Lee Min Ho Shakes Up His Image With Unexpected Role In New K-Drama “When The Stars Gossip”
Spoiler Alert
Actor Lee Min Ho is synonymous with “rich.” The actor is known for portraying some of the wealthiest characters in K-Drama history, from Boys Over Flowers to Heirs to The King: Eternal Monarch. For years, netizens have joked that he is the “king” of playing rich characters and so allergic to playing a poor character that Lee Min Ho must turn down any script in which his character isn’t rich.
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@rakuten_viki Pretty much 😂 . . . . #leeminho #boysoverflowers #kdrama #kdramamath #kdramaday #boymath #girlmath #kdramas #fyp #viral #meme
Now, Lee Min Ho has proved this all wrong by finally taking on a new role: poor and jobless!
Lee Min Ho’s latest K-Drama is tvN‘s When the Stars Gossip, which premiered over the weekend. He stars as an obstetrician-gynecologist-turned-space tourist who is on a secret mission on behalf of his potential in-laws, who are chaebols. Min Ho’s character, Gong Ryong, meets astronaut Eve Kim (Gong Hyo Jin) on this mission.
Gong Ryong (Lee Min-Ho) is an obstetrician and he is the prospective son-in-law for the largest chaebol group MZ. He has a secret mission that he can’t tell anyone about. For his secret mission, he pays large sum of money to travel to the space station as space tourist. At the space station, Eve Kim (Kong Hyo-Jin) is stationed there. She is an elite space scientist and is currently on her first space station mission as a commander. She is a perfectionist who strictly follows rules and doesn’t tolerate a single mistake in an area where dangers lurk everywhere. Her crew members including fruit fly research scientist Kang Kang-Su (Oh Jung-Se), who is the second son of a family that runs a global financial company.
— AsianWiki
Gong Ryong was not born into a wealthy family. Instead, his mother passed after giving birth to him, and he was raised by his aunts, who work at a pub. Gong Ryong worked hard as a high school student, scoring a perfect score on the CSAT and ultimately becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist. Unfortunately, he was still broke, and he ultimately lost his job.
When The Stars Gossip starring Lee Min-ho and Kong Hyo-jin is now playing 💫
From two different worlds and with separate missions, an astronaut and a space tourist entangle in space — only to start falling for each other. pic.twitter.com/eUZeWJ8Pkj
— Netflix (@netflix) January 4, 2025
This twist shocked viewers, who had never seen Lee Min Ho as anyone but rich.
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The #LeeMinHo they think is never possible
Just look at his car 🤣🤣🤣 can't believe I finally watch him live as a poor man #WhenTheStarsGossip pic.twitter.com/ZXb7UYwdtO— MinJiSooHo's Critics 🐐 (@itzemmixkc) January 2, 2025
finally!!! i’ve seen @ActorLeeMinHo portraying a role of a jobless man with poor socioeconomic status 😭😂#WhenTheStarsGossip#WhenTheStarsGossipEp1 pic.twitter.com/FFbbCyUQXO
— chance; ⬠ 🍉 (@rndvsh) January 4, 2025
#LeeMinHo really did it for "he always plays a chaebol" gang🤭
Extremely poor, doing anything for money👍🏻It did feel fresh & PROVES HE CAN DO ANYTHING😍🔥 can never dull his charm even in rags🤭#WhenTheStarsGossip#WhenTheStarsGossipEp1pic.twitter.com/XyZP17r4sr
— Fi🌸 (@Fifi1700) January 5, 2025
While netizens marveled at how far we have come that Lee Min Ho was now playing broke characters, some K-Drama fans confessed that Lee Min Ho just doesn’t have the right vibe for a poor person. His face is too rich-looking!
the kiss caught me off guard 😆
can't believe I was alive to see minho play a broke ass, poor, career dumpster fire character …phew hilarious
(also that hairstyle…you just cannot take the chaebol handsomeness outta him 😂)#WhenTheStarsGossipEp1 #WhenTheStarsGossip #LeeMinHo pic.twitter.com/ir0lGUcNb0— 𝓛𝓮𝔂𝓵𝓪𝓱🦋 (@kdramaLeylah) January 6, 2025
Lee Minho is not suitable for being poor. Even though he is poor, his aura can’t lie. His aura is too expensive 😭😭😂#WhenTheStarsGossip #WhenTheStarsGossipEp1 pic.twitter.com/zIOmXDnuyT
— hanidaero (@aunaiseu) January 5, 2025
You people wanted him to be poor so bad.
He’s poor now o
What next? Pastor?
#WhenTheStarsGossip #LeeMinHo pic.twitter.com/BWM8QTH9TR— Bangtanbunny⁷ and Cafe Latte😌 (@joonlovesme_) January 4, 2025
Some couldn’t buy Lee Min Ho as “poor” at all. They said it felt “weird” and “wrong.”
Lee min ho is so used to him rich boy era and aura that him being poor is not sitting right with me at all 🤣 He smells like money even through the screen. #WhenTheStarsGossip
— 🦋♥️🌟 (@Iactinsanehere_) January 6, 2025
Its feels illegal to watch Lee min ho being poor😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣
— 𝙟𝙤💕 (@Nicegirljojo) January 6, 2025
Lee Minho is poor in this new drama? He probably heard y'all ranting…but omooo…it feels so weird 😭😭.
— Jumoke, the future filmmaker (@Jumokeotex) January 6, 2025
On the other hand, some found Lee Min Ho’s new character a “refreshing” sight to see.
Its refreshing to see this kind of Lee Minho… A poor one… 😁 pic.twitter.com/ezSKonrPYS
— hurricane81|belovedwolfquokka|pinkyave|🐺🐨|🐷 (@dopanamgil313) January 5, 2025
Lee minho as poor this is refreshing 😆#WhenTheStarsGossip #WhenTheStarsGossipEp1 pic.twitter.com/xiP4aupqDj
— ♡ (@kdramaloveu) January 6, 2025
While Lee Min Ho’s most famous roles are rich, he actually isn’t a stranger to playing struggling characters. He’s happy to return to his roots.
People…before you embarrass yourself saying #LeeMinHo never played a poor character watch his very first dramas and then go watch him in Gangnam Blues and Pachinko…especially ep 7!
Nough said about that. Next!— M (@AmNohbdy) January 5, 2025
back in 2021:
GQ: "what kind of character would you cast yourself if you were the director?"
LMH: "i want a character who wears 3 stripes slippers"
LMH: "i used to play characters that were poor and realistic"
*wish granted* 🪄😉#LeeMinHo#WhenTheStarsGossip pic.twitter.com/FGHIcNSPpB
— purple_heart87💜 (@xjinnyxpurple) January 5, 2025
When the Stars Gossip airs every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 (KST) and is available for international streaming via Netflix.
