Versatile is a good word to describe actor Lee Sung Jae. If you did not know that Lee played Jo Gwan Woong, the lecherous ultra-villainous nobleman in "Gu Family Book," you might never recognize him as being the same actor playing Eun Sang Chul, the two-timing widower on the new drama, "The Suspicious Housekeeper."
He hosted the Seoul Drama Awards with "Gu Family Book" co-star Suzy Bae and those who did not recognize him as her drama enemy might have wondered who the handsome actor was to deserve the honor.
Here are some more facts you may not know about Lee Sung Jae.
1) He has played a thug, a dog-hating lecturer, a mountain climber, a ballroom dancer and a lawyer. Because he began his career by acting in the romantic film, "Art Museum By The Zoo," there was a time when critics said he should play only romantic roles. That's what he was best at.
"I may look like a tough guy but actually I feel that gentle tender roles in romantic comedies are more suitable for me," he said earlier in his career.
But once he played Jo Gwan Woong, the man who "Gu Family Book" viewers loved to hate, he became as desirable a villain as a romantic lead.
2) He is known for being very cheerful and silly on set. He is also very kind to younger actors. He and Lee Seung Gi loved to kid around during the filming of "Gu Family Book."
"Lee Sung Jae is an expert at controlling the mood on set with his humor," said Lee Seung Gi.
Lee Sung Jae is known as being an actor who is a pleasure to work with. He is always on time and considerate of both cast and crewmembers.
3) He's a fan of 2NE1 and his favorite song of theirs is "I Don't Care." It always reminds him of spring.
4) He's very witty and is known for making funny embarrassing comments. On MBC's "Radio Star," he told Seo In Guk that he looked like a gremlin. But then he pointed out that girls like that kind of look and even he was tempted to kiss the singer-turned-actor.
5) At a recent press conference for "The Suspicious Housekeeper," he complimented his co-star Choi Ji Woo. He said that while he still tends to be intimidated by beautiful actresses, he found her very down-to-earth. Her lack of pretension made her charming. She was embarrassed but you can already see that the atmosphere on set will be a congenial one.