A desirable appearance and star appeal are things that feed one's popularity. For young male South Korean actors, the fastest way to fame is often through the female audience's hearts and the marketability they gain from them. However, this is not always as good as it sounds. Attractive stars usually have to work twice as hard for their acting to be seen above their looks and it does not always happen. Kang Dong-won has successfully gone from a simple heartthrob to someone valued for his talent.
Kang made his debut through a second lead role in the 2003 drama 'The Funny Wild Girl', most commonly known as 'Country Princess'. His drama career was rather short-lived, ending with 2004 drama 'Magic', as he felt the drama filming system was too stressful and content often too melodramatic. His movie debut was in 2004 film 'Too Beautiful to Lie' as its male lead, but it was his role in the movie 'Temptation of Wolves' which garnered him great attention. It was in 2004 when Kang switched gears and started evolving into the actor he is today.
Full Article: [HanCinema's Actor Spotlight] Kang Dong-won.
