‘The Roundup: No Way Out’: Lee Joon Hyuk Admits Being Intimidated by Ma Dong Seok’s Fist
Ahead of the much-awaited premiere, "The Roundup: No Way Out" cast starring Ma Dong Seok, Lee Joon Hyuk, and more graced the press conference to talk about their experience and thoughts about the sequel.
After the record-breaking release of 2022's "The Roundup," legendary detective Ma Suk Do returns with a different mission featuring new villains. With "The Roundup: No Way Out" set to debut on May 31, the cast and the whole team hinted at what to expect in the third installment.
Lee Joon Hyuk Confesses Being 'Intimadated' by 'The Roundup: No Way Out' Co-Star Ma Dong Seok
In "The Roundup: No Way Out," Lee Joon Hyuk plays the new villain, Joo Sung Cheol.
Although playing the antagonist is not new to him, the versatile star says his new character hits different since it is his first project in which he played an "extreme villain" role.
At the press conference, the 39-year-old actor admitted that he felt pressure working alongside Ma Dong Seok.
According to Lee Joon Hyuk, he did a lot of preparation before the production started. It includes working out and doing boxing so he will "not look too strange" during fight scenes with his fellow lead star.
However, he pointed out the huge difference between his size and Ma Dong Seok's and expressed being "intimidated" by the actor's massive fist, especially during intense fight scenes.
On the other hand, Ma Dong Seok returned the praise and spoke about how strong Lee Joon Hyuk is.
"Your fists are too strong," he said, as obtained by a media outlet, and even described him as King Kong because of his co-star's strength.
Ma Dong Seok Gets Surpised by Lee Joon Hyuk's Transformation in 'The Roundup: No Way Out'
For three sequels, Ma Dong Seok continued to play the role of the hotshot detective and also played the producer of the movie.
The award winning star mentioned that he was surprised by Lee Joon Hyuk's transformation for his villain role.
Ma Dong Seok recalled when his co-star said that he "just needed to gain a little weight" but was stunned to see him bulking up for the role.
"He said that he needed to grow a lot while working out, and he said that he gained 20 kg, Ma Dong Seok shared, adding, "He gained a lot of muscle. He bulked up by eating and exercising a lot."
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'The Roundup: No Way Out' Star Lee Joon Hyuk Reveals How Ma Dong Seok Convinced Him to Play Villain Role
Lee Joon Hyuk previously mentioned in his interview with Allure Korea that he gained almost 19kg. The actor said that he opted to change his appearance so it "would hurt less" during the fight scene with Ma Dong Seok.
Besides working out a lot, he also changed his diet. It includes eating "a lot of chicken breast and tomatoes" and trying out fast foods.
"I had the purpose of gaining a lot of weight for 'The Roundup: No Way Out', so I ate foods I like, such as hamburgers and chicken," he said.
Unfortunately, his health suffered due to a sudden change in his routine, revealing that his "liver index increased" after the weight gain.
"My health seems to be getting worse," the actor admitted, adding, "I overworked my body, so I'm thinking about protecting it."
READ MORE: Lee Joon Hyuk's Health 'Got Worse' After Weight Gain For 'The Roundup: No Way Out'
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