In the past, most actors avoided playing villains, in fear of audiences resenting them. However, in the “heyday of villains” now, things have changed.
Villain roles are often not actors’ favorite, seeing that main roles are often occupied by good characters (hereinafter referred to as heroes). So, even if a villain demonstrates exceptional acting skills, it is difficult for them to be the most major character. Moreover, once a villainous image is established, it is likely that the audience will resent the actor, affecting their daily lives. In fact, actors who played villains often had experiences of being scolded by people who watch their works.
However, villains can sometimes be more appealing than heroes. Although they may receive criticism from viewers, they can still leave a strong impression. Villains can change their image dramatically with powerful acting skills and unique character traits. The effect may even double when an actor, who has only played hero roles, transforms into a villain.
Below are some actors whose lives have changed with their excellent villain portrayal.
Lim Ji Yeon – “The Glory”
Netflix original series “The Glory” is a work in which all the actors, starting from Song Hye Kyo’s female lead Moon Dong Eun, have shown a strong presence. The cast members of this drama consists of Lee Do-hyun, Yeom Hye Ran, and Jung Sung Il, along with the gang of school bullies, played by Lim Ji Yeon, Park Sung Hoon, Kim Hieora, Cha Joo Young, and Kim Gun Woo.
Among them, Lim Ji Yeon, who played Park Yeon Jin, the ringleader of the school violence perpetrators, received particularly high praise. The drama show Lim Ji Yeon perfectly portrayed a school bully, a complete 180-degree transformation from her previous innocent roles, garnering a lot of attention. She successfully changed her image by acting in difficult scenes, which ranges from exposure, smoking, swearing, to violence.
Ok Taecyeon – “Vincenzo”
Ok Taecyeon has played righteous roles, where he shows off his tall stature and innocent appearance, which is reminiscent of a large dog. In fact, he has always shown a cool side, saving the female lead from crises in KBS2’s “Cinderella’s Sister”, “Dream High”, tvN’s “Let’s Fight, Ghost”, and OCN’s “Save Me”.
However, in the 2021 tvN drama “Vincenzo”, Taecyeon transformed into Jang Han Seok, a villain with ambitions to shake up South Korea, thus taking on his first villainous roles. Initially appearing as a pure-hearted junior lawyer who likes the female lead Hong Cha Young (Jeon Yeo Been), he later reveals his true identity, shocking the audience.
Ahn Jae Wook – “Mouse”
Ahn Jae Wook has always maintained a soft image since his debut in 1994. However, he showed a fresh transformation by challenging a villainous role in the tvN drama “Mouse”, which aired in 2021.
In the drama, Ahn Jae Wook assumes the role of Han Seo Jun, a cheerful neurosurgeon with extraordinary eloquence and a sense of humor. However, he is also a cunning psychopath, who relentlessly murdered people. Through “Mouse”, Ahn Jae Wook gathered anticipation with his amazing acting skills, receiving applause from many.
Yoon Kye Sang – “The Outlaws”
In the movie “The Outlaws”, Yoon Kye Sang led the overall atmosphere and storyline along with Ma Dong Seok. In particular, his character, Jang Chen, was praised as one of the best villains in the Korean film industry.
Yoon Kye Sang has maintained a good image since his time in the Kpop boy group “g.o.d”. Thanks to his ever-smiling expression, he has always assumed roles of “good” characters. It was through “The Outlaws” that Yoon Kye Sang got to show a never-before-seen rough appearance and intense gaze, acting out eerie yet impressive scenes.
Source: wikitree
