Lee Jae-won reflects on “No Path Back”, which brought him his triumph 1st acting award

Lee Jae-won reflects on “No Path Back”, which brought him his first acting award.

Lee Jae-won debuted in 2008 with the movie “Public Enemy Returns”. Celebrating his 15th debut anniversary this year, he gained recognition through films such as “The Man from Nowhere”, ‘For the Emperor”, and dramas like “Bridal Mask”, “Master’s Sun”, “Doctor Stranger”, “The Legend of the Blue Sea”, “Record of Youth”, “Two Cops”, “VIP”, “Queen for Seven Days”, “Dr. Brain”, “KBS Drama Special 2023 – No Path Back”, and “Welcome to Samdal-ri”.

Despite being familiar for his resemblance to actor Oh Jung-se, Lee Jae-won made headlines by winning his first acting award at the “2023 KBS Drama Awards” for “No Path Back”, and displaying excellent chemistry in the comedic role of Wang Kyung-tae, a clueless bachelor, in the JTBC drama “Welcome to Samdal-ri”. He also showcased his presence as an actor, not just as someone resembling Oh Jung-se, by showcasing his wit on various entertainment programs.

For Lee Jae-won, 2023 was an unforgettable year. From his special appearance in “Revenant” to “No Path Back” and “Welcome to Samdal-ri”, he left a deep impression.

Lee Jae-won remarked, “2023 was a year where I lived without any shame. I did my best both at home and at work. 2022 was a difficult time, and experiencing that made me eager for the works I’m currently participating in and what I can do in the future.”

Particularly, his rise in “Revenant” continued with “No Path Back”. “No Path Back” depicts the story of a man who works for a mainstream liquor distribution company and makes wrong choices for a better life. Lee Jae-won delivered a compelling performance as Choi Soo-yeol, the head of the top-performing sales team at a liquor distribution company.

Lee Jae-won said, “I’ve often played roles with a higher tone and humorous elements, but Choi Soo-yeol had a lot of heavy, serious moments and many scenes where he hits rock bottom in life. However, I found many points where I could relate to Soo-yeol’s emotions. He didn’t start these events because he wanted to live well alone, but because of the weight of his family. I felt that these emotions were something I could express, so I decided to appear in the role. Soo-yeol’s emotional changes weren’t sudden but gradual, so I remember having a lot of discussions with the director to develop them.”

To portray a character hitting rock bottom in “No Path Back”, Lee Jae-won underwent a physical transformation. He went on a diet to the extent that his knees were affected.

Lee Jae-won said, “I ran around the track every day to lose weight rapidly, but I ended up injuring the ligament on the side of my knee. I lost so much weight that my face looked completely different. Fortunately, my wife still recognized me,” he laughed. “I’ve gained a bit more weight now than I did back then, but I’m trying to maintain my weight.”

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