Actor Lee Seung-gyu Talks Netflix Hit 'Teach You a Lesson' and His Dream to Age Like Fine Wine

Lee Seung-gyu on his breakout villain role in Netflix's Teach You a Lesson," the show's viral fire scene, and his goal to grow into a more layered actor.

"The first half of this year has been like a rollercoaster. Before "Teach You a Lesson" came out, I was in a personal slump. Now my heart feels full and I'm having fun. It's like everything shot up all at once. I hope it doesn't come back down."

Actor Lee Seung-gyu left a sharp impression on viewers with the Netflix series "Teach You a Lesson," which has drawn attention around the world. The show follows a fictional Teachers' Rights Protection Bureau, an agency created to defend a collapsing school system in South Korea, as it delivers hard lessons to those who abuse it. Lee Seung-gyu plays Ryu Jun-hyung, a school-violence perpetrator, taking on a villain role. He has been working steadily for years, but the success of "Teach You a Lesson" has opened doors he had never walked through before.

"I've been getting messages from viewers in all kinds of countries," he said. "These are experiences I've never had, so it feels new and a little surreal."

One of the show's standout moments is the scene where Ryu Jun-hyung is punished by Na Hwa-jin, played by Kim Moo-yul, and ends up engulfed in flames. Ryu, who had refused to admit any wrongdoing, finally begs for forgiveness in a panic. It hit hard with viewers. Lee Seung-gyu said he did not realize until he arrived on set that the production planned to use real fire.

"I thought, 'They're really going to light this on fire. I'm in trouble,'" he said. "I could feel the heat straight through the flames. I thought I was going to be roasted alive. But because it was real fire, I could actually stay in the moment better. I figured if my hair caught fire, someone would put it out. Ha ha."

Even though he played a convincing bully, Lee Seung-gyu said he was a quiet, calm student in real life. "Puberty hit me in high school, and that's when I started getting into philosophical questions," he said.

"Back then, sitting by the window and getting lost in thought felt cool to me. I kind of enjoyed picturing myself like that. Ha ha. Honestly, I still think a lot. My MBTI is INFJ, the type that overthinks."

Because he thinks so much, he also takes notes seriously. Since his time in the military, he has kept a character notebook filled with quirks and habits of unusual people he has met in real life. "When I get cast in a role, I want to be able to pull from this notebook," he said.

"I want to be an actor who can bring my own color to any character. I come across as a little cold at first glance. I think I could do a role where someone looks cold on the outside but is warm underneath."

Wanting to build a distinct identity as an actor, Lee Seung-gyu said he would love to work with actor Koo Kyo-hwan. He said the idea grew after watching the JTBC drama "We Are All Trying Here" (Moduga Jasinui Mugachiham-gwa Ssau-go Itda), in which Koo Kyo-hwan stars. He said Koo Kyo-hwan "delivers lines in ways you don't expect" and that "the way he plays with dialogue outside of what's on the page really stayed with me."

"I think senior actor Koo Kyo-hwan's acting is unpredictable in a fun way. I'd love to be his scene partner and react to what he brings."

Born in 1999 and now 27, Lee Seung-gyu said he wants to keep ripening before he turns 30. "Emotions I couldn't understand no matter how much I practiced when I was younger are starting to make sense," he said. "My dream is to be an actor who can express delicate, layered feelings with just a look."

"I want to spend this time aging like a good wine. I'll still be acting in my 30s and 40s, and I'm curious about what kind of characters I'll be playing and how by then. I'm looking forward to the things I can only gain through life experience, not practice."