Lee Hong-nae: "Gained 10 kg in bulk for 'Cooking Soldier'" [Interview ②]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Lee Hong-nae revealed that he gained a full 10 kg in bulk for the role of a "Cooking Soldier."

On the afternoon of the 18th, Lee Hong-nae held an interview with StarNews at a café in Gyeongdong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Earlier, on the 16th, he successfully concluded the OTT TVING original series "Cooking Soldier: The Legend" (hereinafter "Cooking Soldier") and spoke about the experience.

"Cooking Soldier" concluded with a high viewership rating of 7.6%. It received immense love, drawing the most paid subscribers among all TVING original works released in the past three years.

In the drama, Lee Hong-nae played the role of Sergeant Yoon Dong-hyun, a cook in his final years, delivering a passionate performance. In particular, he showcased a perfect chemistry with Park Ji-hoon, who played Private Kang Sung-jae, the successor to the cooking soldier, helping drive the drama's popularity.

On this day, Lee Hong-nae shared, "I auditioned for the role of Yoon Dong-hyun and received a call just a few days later. The moment I heard the news of my acceptance, I immediately started planning my workouts and meals. The script clearly stated that Dong-hyun is 'more interested in protein than taste and in exercise than cooking,' so I went through that preparation process. Since I had lost a lot of weight for my previous work, I worked hard to gain weight."

He continued, "By the middle of filming, I think I had gained about 10 kg. Even so, I felt a bit regretful. I wanted Dong-hyun to have a grander presence. I wanted to build more muscle, but it was the best I could do within the given time."

At the same time, Lee Hong-nae boasted a high level of synchronization with the character. He said, "Yoon Dong-hyun is very similar to me. Like Dong-hyun, I am a bit clumsy but tend to work hard at everything. I am somewhat shy, but I believe I also have a cute and lovable side like Dong-hyun. Our tsundere personalities are also similar. I may not be good at saying things like 'you're doing well' in front of people, but I tend to stay quietly by their side, and I see that as a strong similarity."

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*This content was translated by AI.