Five Fun Facts About Shin Sung Rok

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Shin Sung Rok
You Who Came From The Stars
Lee Sun Kyun

Shin Sung Rok is a pretty convincing villain in "You Who Came From The Stars." His character Lee Jae Kyung is determined to kill anyone who threatens to expose his crimes. But in real life, the actor is a pretty nice guy and he can carry a tune. Before this role he was better known for his voice than his chill-inducing smile.

Here are a few facts you may not know about him.

1. He prefers appearing in musicals to any other kind of acting. His musicals have included "Monte Cristo," "Jack the Ripper," Romeo and Juliette," "Scary Girl," "Dracula" and "Hamlet."

"I feel most at home in musicals and musical roles have made me what I am now, so I can't stop performing the musicals however busy I get," he told The Korea Times. "I always long for a good musical and try to do it because a good musical won't wait for me." 

2. He's determined. Performing in front of an almost empty theater did not discourage him from acting. It only helped him grow stronger in his conviction.

"Many good actors started their acting careers on the stage, so I decided to do the same and build up acting experience," he said. But when he performed in the musical "Mosquito," there were only 20+ people sitting in the audience.

"I was really depressed and frustrated but the experience strengthened me and helped me become a braver tougher actor," he said.

3. He's tall. Although he slowly made the transition to k-dramas, at first he did not get many role offers because of his height. He's an inch over six feet tall.

"Directors were reluctant to cast an aspiring actor that's this tall as a supporting or minor role, and finding a leading actor role was even more difficult," he said. "I thought that I might be able to have a chance if I built up my acting ability, so I moved to theater acting.

Since adding k-dramas to his resume, he appeared in a half dozen dramas, including "Thank You," "Hyena," "One Mom and Three Dads," and "Definitely Neighbors."

4. He does his research. To play a chef in the drama "Definitely Neighbors," he drew inspiration from Lee Sun Kyun's chef role in "Pasta."

"I had a lot of fun watching that drama," said Shin Sung Rok. "I learned a lot from Lee Sun Kyun's character. He has a great sense of humor too."

There's no word on what he researched to play the evil Lee Jae Kyung.

5. He was rumored to be in a relationship with ballerina and "Dancing with the Stars 3" judge Kim Joo Won. His agency denied the rumors.

According to HB Entertainment, they are merely close friends who like to catch an occasional concert together. He also appeared on "We Got Married" as a couple with comedian Kim Shin Young. He credits his "We Got Married" appearance as being a turning point in his career. Viewers found him charming.

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