Song Heen Lee | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Since then he made his entry in Netflix xo kitty Song Hyun Lee aka Min Ho rocketed his way up the popularity charts last month to the tune of the chart-topper ‘Hot’ by popular K-pop band Seventeen.
The undisputed breakout star from the ensemble cast of Jenny Han’s spin-offto all the boys film series Has emerged as the latest poster boy of showbiz, amassing over two million Instagram followers within days of the show’s premiere.
The series follows Kitty Song Kow, who moves from the United States to South Korea on an exchange-student program, to the same boarding school where her mother attended, in an attempt to reunite with her first love Dae (Choi Min Young). had attended What he doesn’t realize is that there are many misadventures in love and life that await him.
In an exclusive interview over a Zoom call from Los Angeles, where she is currently based, Song Heon, 27, admitted to being surprised by the overwhelming response to her acting debut. xo, kitty, “As a person, I’m very skeptical. People told us there’s already a fan base based on the previous movies, so when the show came up I was like ‘let’s hope for the best’. Thankfully people liked it.
character shuffle
Sang Heon is an openly nice, secretive character quite different from Minho, the quintessential cocky haughty, self-confident ‘cool guy’ who keeps his soft side safe. Playing the role of skincare obsessive Min Ho, who takes a dislike to Kitty (Anna Cathcart), the actor admitted she shared an affinity with her screen character.
“Min Ho was the character I chose to audition for. He seemed like fun, and it’s always nice to play someone who’s different from you. I felt Min Ho, with his charming exterior and overconfident underneath, was just moving for love. I wanted to show her vulnerability, and the many layers that she has,” says the actor who is joined by her sister Gia Kim (who also stars in the show as Yuri Han ) urged her to audition xo kitty, “I was cast before the others, and was hoping Jiya would make it too. We didn’t have too many scenes together, and if there was a clash, we would handle it professionally and work it out at home. Would have hugged
Cast of ‘XO, Kitty’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
culture debate
Having said that, the actor shares a different perspective when it comes to the mixed reactions xo, kitty has received flak from a certain section of Korean viewers over its unrealistic portrayal of Korea and its culture.
“It’s ironic the way people reacted, especially Koreans living in Korea. Some people thought the show was too rubbish, but we took some of those references from existing K-dramas. If you say that it’s cliche, so it’s from your source. So where’s the double standard coming from?, he says, “People thought the show was made for Koreabu (non-Koreans obsessed with Korean culture), but I think we showed enough Korean culture, background and sights and sounds of Seoul. People should lighten up instead of becoming such critics.
Sang Heon Lee in a scene from the show
future plans
Although Song Heon has no plans to do another K-drama just yet, he is more than ready for this opportunity. Currently, he is looking forward to his next release, gran turismo – A real-life action-adventure racing car drama starring Orlando Bloom, Djimon Hounsou and Gerri Halliwell. “The story is amazing. Makes you wonder if video game console players actually take their skills to a real race track,” says the rock climbing enthusiast, who hopes to be part of a documentary or a film that revolves around the game.
Although xo, kittyThe ending ended on a major cliffhanger with Min Ho confessing his feelings to Kitty, who in turn is conflicted about her feelings for Yuri, with Sang Heon revealing he is equally curious as to how season 2 ends. Will happen.
XO, Kitty is now streaming on Netflix