Actor Behind One Of The Biggest Kdramas Of 2025 Talks Pressure Of Replacing Main Actor At The Last Minute
Lee Chae Min, the leading man behind the hit tvN drama “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” has spoken to the press after the successful conclusion of the drama!
On the 30th of September, actor Lee Chaemin shared these thoughts during an interview at a café in Gangnam, Seoul. Having suddenly been cast in the work, he spoke about the experience and the drama’s global success.
Taking on the lead role of “Lee Hyun” after actor Park Sung Hoon dropped out just before filming. At the time, The drama was overshadowed by controversy when Park Sung Hoon faced backlash for posting an image parodying Squid Game on his social media. The photo was a Japanese adult video cover featuring explicit nudity. Although the post was deleted shortly after being uploaded, it spread quickly online, sparking outrage.
Lee Chae Min explained, “Within the one month I was given, I tried to learn as much as possible, studying horseback riding and calligraphy. I also researched the character while cutting down on sleep, and thanks to the director and senior colleagues who helped me a lot, I was able to grasp it quickly.”
The webtoon-based drama “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” tells the fantasy romance story of genius chef Yeon Ji Young (played by Im Yoona) who time-slips into the Joseon era and meets king Lee Hyun (played by Lee Chaemin), who possesses an absolute sense of taste.
The drama, which depicts the story of the two falling in love through food, received heated attention both domestically and internationally. For the first time as a tvN drama, it topped Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV Show category for two consecutive weeks, and domestically, it surpassed a 15% viewership rating (according to Nielsen Korea) by the 8th episode, marking the highest rating among this year’s tvN dramas. Regarding the global results, he said, “I couldn’t believe it and it didn’t feel real. Since it was a project many people shed sweat and effort for, I was happy when the results came out.”
He cited the “perfect teamwork” among the cast as the secret behind the drama’s popularity. In particular, he mentioned his chemistry with co-star and senior actress Im Yoona, who is more than ten years older in real life. He said, “There was no conflict, and she accepted and guided me a lot in the parts I wanted (for acting), which helped me a lot.”
Although he admitted feeling pressure about his next project, he also expressed his desire to take on various genres. He said, “As an actor, I want to try noir, and I also want to do a deep romance where I shed heartbreaking tears. It is a destiny to please viewers’ eyes, hearts, and ears.”
Source: (A)
