Yoon Kyun-sang in talks to headline Rebel Hong Gil-dong

by girlfriday

This is only a slight possibility, but there’s talk of Yoon Kyun-sang (Doctors, Six Flying Dragons) being offered the leading role in MBC’s new fusion sageuk Rebel Hong Gil-dong. Yoon reportedly took a meeting with PD Kim Jin-man (Kill Me, Heal Me) about the drama, but when news broke that he was offered the title role—MBC said he was considering the part of Hong Gil-dong—Yoon’s reps issued a statement saying that there have been no official offers yet. So… what’s it going to take to make it official?

It’s not clear who’s officially out of the running, but offers have been given to Namgoong Min (Beautiful Gong Shim) and Ji Sung (Entertainer), and Yoon Kyun-sang is the third name to pop up in the mix for the leading role. There’s a chance that any number of them will be cast in supporting roles instead (I wouldn’t mind all three of them in one drama, if I’m being greedy), but I do remember this sort of thing happening with this PD’s last drama Kill Me, Heal Me, over the course of multiple casting rounds with potential actors, so maybe he’s just really picky about his leads.

Rebel Hong Gil-dong will be a fusion sageuk that retells the story of famous Joseon folk hero Hong Gil-dong. Set during the reign of tyrannical king Yeonsangun, the drama will portray Hong Gil-dong as a revolutionary activist who fights for the people against the social class system.

Kim Sang-joong (Jingbirok, Bad Guys) is considering the role of Hong Gil-dong’s father, a nobleman who never acknowledged his illegitimate son, and was the root of Hong Gil-dong’s famous line about being unable to call his father his father and his brother his brother. Honey Lee (Come Back, Ajusshi) is up to play the king’s consort Jang No-suk, a famous historical femme fatale who was the only confidante to a mad king. In the drama she’ll be torn between the king and her first love whom she never forgot, Hong Gil-dong.

If Yoon Kyun-sang does get cast, it will be his first starring role four years after his debut (as one of the Woodalchi warriors in Faith). But he’s done well with supporting characters and had a high-profile role in SBS’s Six Flying Dragons, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he nabbed a leading part at this point. On top of his recent drama successes, he’s also bromancing it up with Eric and Seo-jinnie on Three Meals a Day, which of course only makes me like him more. I don’t know about the rebel part, but I can see Yoon Kyun-sang fitting the hero image to a tee.

Rebel Hong Gil-dong is scheduled to follow Night Light (which comes after Woman With a Suitcase) on Mondays and Tuesdays in January.

Via TV Daily

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