Jung Ryu-won, formerly from girl band, Chakra is another singer who made it big after turning into acting. She came to our notice as the ex-girl friend who refused to let go of Hyun Bin´s Jin Hyeon in My Name is Kim Sam Soon, much to our chagrin. Thereafter, Jung Ryu-won appeared in Korean dramas: Which Star are you from with Kim Rae Won as the long lost country pumpkin sister who is a death ringer of KRW´s character´s death wife, and April Shower with Oh Ji Ho, the drama panned by critics and was lowly rated to some extent, I believe the audience did not like their characters´ irresponsibility. Oh Ji Ho´s character eloped with Ryu-won character thereby abandoning his wife who is in coma and who was her best friend´s husband whom she was in loved even before the wife went into coma! And after the wife regained consciousness, Oh Ji Ho´s character could not decide whom he would love enough to make a decision among them!

Among the other singers who became more successful as an actress are Eugene, formerly from SES; Yoon Eun Hye, formerly BabyVox who burst into fame via Korean drama, Goong-Princess Hour; and Ha Ji won who gained fame initially in the horror genre. It was reported that Eugene is a better actress than she ever was as singer!

Source: Donga, 23 August 07

Jeong Ryeo-won was not an “It girl” when she was a singer in the group Chakra – a Korean all-girl band. When she turned her career path to acting, she didn’t draw much attention at first, and it was common at the time for many singer-turned-actors, many far more famous and popular than her, to become the target of harsh criticism for their low-grade acting. But with the success of “Hello, Francesca,” a situation comedy, “My name is Kim Sam-soon,” a drama, and “What’s your star?”, another drama, she made a soft-landing as an actress.

Now, she has made her debut as a movie actor. In her first movie, “My girl friend has a double personality (a tentative title), soon to be released on September 13, she appears as a person with an identity disorder. In the movie, she plays a naïve and dreamy girl named “Ani,” but suddenly turns into the violent “Hani.” Actor Bong Tae-gyu played her shy but generous boyfriend. The movie is reminiscent of “My Sassy Girl” to an extent, but it has a cartoon-like fun factor and it is enjoyable to watch the two extreme personalities played by Jeong. Jeong said, “I like acting so much that my heart beats fast.” She seemed like a nerve-wrecked student waiting for the result of an exam.

Q. This is your first leading role. You must be nervous.

A. At first, I turned down the role. It seemed to involve enormous burdens. But I thought that without taking on such a challenge at this point, I couldn’t grow further as an actress. Buying a house while being overstretched eventually turns out to be a better choice than renting a house.

Q. You said at the movie premier, it had been your dream to stand before an audience at a premier.

A. I always thought, ‘when can I do that?’ I go to Megabox at Coex to watch a movie three times a week. And I stand before movie fans at this theater! Two days ago I came here alone to watch ‘Ratatouille.’

Q. The fighting and swearing character strangely suited you.

A. I am not a violent girl like Hani, but nor am I a girly-girl. I was struck when people were surprised at my acting skill. I realized that people thought of me as a frail girl who always needed protection. I am like a strong sunflower, not a fragile flower.

Q. Were you at all confused while playing two completely different personalities?

A. I had to change my personality with a blink of an eye. But when you put your mind to something, you find out just what you are capable of.

Q. In your movie, there is a line that reads: “If God exists, he should guarantee a recall, when his creature is flawed.” Do you want any part of you recalled?

A. I suffered an inferiority complex. I thought I was always unhappy in the past but not anymore. I read from a book that people are happy when they are content with what they have. (lifts a cup) If you are born as a cup like this and there is no point of being jealous of a bigger cup.

When I said, “You’re right, but it isn’t easy,” she responded, “You can brainwash your own brain. You can.” She seemed a stronger person than I expected. She said when she had returned to Korea after 9 years living in Australia, she didn’t want to speak with awkward pronunciation like those who spent long years overseas so that she practiced Korean pronunciation from a book all day.

Q. Part of your impressive image is the fact that you are a fashionista. You don’t look so dressed up. Your not-too-overt but chic layered look is absolutely fabulous.

