Lee Byung Hun confesses he regrets turning down 'Old Boy,' 'Parasite,' and 'Decision to Leave'

Actor Lee Byung Hun (49) revealed at a conference held at Stanford University in the United States that he had regretted rejecting films such as 'Parasite,' 'Old Boy,' and 'Decision to Leave.'

According to Yonhap News, on April 19, he appeared as a speaker at the conference ‘The Future of Hallyu: Korean Film on the Global Stage’ held at Macaw Hall, Stanford University, California, USA.

At the event hosted by Stanford University's Walter Shorenstin Asia-Pacific Institute (Director: Professor Shin Ki Wook) and sponsored by the Korea Foundation, Lee Byung Hun introduced his experience of becoming an actor in fluent English. About 300 people, including Stanford University students and fans, attended the event and filled the auditorium.

Lee Byung Hun said that his acting attitude changed through the movie 'Joint Security Area,' which cemented his position as a movie actor.

At the event, we also received questions from the audience, and when asked, “Have you ever regretted rejecting a role?” Lee Byung Hun mentioned “Parasite, Old Boy, and the Decision to Leave.” He added, “It was because I already had other (movie, etc.) schedules,” and laughed out loud.

'Old Boy' won the Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Choi Min Sik and Yoo Ji Tae played the lead roles.

'Parasite' is a work that broke records by winning four awards, including Best Picture, at the 2020 Academy Awards. Song Kang Ho, Cho Yeo Jeong, Lee Sun Kyun, and Choi Woo Sik appeared. Park Hae Il and Tang Wei performed passionately in 'Decision to Leave,' which won three awards at this year's Asian Film Awards.

When choosing a work, Lee Byung Hun said, “I think the feeling is important. I tend to follow the emotions or senses I feel the moment I read (the script) if I find it interesting.”

Regarding Hollywood, he said, “They (Hollywood) did not take my acting skills seriously. They only saw (the draw) the 40,000 people at the Tokyo Dome fan meeting in 2006." He then added that they told him they would have cast him to enter the Asian market and later acknowledged his acting while working together.

Lee Byung Hun, who answered most of the audience's questions in English, made everyone laugh when he shared, "I only learned English at an academy when I was in my second year of high school. I didn't even receive an education (in English) in Hollywood. I studied for two months for the first time in my life for this event."

Lee Byung Hun concluded by saying that whether it is a movie or drama, as long as the story and director are good, he said that OTT platforms such as Netflix are "a great opportunity for Korean actors."