Kim Jin-min, the direct of “The Liar and His Lover,” said he cast rookie actor Lee Seo-won because he sees Lee as the one to follow in the steps of mega-hit Hallyu stars Park Bo-gum and Song Joong-ki.

“Just look at the agency he comes from,” Kim said, referring to Blossom Entertainment where Lee, Park and Song are represented.

“And just like his seniors, Lee is hosting the TV program, ‘Music Bank,’” Kim added.

In the upcoming TV series, “The Liar and His Lover,” Lee plays the role of Seo Chan-young, a genius bassist who has an inferiority complex towards lead-star Lee Hyun-woo’s role, Kang Han-gyul.

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“In the series, my character Seo Chan-young is musically gifted but not quite like the genius composer Kang Han-gyul,” Lee said.

“You know the saying that the blind spot next to the spotlight is the darkest? I imagined my role, Seo Chan-young, would harbor dissatisfaction for all the attention directed to Han-gyul. I imagined Chan-young to have the attitude, ‘I’m talented too, why should I be second next to him.’”

Lee continued, “But then again, both Chan-young and Han-gyul are artistically and musically ahead of the ordinary people. So they still have something only the two of them understand and empathize with.”

Lee Hyun-woo, who plays the main character Kang Han-gyul, belongs under KeyEast Entertainment which is headed by first-generation Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon.

KeyEast Entertainment also has big name stars such as Kim Soo-hyun and Uhm Jung-hwa. The agency was recently embroiled in a scandal involving its singer Kim Hyun-joong and his ex-girlfriend.

Lee Hyun-woo joked, “In reality I’m treating Seo-won almost deferentially like he’s my older brother.”

“He’s a very cute younger actor, and because he has seriously worked out in the past, he has manly sides that I want to learn from,” Lee said.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)