A. You think jeans and T-shirks look cool enough? That’s a lie. You don’t look so fabulous wearing just plain jeans and a shirt. You have to wear jeans and shirt that fit you well. To that end, you should know your size and shape. If you have narrow shoulders, you choose a loose-fit shirt. You can create your own style when you know yourself well. I have lots of ideas about fashion. Sometimes I go to the whole sale market to buy materials and I make my own accessories.

Q. I saw you gorging Korean pork barbeque in the movie. And here you are eating ice-cream.

A. I gain weight easily so I have to work out hard. I jump rope 1,000 times and walk 10 km every day. I exercised during the movie shooting too. I think fame requires responsibility. When celebrities are asked a secret of flawless skin, they answer with the same old lie. Please; They get facials!

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WHAT is a hunk like him doing in a slapstick comedy?

So said Taiwanese babe Shu Qi, referring to co-star Oh Ji Ho in the Korean film My Wife Is A Gangster 3, currently showing in theatres here.

She plays a Hong Kong triad chief’s daughter who goes into hiding in Seoul with the help of a Korean gangster (Lee Bum Soo) and his two sidekicks. One of them played by Ji Ho.

Shu Qi told The New Paper recently: “I feel he (Ji Ho) is quite good-looking. He is suave and (pointing to her arms) quite well-built.”

“I was wondering why someone like him would play a comedic role. Then I realized he wasn’t fully established (as an actor) yet.”

But things are set to change.

A year after filming My Wife Is A Gangster 3, Ji Ho is now establishing himself as a popular leading man for romantic comedies on TV.

He had shot to fame in Korea late last year in the highly-rated drama, Fantasy Couple, even winning a Best Screen Couple award with his pretty co-star Han Ye Seul.

The media labelled him a “kkot mi nam’” (Korean for pretty boy) for his “sculpted face” and Adonis-like body that he often flaunts on screen.

Fans adored his nice guy image and affable charm.

But the untimely suicide of his ex-girlfriend, who worked as a bar hostess, drove the heartbroken man out of the limelight for months since January.

Ji Ho, 31, has since returned, hotter than ever. Last week, he dominated headlines in Korea for donning a fat suit in his comeback TV project, a romantic comedy entitled Seducing Karl.

http://shenyuepop.com/2007/07/07/oh-ji-ho-in-drama-oh-sujung-another-fatty-on-the-screen/ ~

He plays a 150kg man who flunks the bar exam and gets dumped on his wedding day.

So, he decides to change himself and after eight years, he becomes a professional golfer and gets wooed by his ex-fiancee (Uhm Jung Hwa of Seducing Mr Perfect Fame).

In his own words, Ji Ho goes from obese to hot and charismatic.

He wrote in an e-mail interview with The New Paper: “It will be a huge transformation and hopefully it will also be the most important turning point in my acting career so far. You’ll be very surprised at my new look!”

When he visited Taipei two months ago to promote his drama Fantasy Couple, he had already won over the local media and fans with his friendly, obliging ways.

He even lifted petite Taiwanese host Chamder Tsai Tsan Der effortlessly. She merely clasped her hands around his right arm and the muscle man reportedly hoisted her off the ground with ease.

Also, he seemed to live up to his reputation as a loving boyfriend – as evidenced by how he was crushed by his ex-girlfriend’s death, lashing out at reports that spoke ill of her.

Despite the media controversy over their mismatched relationship, Ji Ho appeared to have won more support from fans who were touched by how he handled the scandal with honesty and heartfelt emotion.

PAINFUL PAST

Seven months later, he seems to have put his painful past behind him.

When he was in Taipei in May, he spoke about how he has gradually recovered over the past few months, reported United Daily News.

Although he claimed it is still too early to embark on another relationship, he said he prefers cute girls with beautiful eyes, and he likes his girlfriend to rely on him for everything.

He would even help her repair her toilet, he added.

When asked if he would continue to date a woman if he finds out she is a gangster, he wrote: “Of course I would be a little bothered, but I think it’s our love that matters the most.”

On his impression of Shu Qi, he wrote, “She’s terribly beautiful!”

He went on to add that he initially found her ‘cold’, but grew to admire her professionalism.

“I’m sure it wasn’t easy filming in Korea since she’s not used to the lifestyle here, but she always had a positive outlook, which brightened up the mood around the set.”

“I wished I could speak Chinese and wondered how she would express her feelings (without) the language barrier.”

NOT THAT PERFECT

His sense of humour showed when it comes to the popular description that he has “sculpted” facial features.

“It’s too much! I don’t think my face is that perfect. There are so many better-looking people in the world.”

Then, he added with a hint of mischief, “But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel good hearing that.”

So is it out of vanity that he keeps baring his beefy body – which he attributes to regular games of football, baseball and basketball? Or is he planning to be a sex symbol?

This time, he gave a more typical answer – he prefers being recognized as a good actor than a sexy star. “Although it’s nice to flaunt my body from time to time, the story should dictate the action on the screen.” he said

But he did confess of being lousy at making people laugh, even though his more notable works are romantic comedies.

The former model was first noticed as the baddie in the office comedy Super Rookie in 2005, before landing his first leading role in the tearjerker Autumn Shower.

But the latter, which co-stars Kim So Yeon (Seven Swords) as his comatose wife, bombed.

Ji Ho said he enjoys doing both melodrama and comedy. He credited the success of Fantasy Couple, in which he plays a handyman who tricks an amnesiac heiress (Ye Seul) into becoming his housekeeper, to its “great script” and production crew.

The drama is available here on VCD and DVD.

Finally, for someone who has the looks, the body, the personality, good roles and loyal fans, what does he think he lack?

“I think there’s much more for me to learn about acting. I want to be better at what I do. The more popular I become, the greedier I get in the search for diverse and quality roles.”

- Additional reporting by Ho Lian-Yi

credit : electric new paper Singapore

Ok, this is what I have to say about him. I saw him first in Super Rookie, with Eric Mun, nothing special.

The next time I saw him, made me had a very bad image about him, because I saw this movie, a very terrible one, with him as the lead actor. I forget the title, but it was all about sex and delivered in a very ugly way. He’s hot, but no, thank you.

So when I saw Fantasy Couple, I was like, “Ugh! Not him again!” But hey! He was good there. Then I saw him in My Wife is A Gangster 3. He had a minor role, but at least he looked normal.

I think he’s getting good, and remembering he’s 31, he looks greater than ever..(yeah, mature guys raise my appetite..)

More about Oh Ji Ho : http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Oh_Ji_Ho

Editor: Grace@Shenyuepop

After Kim Ah Joong disguised herself in the movie, 200 lb Beauty, Oh Ji Ho is taking on the disguise as a fat man.

SBS Oh Sujung is the next drama to be aired after Bad Couple, starting on the 28th. The male lead character played by Oh Ji Ho had to wear a special disguise to act as an unattractive man.

On June 30th, Oh Ji Ho went to the office of a special effects makeup team, CELL, to do a special effects makeup test for the role of fat and unattractive Mansu in “Oh Sujung.” The result of the two-hour long makeover produced a fat man who seemed totally unlike the former Oh Ji Ho

Oh Sujung is a drama about Oh Sujung who chooses to marry a partner solely based on their wealth and background, and when the unattractice Mansu fails his law entrance examination, she dumps him on the day of their wedding.
Mansu gets traumatized by this and sets on a path of revenge to transform himself. After succeeding in America by eight years of dieting and exercise, he becomes a professional golfer who exceeds Tiger Woods in terms of wealth and looks.

The fat version of Oh Ji Ho will be shown in episodes one, two and three.

credit :broasia

about the drama

Cast :
Oh Ji Ho as Go Man Soo
Uhm Jung Hwa as Oh Soo Jung

In SBS July weekend drama Butcher Oh Soo Jung, Oh Ji Ho is set to act as Go Man Soo, a world known golfer who was dumped by a former beauty queen Oh Soo Jung (Uhm Jung Hwa) seven years ago. Their fate becomes reversed when Oh Soo Jung who is now known as an old maid comes chasing after Go Man Soo who is now a ‘golden bachelor’ with looks and money.
Oh Ji Ho will need to have special makeup like Kim Ah Joong did, to look like Go Man Soo before he shed 40kg.