Lee Dong Wook does his own stunts on Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 and, man, is he GRACEFUL doing them!
Michelle Topham 
Yes, Lee Dong Wook is superb at doing his own stunts
It is well known throughout Hollywood the actors who do their own stunts and fight scenes versus those that do not.
Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford do, for instance, while Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson generally do not.
The same probably goes in South Korea with some Korean actors thrilled to do their own stunts, as doing so really does add to the continuity of a scene, while others shy away from them due to a lack of self-confidence or an unwillingness to risk getting hurt.
One South Korean actor who does do his own stunts, at least in the currently airing Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938, is Lee Dong Wook — the actor who plays male lead, and main Gumiho himself, Lee Yeon.
And an actor who, apparently, is not only superb at doing his own stunts but one who also pays meticulous attention to detail in every scene.
Lee Dong Wook makes his stunts look effortless
Some actors make doing their own stunts look easy while others, even if they are willing to work hard, still struggle to make them appear authentic.
According to a recent video released by Lee Dong Wook’s agency King Kong by Starship (킹콩 by 스타쉽 in Korean) (watch video below), it appears the South Korean actor is one of the former.
An actor who is so graceful with his body movements and his facial expressions, as he acts out the fight scenes necessary to show off Lee Yeon as the thousand-plus-year-old kickass nine-tailed fox he is, he makes every stunt seem effortless.
Effortless in that, while every spin, twist, turn, flying kick and manipulation of Lee Dong Wook’s body is meant to end in a body-dropping blow to his opponent, every one of the actor’s movements is so damned fluid and clean, he is simply beautiful to watch.
Almost like a dancer.
Lee Dong Wook’s attention to detail in every scene is also interesting as he rehearses scenes with stunt actors, and with fellow actor Ryu Kyung Soo who plays Cheon Moo Young.
Times during which the Korean actor recommends slightly different movements or hand positions to his opponent, as he believes by doing that the scene will appear more believable and the movement itself more effective in what it is meant to do.
From watching Lee Dong Wook do his own stunts, you can also easily see the many hours he has spent learning how his own body moves and works, so that he is now able to control it with such ease and grace.
RELATED: Watch Lee Dong Wook give relationship advice, while admitting he sucks at relationships himself
Plus, isn’t it nice to watch a very successful actor just getting on with his job to the best of his ability, and without any whining? Thus making life easier for everyone around him.
Even to the point that, when being forced to hold onto a stunt knife held by Cheon Moo Young while the “knife” is continually pulled back through his hand, Lee Dong Wook doesn’t complain when it is obvious it hurts.
Watch Lee Dong Wook do his own stunts for his role as Lee Yeon in Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 in the video below.
Then admit, while the Korean actor might make everything he does seem simple, the amazing amount of thought and hard-work he puts into every tiny detail really is astounding.
And thank you, King Kong by Starship, for all the videos you put out about the actors you represent (and for the English subtitles!)
And, hell, if I was Lee Dong Wook, I would stay with you forever. Simply because you always make him look so damned good.
All 12 episodes of Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 are streaming now via Amazon Prime Video.
RELATED: Which Tale of the Nine-Tailed actor is more shy? Lee Dong Wook or Kim Bum?
About the Author
Rachel M. Reeves 
