IN CONVERSATION WITH SANG HEON LEE

interview by DIAMONIQUE OSEANA and SAMO ŠAJN

Sang Heon Lee, the breakout South Korean actor, captivated audiences with his acting debut last year in Netflix’s series XO Kitty, where he portrayed the character Min Ho. Building on the success of his first lead role, he appeared in the film Gran Turismo, marking his film debut. Most recently, in April, he took on another lead role starring in a romantic-comedy Viu Originals series titled Secret Ingredient. Fans can anticipate seeing Sang Heon again reprising his role as Min Ho for the upcoming second season of XO Kitty.

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What was your journey into acting and what initially sparked your interest in the craft?
For my journey towards acting, I would say living every moment in the present helped me, it made my acting a lot easier and more convincing to the audience watching me through the screen. 

The initial spark for acting started in high school, during that time I didn’t know what I was, or what I wanted to pursue in the future. The near future was about choosing a subject to study that can connect me to the degree I want when I get to university. There was once a high school counsellor who asked me “What is it that you want to study or pursue in your life?” I told her “I like to dance. I want to be a dancer” and she said, “Well, no, let’s not do that”. She was a bit brutal and savage if I have to say. She then asked, “What else?” I told her I love watching films and she said I could be a movie critic. 

Observing others struggle in pursuing careers in something they loved, I thought if I did the same, then I wouldn’t like it either. I didn’t want that. I thought I could just be someone on the screen, to understand the filmmaking process and how people are able to make this enjoyable film for everyone. That’s why I wanted to be the person on the screen and still be able to enjoy watching films.

Can you share your experience of landing your first major lead role in the Netflix series XO, Kitty?
The journey I had to go through to get this role was through my sister, she sent me this Instagram post with an open cast call for this Netflix show called XO, Kitty and it’s a spin-off of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.

I’ve watched that series and I did enjoy it so it sparked my interest. My sister told me she was one of the candidates, and I should go for it too since the role was perfect for me. I looked into the list, and one character (Min Ho) caught my eye straight away. I thought I could probably play this off. Three or four days before the deadline I was still thinking it was an open cast call, so what were the chances I would get it but at the same time what did I have to lose? So then I just cracked on with the scripts that they sent me and after a few auditions and callbacks, I landed the role of Min Ho in XO, Kitty.

What was your reaction when you heard that XO, Kitty was renewed for a second season and what are your hopes for the direction the show and/or your character might take?
I was thrilled, excited, and in disbelief. We got the call for a renewal of the second season less than a month after it was released, meaning clearly that the show went well and the audience loved it. 

For season one, I didn’t really have the mental, physical, convenient energy to get creative. Everything was really new to me; it was my first audition, directors giving me directions. The first month was like acting boot camp (one of the show runners also told me that). After the first season, I did a film and another show, and I’m now more comfortable on set. I’m a great adapter; I have to thank my parents for that because they gave me the opportunity to live abroad. For the second season, I thought to myself: I could show the initial appearance and colours of Min Ho in the first season, but since it is a new season, I thought this would be a good opportunity to explore and get creative with my role. 

What have you learned from working on XO, Kitty that you will carry forward into future projects?
The thing that I learned from season one was all the basic training, all the basic craft that an actor needs on set: Being able to handle the pressure, delivering the lines right; being able to accept constructive criticism from the producers, show runners, or the directors; being very lenient and being able to be like water. You have to be like water: accept everything that is given to you and be fluid basically.

To carry forward into future projects, I would say I learned that I have to be able to adapt well. And even if I knew how to do that, it’s a completely different environment again. Each set would be a completely different environment. So being able to adapt is something that I learned greatly. Also understanding that a lead role, any role that you get has huge responsibilities for yourself and others in work. 

You also had your film debut last year with Gran Turismo, can you tell us what that experience was like?
It was amazing! Being able to go on a film set straight after my first debut in the series was definitely something new. I met some great actors on set like David Harbour, Archie, Orlando Bloom, Dan Barnett, Max, and Pepe. Everyone was great. It was a new environment, we were filming in Budapest, and I had to adapt again and accept everything that was around me, including the food and the culture that I was in. Being able to experience all that was such a blessing in disguise for me.

With your upcoming role in Secret Ingredient, what can you share about the series and some details on your character?
For Secret Ingredient, I think the audience or my fans would be able to expect that there will be some new levels of emotions that I haven’t shown on the high teen series, and also the fact that I can also cook. The fans will be able to see a different side of me and a little bit of a grown-up side of how I can portray my character as an adult. Audiences will be able to see the romance and the hectic, chaotic adventure that my character has to go through. Hopefully, they will enjoy the series.

Are there any particular roles, genres, or filmmakers that you are eager to delve into in your future endeavours?
I don’t know about particular roles or filmmakers, but for genres, I would love to do more romantic comedies. I’ve watched them my whole life and it’s my favourite genre. Also, I would love to be in a noir film, they are a huge thing in Korea, and they make great films there. I would love to do every genre as possible because then I would be able to explore and conquer – if I can hahaha – that specific genre. Sometimes by experimenting, you get to discover a lot and find yourself.

When you are not acting, what other activities or hobbies do you find yourself drawn to?
My hobbies are quite simple yet adventurous. I love watching films, that’s definitely one of my top hobbies. I do a lot of rock climbing (indoors and outdoors). I started this adrenaline-rushing sport because I just got really fed up with going to the gym. Rock climbing helps me mentally and physically, I just stuck with it and it’s been three years now. Sometimes I oil paint too. When I paint or climb, I don’t think about anything else but just that. It gives me that inner peace that everyone needs. It gives me a moment to think about myself and think about what I truly want. It lets go of every unnecessary stress that you might be holding onto.

Other than that, I like going to art exhibitions, it’s great to look at artefacts or paintings by creating a mind where it gets my mind colourful and experimental. I realised that in a lot of the films or series, directors reference and get their sources from paintings and make that into a scene. I think going to art exhibitions will help me in the future, when I’m doing a scene or when I get old if I want to direct a film or a series. 

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TEAM CREDITS:
talent SANG HEON LEE
photography LESS
styling KIM YOUNGJIN
photography assistants LEE SOOJUNG, JEON JUNSEO & KIM HYUNWOO
styling assistant KIM YESONG & KIM SUWAN
hair YOON KWANGHYO
makeup KIM TAEYOUNG
hair assistant YANG JIWON
makeup assistant KIM MINJI
producer RHIEM HYOJIN
location STUDIOLESS SEOUL
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
interview DIAMONIQUE OSEANA and SAMO ŠAJN
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN