'Goblin' star Lee Dong Wook clarifies casting story; says he was first choice for Grim Reaper role

Lee Dong Wook says that he met director Kim Eun-sook even before Gong Yoo was cast.

Lee Dong-wook
Actor Lee Dong-wook poses for fashion Magazine Arena Homme Plus instagram.com/leedongwook_official

Back in January, it was reported how Lee Dong-wook had to convince a reluctant Kim Eun-sook to offer him the Grim Reaper role in 'Goblin.' Dong-wook has finally opened about the actual story and clarifies that he was actually the first choice for the Grim Reaper character.

Website Soompi notes that actor Lee Dong-wook recently posed for magazine Arena Homme Plus and also sat down for an interview that was published in the magazine itself. It is during the interview he clarifies that reports of Kim Eun-sook thinking of other actors in 'Goblin,' are simply untrue. The 35-year-old actor also said that he met Kim Eun-sook even before Gong Yoo was cast.

"I read an article about how I was cast in 'Goblin,' and I was upset to discover a few parts that were described incorrectly. It's true that I reached out to writer Kim Eun Sook for the grim reaper role, but it's not true that she had another actor in mind for the role. After the article went out, she called me up very apologetically. But the truth is, I went up to writer Kim Eun Sook before the synopsis was out and even before Gong Yoo was cast as the goblin."

The story, to which Lee Dong-wook refers to, was published by Soompi and then cited by others. "At the time, I received an offer for the lead role in another drama, and that drama ended up doing well, too. But for me, even though it was only in the developing stages, the grim reaper seemed like a very attractive character. The storyline, fantasy genre, the setting of a goblin and grim reaper living together, playing double roles, and everything else about the drama was great," Dong-wook recalled.

It is really difficult to imagine anyone else as the Grim Reaper anymore and now Dong-wook confirms he was indeed the one. It was also reported that the actor didn't have to keep chasing the writer of 'Goblin: The Lonely and Great God,' he had convinced her of his appropriateness for the role of the Grim Reaper and she had no choice but to offer him the role.

Lee Dong-wook also talked of his co-star and 'Goblin' lead actor Gong Yoo. "We've been close for a while. We served in the military together, but acting in the same drama is completely different, so I told him that I'd support him well, and he then told me to act to my heart's content. Filming the drama was a lot of fun, possibly because we started out with an honest conversation," the 'My Girl' actor said, adding "All of the cast members enjoyed filming, and by the end of the drama, I felt like I had spent a really great time in a world created by our 'creator' Kim Eun Sook."

Though it is not known what Lee Dong-wook's next project is, or whether it will be starring Gong Yoo, Soompi notes that the 35-year-old actor is already in the process of selecting his next project.

This article was first published on March 6, 2017