Lee Do-hyun plays a character who gets a second chance at life.YUE HWA ENTERTAINMENT 

Was it just a few years ago that Lee Do-hyun was a relatively unknown supporting actor in dramas such as Hotel Del Luna and 18 Again? Since that time the actor has aced a succession of starring roles, including the horror series Sweet Home, the math drama Melancholia and the historical romance Youth of May.

Most recently he played Song Hye-kyo’s determined revenge partner in the award-winning drama The Glory. And he’s currently playing a lead role in the SLL drama, The Good Bad Mother. For Lee, it’s sometimes hard to believe how many great roles he was lucky to play during the past few years, even though he acknowledges that any acting success always depends on the efforts of other people.

“Yes, it always feels so surreal,” said Lee. “I don't think there is a set formula or standard to success, but what I have accomplished was certainly made possible by the people—the directors, screenwriters, fellow actors and staff—who worked so hard on the projects with me. I feel so grateful and lucky to have them. All I do is try my best to act for the character and do my job under the given circumstances, yet the results always come out great because there are people who support me and help me get through hardships.”

In The Good Bad Mother, he plays Choi Kang-ho, a cold-hearted prosecutor, who experiences brain damage after an accident. As a result the character must return to a state of child-like dependence. Lee chose the drama because he had so much fun reading the script.

“The script convinced me that The Good Bad Mother was an opportunity I couldn't pass up,” said Lee. “Something I truly wanted to be a part of.”​ 

He doesn’t have a formula for deciding which project appeals to him. He just has a gut feeling when a good script comes along.

“Whether I feel drawn to a project and eager to take part in it would be the first and foremost determining factor,” said Lee. “I also try to take on challenges and new experiences, which is the mindset I keep in mind when choosing the right projects for me.”​ 

The Good Bad Mother presented its own challenges in that his character plays both an adult hardened in his ways and another version of himself, a younger, more pliable personality.

“I focused on making my character look as coherent as possible while trying to embody two different sides of Kang-ho,” he said. “There were scenes that felt especially difficult to portray him in, but I was able to navigate through the parts with the advice and in-depth discussions with the directors, screenwriters and the actors.”

The title of the SLL drama might make viewers wonder. Why was Kang-ho’s mom Young-soon, played by Ra Mi-ran, a good mother? How was she a bad mother? Her son is a success by her own standard and yet he’s emotionally stunted. Having struggled so much in her own life, Young-soon forced him to focus solely on academics, at the expense of a normal childhood.

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Lee's character undergoes a change in personality in the course of 'The Good Bad Mother.'YUE HWA ENTERTAINMENT 

“Young-soon could have been a bad mother to young Kang-ho, because he was imposed with too many restrictions as a child and had to refrain from a lot of things that most children would want to do,” said Lee. “But I recommend the viewers to watch the series until the end and think about the reasons for themselves.”

Thanks to a cruel twist of fate Kang-ho gets a another chance to experience the world with child-like wonder. Young-soon gets a chance to mother him in the ways she never allowed herself to. The accident offers a chance for mother and son to reconnect in a more meaningful way.​ 

“Personally, I think the story is telling us not to be afraid to fall,” said Lee. “It is important to work towards your goal with persistence and hard work, but you need rest from time to time. Being able to take a moment to look around and look back on things can sometimes make our lives a bit more delightful. Our life is a bliss by itself and it needs to be appreciated.”

The SLL drama airs on Netflix.​ 

Joan MacDonald 

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