Lee Dong Wook has revealed the intense physical changes he went through for two very different acting roles, admitting that changing his body for each project has become much harder than it used to be.
The actor made the candid comments during a recent appearance on the YouTube channel DdeunDdeun, where he appeared alongside Kim Hye Jun to promote Disney+'s A Shop for Killers Season 2.
Kim Hye Jun pointed out how different Lee looked compared to when they filmed the action series.
"You're filming a romance now, aren't you? It's been a while since I last saw you, and I was shocked because you lost so much weight. You looked so much slimmer," she said.
Lee Dong Wook explained that he had intentionally gained weight while filming A Shop for Killers because it suited his character.
"When I was filming A Shop for Killers, I gained at least 7 kilograms. Since my character was a former mercenary and killer, my usual weight is around 74 to 75 kilograms, but I went up to 82 kilograms during filming," he shared.
He recalled that maintaining the heavier physique was a challenge.
"I ate five meals a day. It was difficult because I had to keep eating chicken breast and beef," Lee said.
The actor then explained why he had to lose the weight again for his latest project, Love Affair, in which he stars alongside Jung Yu Mi and Jeon So Nee.
"I'm filming Love Affair now, and it was difficult to play a civil servant with that body, so I lost 7 kilograms again," he said.
Lee admitted that making such dramatic physical changes has become increasingly difficult.
"It's not as easy as it used to be to gain and lose weight," he said. "I did 100 minutes of cardio every day—50 minutes on the Stairway to Heaven machine and 50 minutes on a stationary bike. Right now, I weigh about 73 kilograms."
