Actor Lee Se-chang has said that his resemblance to comedian Rimaryo (real name Lee Sang-hoon) typecast him and made it difficult to find work.
Lee appears on TV Chosun's "Perfect Life," which airs Wednesday.
Once celebrated as an "original sculpted heartthrob," Lee said he suffered an unexpected backlash after Rimaryo — a comedian known for looking just like him — rose to fame.
The two appeared together on the SBS comedy program "Utchaksa" in 2004. Lee said his troubles began the moment he stepped off that stage.
"People on the street would recognize me and say, 'It's the comedian,'" he said. "My image had completely hardened into that of a comedian. An actor needs an air of mystery, but whenever people saw my face, they thought of Rimaryo."
Lee said the fallout kept him off drama series for an entire year.
He has raised the issue on television several times over the years. In a 2011 broadcast, he said he had originally agreed to appear on "Utchaksa" to make his unborn daughter laugh, never imagining it would prove so damaging to his career. "My life changed from that point," he said. "Not only did I get pigeonholed into a greasy image and drift away from serious acting, but Rimaryo still comes up when people search my name."
On another program in 2017, he said all of his advertising contracts were canceled the year after the "Utchaksa" appearance with Rimaryo. "I asked why, and they told me I came across as funny," he said. "Even in a suit, I looked comical — that's what it came down to."
paq@heraldcorp.com
