Top Actor Claims He Cried After Racy Scenes, Calls Out K-Drama Production Team

Actor Lee Hyun Wook is currently starring in The Queen Who Crowns. The show was surprisingly racy, with the producers airing a 15+ version on tvN, and a separate 19+ version on TVing, an OTT platform. The explicit scenes sparked controversy, especially after it was revealed that a body double and CGI were used, drawing criticism.

During an interview, actor Lee Hyun Wook stated that he tends to avoid such scenes. He also lamented that there was not enough communication between the actors and the production team, inferring that he was not aware of the full picture in terms of how the scenes were produced. He also revealed that he had ended up crying while watching the show. The lack of control he had over how the scenes turned out, as the main character, affected him greatly.

I tend to avoid mature nude scenes. For this drama, the characters were real historical figures. Since their actual names were used, I felt such scenes could be disrespectful. There should have been more communication between the actors and production team, but after watching the broadcast, I realized it wasn’t enough, which was surprising. I cried a lot after watching the broadcast. It was painful, and I started doubting my own acting. In a way, speaking out like this is scary. People outside say they enjoyed it, but internally, I felt like I was walking on a knife’s edge. It was extremely difficult—so much so that I wondered if I would ever recover. Once a project is out, there are things beyond my control. I used to believe in finding the right answer with certainty, but I’ve learned that’s not everything. ‘Wonkyeong’ left me personally heartbroken. Even when a project didn’t do well or my performance wasn’t great, I never regretted it. But this time, I found myself doubting my own acting while watching the broadcast. Still, as time passed, I started to accept it, and my perspective has broadened.

— Lee Hyun Wook

The Queen Who Crowns sparked criticism due to its overly racy nature. Many indicated they felt uncomfortable watching the show and could not continue beyond the first few episodes. Despite this, the show hit acclaim and was the highest ranked show airing at that time. You can get a small taster of the show below.