For years Hollywood has been the leader in the way of the cinematic world. Truth be told, from just about every aspect of all things arts and entertainment, Hollywood has always been the go to (historically speaking)….the gold standard by which every other entertainment market around the world sets itself against. However, I must admit that even as I say that, I think Hollywood has “fallen off” a bit lately. With the re-vamping (*or re-hashing as some would say*) of many of its most popular movie franchises from the not-too-distant past, I was inspired…if you will…to turn my mind’s eye to some of Hollywood’s most popular leading men. I would say Hollywood could do with a fresh take on some of its age old ideas and become even more diverse. Sooo the daydream began……I thought….”if Hollywood came a’calling in Korea, what Korean male lovelies would they choose for the most popular categories for male leads on film…these are my thoughts. Hey Hollywood…..you might want to take notes?!

The Strong Silent type:



Hollywood style
l-r: Hugh Jackman, Henry Cavill, Liev Schreiber



Korean style
l-r: Won Bin, Song Jae Rim, T.O.P.

The strong silent type may be a man of a few words, but his eyes will tell you everything you need to know. However, when he does speak, he’s “E.F. Hutton” in full effect. Mysteriously, sexy…..this one will have you waiting with bated breath.
The Smooth Operator:



Hollywood style
l-r: Pierce Brosnan, George Clooney, Idris Elba



Korean style
l-r: Hyun Bin, Lee Byung Hun, Joo Sang Wook


The smooth operator not only makes the ladies swoon by his mere presence when he walks in the room, but he can even make the toughest of the tough guys do a double take as well….and that’s without breaking a sweat. He’s knows he’s “deadly” and makes absolutely no excuses for the “devastation” that lays in his wake.

The Class Clown:



Hollywood style
l-r: Eddie Murphy, Jack Black, Marlon Wayans



Korean style
l-r: Lee Kwang Soo, Jo Hee Bong

The class clown takes no prisoners when it comes to tickling your funny bone. He has a way of bringing out the kid in all of us. He reminds us to not take ourselves too seriously, as life is way too short for that. The comedy of the class clown can be silly or saucy but either way, he’ll make your day a tad bit lighter and your heart a tad bit warmer.


Last, but most certainly not the least…..not the least by a long shot, we have the most important category of all the leading men

The Jack-Of-All-Trades:



Hollywood style
l-r: Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Chris Pine



Korean style
l-r: Rain, Gong Yoo, Lee Seung Gi

The Jack-of-all-trades is the leading man that can do it all…and very well I might add. Everything he touches turns to gold. Be it drama, comedy (romantic and the like), action adventure or sci-fi, this leading man specializes in each equally. He’s class, he’s elegance, he’s hip, he’s cool, he’s a jokester, he’s a guy’s guy and he’s a ladies’ man smoother than silk and he’s quite simply Hot-ta-death! This leading man is Swag personified.

Although the genres of “the leading man” haven’t changed much through the decades, the visual representation is slowly changing its form however. If the Hollywood establishment had its way, the visual of the leading man would have remained “one note” forever and a day. It would seem though that the status quo has now turned towards people of color as of late, yet there is still a long, long way to go. Dare I say, if Hollywood were to turn its eye toward its Korean counterparts showcased here, no doubt they would turn the town on its ear. After watching these Korean stars in just about every entertainment medium Korea has to offer, I can say with absolute certainty that Hollywood would be lucky to have their screens (big and small) graced with the talented presence of these lovely hard-working men. With the awesomeness that is Lee Byung Hun and Rain taking up the charge in Hollywood, I’d say the future of the Korean leading man is indeed bright….so bright you just may have to keep your Ray-Bans handy.


By: 





SHARE 0 comments

Add your comment

Share!

Never miss a post!

Get new posts by email:
© SweetxAesthetic · THEME BY WATDESIGNEXPRESS