Lee Jang-woo, the path of an actor forgotten due to entertainment addiction

Actor Lee Jang-woo is addicted to entertainment. In some cases, it is difficult to tell whether he is an actor or an entertainer. As the side characters are so busy, acting, which is his main job, seems to have taken a backseat.

Lee Jang-woo emerged as a rising star in the food broadcasting industry with his extraordinary appetite. He is receiving a lot of love as a member of the 'Palm Oil Line' along with Jeon Hyun-moo and Park Na-rae on MBC's 'I Live Alone'. As the youngest Palm Yu, he ate everything from Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Western food.

It didn't stop there, but they were also seen remembering the taste of food and making the dish themselves at home. He also presented 100 servings of pig's trotter rice bowls to his musical colleagues. From preparing ingredients to cooking and setting up, I did it all by myself.

Recently, he opened his own udon restaurant in Songpa-gu, Seoul. This place, which sells udon, ribs, fish cakes, etc., is crowded with fans. It has become a restaurant that can only be enjoyed after waiting endlessly even on weekdays.

Did you say that the important thing is an unbreakable heart? Lee Jang-woo, who was more serious about food than anyone else, even advanced to tvN. He was cast in 'Business Genius Baeksajang', headed by Baek Jong-won, and is engaged in a lot of side character activities.

He supports Baek Jong-won, who was his idol, and shows a passion for business. While working as a sous chef, he was able to quickly handle the influx of orders.

As a result, the viewership ratings were also magical. The viewer rating for the first episode of 'Business Genius White Sand Beach' was an average of 5.5% in the metropolitan area, a maximum of 7.6%, and an average of 4.9% and a maximum of 6.8% for households nationwide, ranking first in the same time slot including cable and general programming.

Lee Jang-woo, who was teased as 'King Pig' instead of 'King Continent' in a drama in the past, has finally seen the light. I didn't gain weight for no reason. For Lee Jang-woo, ‘Mukbang’ was a time that became his blood and flesh.

However, the sad thing is that his main job is gradually being forgotten by the public. tvN's 'Holy Idol', which aired early this year, is Lee Jang-woo's comeback as a drama after a long time. The first broadcast started off not bad with a viewership rating of 3.1%, but immediately continued to decline, hovering around the 1% range.

Lee Jang-woo, who usually played likable roles with a good-natured image, attempted to change in 'Holy Idol'. He attempted to transform his acting into a cruel and vicious demon king character, but the results were disastrous. Despite his numerous efforts, there was no public who remembered the devil.

The main job and side job are reversed. His presence as an actor is fading, but he is achieving success as an entertainer. Lee Jang-woo, who said, “I like entertainment,” is enjoying his second heyday with mukbang. However, the key is not to let the side job hinder his acting career.

It is important not to lose the balance between your main job and your side job. There are many voices from fans who want to see him succeed as an actor. What fans remember longer is actor Lee Jang-woo rather than entertainer Lee Jang-woo.

Ryu Ye-ji, Ten Asia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr