"I think any Korean kid, at one point, wanted to become an idol, or celebrity, or something, right?" Sang Heon Lee tells Preview with a chuckle. The Secret Ingredient leading man, known for his breakthrough role in XO, Kitty, then proceeds to reveal the serendipitous story of how he ended up becoming an actor: "I said, 'I want to be a dancer,' and then my career counselor said, 'no.'"
In this exclusive 10 Things video, the heartthrob takes a moment off his busy schedule to share fun facts, personal tidbits, and how much he would love to explore the Philippines and eat Filipino food. Not only does he reveal the real reason he started his film career, he also lets us in on the psyche of the latest character he portrays.
WATCH: 10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Sang Heon Lee, According to Sang Heon Lee
1. He would love to explore the Philippines more.
While he is personally not a beach lover, Sang Heon Lee has heard enough about our pristine Philippine shores to want to one day check it out for himself.
2. He was born in the Year of the Rat.
In Eastern folklore, all 12 zodiac animals participate in a race where the rat ultimately wins because of its wit. Sang Heon Lee resonates with his Eastern zodiac as he also believes in the value of working smarter versus working harder. "I mean life is hard, but you don't have to make it harder for yourself," he explains.
3. He likes Filipino food.
While he wasn't able to explore the Philippine locales, he proudly shares that he's been very adventurous with food and have tried Filipino staples. His perfect Pinoy plate would consist of gising-gising, adobo, garlic rice, and baby squid in olive oil.
4. His favorite weird food combination is a ham and cheese sandwich with Nutella.
Speaking of being an adventurous foodie, he once made a ham and cheese sandwich using Nutella instead of butter. You would think it didn't work, but he swears by it!
5. He's a bookworm.
With a preference for fiction novels, Sang Heon Lee has nothing but high praises for children's book author Roald Dahl. He even reveals that books were his gateway to movies, opting to see the big-screen adaptations of his favorite titles.
6. He loves watching movies.
Some of his top-of-mind favorite flicks include Green Book, Moneyball, and Snatch. Fun fact: His favorite director is Guy Ritchie.
7. He enjoys rock climbing.
He's been rock climbing for two and a half years now, and he even dabbles in both indoor and outdoor climbs. You can catch more of Sang Heon Lee in his element on his secondary Instagram account that's purely dedicated to this hobby.
8. He started painting after a rock climbing injury.
"I've grown quite fond of painting," the actor shares with Preview. A new pastime he picked up after a climbing injury, he swears by the activity's calming effects on his mental state. "While I'm painting, I'm not thinking about anything, I'm just focused on what's in front of me," he quips.
9. He wanted to be a dancer before finally deciding to pursue acting.
While he considers his high school career counselor a "party pooper" for squashing his dreams of becoming a professional dancer, he does recognize that the counselor's suggestion to pursue a career related to film helped him decide to pursue acting.
He says that he enjoys watching films and he didn't want to hate the activity when it becomes attached to his work—just like how he's seen other people who pursued their passions as careers. And so he figured, why not appear on film instead? FYI, his career counselor recommended he become a film critic because of how much he loved watching movies.
10. His latest role is Ha Joon from "Secret Ingredient."
While it's no secret that Sang Heon Lee is creating buzz alongside Julia Barretto and Nicholas Saputra for their new Viu series, the actor let us in on his character's psyche by describing Ha Joon as a "confident yet fragile boy, not a man yet, who is learning to find love and forgiveness towards the people around him."
We can't wait to watch his portrayal!
