After captivating fans with his landmark roles, Lee Dong-wook returns this summer in a dark, family-friendly vein with The Nice Guy, JTBC's new drama. Expected on July 18, this Kdrama mixes family secrets, moral dilemmas and acid humor at the heart of a clan like no other.
The Nice Guy tells the story of Park Seok-chul, played by Lee Dong-wook, the eldest of a three-generation gangster family. Far from the cliché of the heartless mobster, Seok-chul hides a sincere soul, ready to do anything to protect those he loves. At his side, his first love Kang Mi-young (played by Lee Sung-kyung) dreams of becoming a singer: an impossible romance that adds a touch of melancholy to the plot.
The Park family presents
But one of the drama's greatest assets is the gallery of characters that make up the Park family.. Between sibling squabbles and past wounds, their interactions promise scenes that are sometimes funny, sometimes poignant.
Oh Na-ra plays Park Seok-kyung, the talkative, unpredictable older sister. After an accumulation of sentimental and financial failures, Seok Kyung sinks into gambling before returning, riddled with debt, to take refuge in the family home. An explosive role that the actress promises to play with a healthy dose of tenderness beneath her clumsiness.
Ryu Hye-young (currently seen in Law and the City), lends her features to Park Seok Hee, the youngest of the trio. A meticulous nurse, Seok Hee is the pride of the family thanks to her sense of duty and uprightness. Yet behind her firm gaze lie doubts: will she have to give up her dreams to remain the one everyone expects?
FinallyCheon Ho-jin plays Park Sil-gon, the patriarch with the stature of a former kingpin. A dreaded former gangster, he has traded the underworld for a vegetable garden, while carrying the weight of his regrets: having led his son down the same dark paths as himself. Always dressed to the nines, fedora screwed on his head, Sil Gon embodies a living paradox between authority and repentance.
Lee Dong-wook was full of praise for his partners, saying he was honored to share the screen with actors "who don't even need to be introduced". As for director Song Hae-sung, he praises the accuracy of the casting: Oh Na-ra and Ryu Hye-young bring a welcome lightness, while Cheon Ho-jin brings a moving depth to the father of the family.
The Nice Guy will be broadcast from July 18, every Friday on jTBC with two back-to-back episodes, and available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu (depending on region).
