Lee Sang-yis rise to stardom: the MSG Wannabe member is set to star in K-drama Hometown Cha-Cha-C

Here are five things to know about Lee as his star continues to rise.

He rose to stardom through his role in Once Again

Lee was already famous in the music world before becoming a TV star, as he debuted in 2014 in a musical. He took on minor roles in K-dramas, including in the Korean remake of Suits, The Third Charm and, most notably, When the Camellia Blooms, which was one of the most popular K-dramas of 2019. He played the role of a junior school baseball coach.

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His popularity spiked after starring in Once Again, a family drama that aired in 2020. Playing Yoon Jae-seok, a pediatric dentist, Lee’s character begins the show adamant about not getting married, but he ends up developing feelings for Song Da-hee, played by actress Lee Cho-hee.

Many fans fell for Lee after watching his cute scenes in Once Again – and admiring his good looks, of course.

Most recently, Lee starred in historical drama Youth of May, which portrayed the Gwangju Uprising in 1980s Korea.

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His university besties are famous now, too

Lee is very close to Goblin’s Kim Go-eun, Hospital Playlist’s Ahn Eun-jin, and Vincenzo’s Kim Seong-cheol. Although today, all of them are successful and busy with their own dramas, TV shows and musicals, they share a past. They were in the same cohort when they attended the prestigious Korea National University of Arts, studying drama together and sharing a passion for acting. Netizens call them the “10 hak-beon”, which means “the cohort that started studying in college in 2010”.

When they were still in university, they posted videos of themselves singing together on YouTube. And as they became more well-known, these videos have gone viral.

The stars have mentioned each other in several interviews, sharing funny stories from university. They often comment on each other’s Instagram posts and tease each other too, as good friends do.

In 2018, Lee and Kim Seong-cheol co-starred in the television series, To. Jenny, where they acted together for the first time since graduating from university.

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He is a big fan of the singer Rain

Lee has expressed his admiration for the OG K-pop star Rain on multiple occasions. Twelve years ago, when he was in high school, Lee did a choreographed cover of one of Rain’s most iconic songs, Rainism. The video went viral, and fans still love watching his moves. Check it out below!

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He loves keeping pet fish

One of Lee’s hobbies is keeping pet fish. When he appeared as a guest on the Korean reality show I Live Alone and introduced his home to the public, what caught viewers’ eyes were the aquariums all around his house.

As people saw on the show, he enjoys collecting fish of different species. Fans saw Lee taking very good care them, feeding them even before having his own breakfast. Some fans even commented on YouTube and social media that they wished to be Lee’s fish.

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He will be starring in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

The good news keeps on coming for K-drama fans. A new show, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, is in the making, and the first episode has recently been confirmed to air in August. Acting alongside Kim Woo-bin’s girlfriend Shin Min-a and Kim Seon-ho, who forever charmed female fans with his role in Netflix’s Start-Up last year, Lee will be playing Ji Seong-hyun, a workaholic variety show producer.

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