it would have been much more loved and successful. I felt like I shouldn’t be an actor anymore. The only time I went out during that period was for exercise. After a week or two, I started to feel useless and only had negative thoughts, so I tried to move my body. When I continued exercising, I didn’t have distracting thoughts. So, I consistently exercise during breaks. It changes my mental state.”
Lee Dong-wook said, “Even though I exercised consistently during that time, my body didn’t improve because I drank alcohol after exercising. It was Gong Yoo who pulled me out of the house.”
He said, “Around 11 p.m., he told me to come out. I was worried about whether to talk about my difficult situation first. But he didn’t say anything about it. We just had a normal conversation, and gradually, I realized that ‘my real world is right here,’ and I started to overcome the slump little by little.”
Lee Dong-wook also mentioned actors he envied, such as Jung Woo-sung, Lee Jung-jae, and Lee Byung-hun. He said, “Aren’t the 70s and 71s doing it for too long? There’s no gap to break in. They’re holding on too tightly. I will work hard to catch up.”
He also explained, “I had a little jealousy when I was young, but it’s meaningless. Rather than jealousy, it’s admiration.”
Source: nate
