Beloved Drama Character - But Who Was The Actor Again?

When some actors are mentioned in the feeds or forum, I realized that I don't even know the name's of the actors themselves. I rather remember the character they played in a drama I watched. And for some special ones, I do not even try to recall their name because, in my heart, they will always be this one drama character. But what did they do that I never forgot the role they acted in?

Wol Ryung (Choi Jin Hyuk)

Actually, I've seen Choi Jin Hyuk in a few dramas now. His performances are always quite decent whether he performs as a young doctor who runs into his ex-wife again (Emergency Couple) or the introvert and arrogant brother of Kim Tan (The Heirs) as well as a detective who slipped through time (Tunnel). But one particular role he played amazed me and will always be one of my favorite characters ever: The Gumiho, Wol Ryung

For a woman, it is hard to not love Gu Family Book's Wol Ryung. He is caring, strong, cute, handsome, kind, and wholeheartedly devoted to the one woman he loves. Choi Jin Hyuk shows a huge variety of emotions. When he smiles at Seo Hwa, it feels like the sun is shining. When he hunts, he seems to be so evil, cold, and dangerous. But when he suffers, the heart of the watcher aches. Sadly, Wol Ryung was the only character played by Choi Jin Hyuk which made him show all of his skills. The other roles he acted are rather shallow and not that much of a great challenge so they did not excite me.

Gwi (Lee Soo Hyuk)

Beyond question, Lee Soo Hyuk is extraordinarily beautiful, however, his acting performances are usually not satisfying. When he acts as a depressed young man (White Christmas), I do not feel anything. When he acts an arrogant second lead (Sweet Stranger and Me), I ask myself in which world would this character be attractive (when he starts speaking)? I could not even remember that I saw him in the revenge drama, Shark.
Still, I will always remember him as the vampire, Gwi in Scholar Who Walks the Night.

After some consideration, I realized he did not perform this character so amazingly because of his outstanding acting skills. It feels more like he got a role he fits in. His deadpan facial expression combined with his beautiful face is the ideal choice for an evil vampire with unpredictable thoughts. Moreover, his inexpressive body language contrasts the supernatural physical power and creates an even more erratic villain. If Lee Soo Hyuk doesn't improve drastically he will always be Gwi for me.

Kimura Shunji (Park Ki Woong)

I've only seen this actor in one drama so far, but I doubt he will be someone else then Kimura Shunji from The Bridal Mask to me.

When this figure is kind, he seems to be a little clumsy and even a little naive... maybe innocent is the right word to describe it. I felt almost a little annoyed by his character, but later on, he becomes one of the cruelest and most complex villains I've ever seen. Park Ki Woong performed the insanity of this character so intense that I got goosebumps while watching this drama. During an interview, he once said this was his most difficult role. Sometimes, he started crying at the filming set and had trouble sleeping at night. He put all of his heart and emotions into this character. Maybe when I watch another drama of him, the picture of him as Kimura Shunji changes.

Mo Il Hua (Song Jae Rim)

Song Jae Rim usually acts in two types of roles: the male lead in a rom-com (Surplus Princess) or as a cold-blooded agent (Two Weeks). He didn't manage to convince me with his abilities in any rom-com. There are actors like Yamamoto Yusuke who let the most ridiculous situations seem to be natural thanks to his skills. Song Jae Rim is not able to do that. As a cold-blooded agent, he is more credible. For me, he will always be Mo Il Hua from Inspiring Generation.

What I said for Lee Soo Hyuk counts here as well. Song Jae Rim got cast for a role he perfectly fits in. Mo Il Hua is a martial arts sensei. If he is good or bad is unknown or at least always uncertain. That is why his inexpressive mimic art is almost made for performing an unpredictable master. But one thing has to be acknowledged, Song Jae Rim can easily switch between a stiff appearance to smooth movements, full of body sensation. Because I loved this character so much, the actor Song Jae Rim got upstaged.

In conclusion: On one hand, an actor can only show all his skills when the role he plays offer the depth and variety of emotional facets, on the other hand, a drama character can only be perfectly represented by an actor who either has all skills which are needed or just fits naturally in the character structure.
Sadly both perfect matches are rather rare so that the one perfect role an actor has played sticks to my mind forever.

It would be pleasant if actors get the chance to show all their skills and bring a drama character to life on screen even if they do not fit the beauty ideal. Furthermore, it would be great if a beautiful actor also gets the chance to act the role he is able to perform instead of getting pushed in one direction because of his looks.

Does it make sense to you or do you disagree?

Do you also remember drama characters rather than actors?