'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hallyu superstar Lee Min-ho does not seem like the kind of person who would have to go through a rigorous audition to secure a project. However, that is apparently how he landed the role of Koh Hansu in the popular Apple TV+ drama, Pachinko.
Series creator Soo Hugh recently revealed that she made the renowned actor undergo the traditional audition process for Pachinko and treated him “just like everyone else.”
Hugh admitted that she had never seen Lee’s work before his audition, which included films like Legend of the Blue, Boys Across Flowers, The King: Eternal Monarch, and Heirs. However, she was instantly blown away by his performance during the tryout.
Hugh told Digital Spy:
"When the auditions started, I knew he was a big star, but I had never seen anything he was in. And I didn't know how big of a star he was. So I went in a little bit innocent, I have to say, and he was treated just like everyone else. He went through the same rigorous audition process."
She added:
"Min-ho has that innate contact with the camera. It's not about vanity, and it's not about looks. He just has a spiritual connection with the camera. And then Hansu, you realize, has to have that kind of magnetic charisma."
More about Lee Min-ho's character in Pachinko
Lee Min-ho plays the role of Koh Hansu in Pachinko. The character is a Zainichi fish broker who is determined to create a successful life for himself. This ambition leads him to the Yakuza, Japan’s organized crime syndicate at the time.
He eventually falls in love with the series’ protagonist Sun-ja (Kim Min-ha) but is unable to marry her as she is already married.
Lee Min-ho will next be seen in the upcoming space comedy, Ask the Stars. He will star alongside Gong Hyo-jin, who is known for her roles in popular series like Sang Doo! Let's Go to School, Thank You, When the Camellia Blooms, etc.
Pachinko in brief
Pachinko is a TV series based on Min Jee Lee’s New York Times best-selling novel of the same name. It is directed by Justin Chon and Kogonada.
The series follows the story of four generations of Korean immigrants as they each leave their homes in search of a better life.
Pachinko airs every Friday on Apple TV+. A subscription, which costs $5 per month, is required to watch the show on the streaming platform.
