ENTERTAINMENT
Lee Ho-won Overcomes Fears to Shine in 'Solo Leveling on ICE' Musical
Recently, TenAsia had the opportunity to sit down with Lee Ho-won at their Seoul office after he completed his performance in 'Solo Leveling on ICE'.
The musical, which is an ice performance, tells the story of Sung Jin-woo, a weak hunter who gains the ability to grow stronger after a near-death experience. Lee Ho-won took on the role of Sung Jin-woo.
Lee's decision to participate in this project was aligned with his personal goals for the year. He shared, "Last year, I set a personal goal to explore various sports. The only sport I wasn't good at was swimming, so I started learning it in January last year. I also dabbled in martial arts."
When the offer for an ice show came, it piqued his interest. Lee said, "The idea of a skating ice show intrigued me because I didn't know how to skate, which played a big part in my decision." However, he admitted, "The concept of a musical on an ice rink was unfamiliar, and I had many concerns."
His trust in the director, with whom he had previously worked on the musical 'Swag Age: Shout, Chosun!', also played a significant role in his decision. He expressed satisfaction, saying, "It was a genre I hadn't tried before, so I was half worried and half excited, but it turned out to be fun."
Despite his confidence in physical activities, performing in front of a large audience was a different challenge. Lee confessed, "I'm good at bodyweight exercises, but I'm not great at things like skating or boarding, and I even struggle with driving." Yet, through this project, he broke those self-imposed limitations. "Even actors with athletic backgrounds were amazed at how quickly I learned," he said joyfully. He added, "I had tried skiing and boarding once and thought I had no talent, but now I'm considering giving it another shot."
The performance also included wire action, which added to the pressure as it required live execution without room for error. Lee, who had no prior experience with wire acting, admitted, "I had nightmares for two weeks before rehearsals," and laughed. He humorously shared, "I even asked ChatGPT about the odds of falling while on a wire. It said the odds were lower than winning the lottery," adding that he is a subscriber to ChatGPT.
Contrary to his worries, Lee delivered a natural performance on stage. "Once I was on stage, singing while on the wire, I was so focused on acting that I wasn't scared at all," he revealed.
Reported by Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr
