The latest K-drama film, Exhuma, has become an instant hit since its release last month. Actor Lee Do-Hyun made his movie debut with it and recently spilled the beans about his fierce appearance in it.
The Glory actor plays Bong Gil, a naive shaman who works with another rookie shaman, Hwa Rim (Kim Go-Eun). A wealthy family summons the duo to save their newborn after experiencing paranormal activities. The shamans further seek the help of two exorcists — a mortician, Yeong Geun (Yoo Hae-Jin), and a geomancer, Sang Deok (Choi Min-Sik).
In a recent interview, Lee Do-Hyun opens up about his experience portraying a challenging role. He also discussed how the director envisioned his transformation. Not only does he play a shaman for the first time, but he also dons a new look in the movie.
Lee Do-Hyun reflects on his role and transformation in Exhuma
K-drama actor Lee Do-Hyun mentioned in an interview with Sports Chosun that he was scared before filming the challenging role. However, his seniors and director, Jang Jae-Hyun, helped him to get rid of his fear.
Do-Hyun is known for portraying green-flag male leads in his previous K-dramas. So far, he has impressed viewers with his roles in The Glory, Youth of May, Sweet Home, and Prison Playbook. However, in Exhuma, he portrays a rookie shaman’s role donning a tattooed, bulked-up body with his hair tied up in a knot.
Speaking about the transformation, Do-Hyun said (originally in Korean), “It was the makeup and appearance that made me think, ‘I have this side of me too.’ From the beginning, the director gave me an idea, saying, “I want Bong-gil to have a strong first impression. If it’s okay with actor Do-hyun, I want his hair to be tied up or loose with a wig, and his tattoos to completely wrap around his body.”
He further mentioned that the makeup process was quite tough. However, he went with the flow as he realized that the “external factors had a lot of power in making a first impression.” He called his look “super hip” in the interview.
Apart from working on his look and his character, Do-Hyun, currently amidst his military service, also learned Japanese for Exhuma. The movie premiered in South Korea on February 22, 2024.
