EXO member Lay Zhang has parted ways with his long-time label SM Entertainment.Today (April 8), which is also notably the 10th anniversary of EXO debut, the Chinese K-pop idol took to his personal social media accounts with handwritten letters, in both English and Korean, to announce his departure from long-time label SM Entertainment.Lay captioned his posts with, “This decade is one of the greatest gifts I could’ve ever received,” and expressed his gratitude towards his fellow EXO bandmates, SM Entertainment staff and fans for their support throughout his 10 years at the companyThis decade is one of the greatest gifts I could’ve ever received. pic.twitter.com/7Cmpyygprg— Lay Zhang (@layzhang) April 8, 2022Despite his departure from the company, which he wrote now marks a “new beginning” for himself, he reassured that his support for EXO will never waver.
Lee Min-ho says learning more about Korean history for ‘Pachinko’ “devastated” him
22.03.2022 - 11:11 / nme.com
Pachinko affected him.Based on the novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, Pachinko follows the lives of a Korean immigrant family in Japan over four generations. Lee stars in the upcoming series as Lee Han-su, a Korean fish broker who crosses paths with a young Sun-ja (Kim Min-ha), the series’ central character, setting in motion her eventual move to Japan.In a recent interview with The Korea Times, the 34-year-old actor reflected on what he had learned about Korean-Japanese history while working on the series and how it affected him.
“Every work tries to capture reality but this series was different in terms of its depth. I tried to focus on understanding the emotion and sentiment of the people from that era,” he said.“Back then, there were no choices and no room to dream of a better future,” said Lee, who added that he felt “grateful” to be living in modern times.
“I tried to look at the images from that time and what devastated me was that there were no pictures of Koreans smiling. It hurt to see that there were no hopes and dreams but only those who are pushing along with their lives.”Elsewhere in the interview, actresses Youn Yuh-jung and Kim Min-ha, who play the elderly and teenaged versions of Sun-ja respectively, also opened up about their experience researching for their roles.Kim shared that she had interviewed Zainichi Koreans in preparation for her role, revealing that she was “shocked” to find out that many of the stories from Pachinko were true.
Meanwhile, Youn added that she “do[esn’t] know how many times I’ve cried hearing about the stories from that time”. Pachinko will feature a star-studded supporting cast of South Korean, Japanese and American actors, including Jung Eun-chae, Jung Woong-in, Soji Arai
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Tiffany Young says Girls’ Generation have “something planned” for this year
Tiffany Young has revealed that Girls’ Generation might have plan to reunite sometime this year.The Korean-American idol recently spoke with ELLE Korea in a new video interview, during which she was asked if the iconic K-pop girl group had any plans to celebrate their upcoming 15th debut anniversary, which falls on August 5 this year.Despite saying that she needed “confirmation” before announcing any details, Young did share that there was something in the works for the group. “I need confirmation before saying anything… yes, we do have something planned,” she shared.
‘XO, Kitty’: Choi Min-yeong, Anthony Keyvan & Gia Kim Among 9 Cast In Netflix’s ‘To All The Boys’ Spinoff Series
Netflix has added nine actors to the cast for XO, Kitty its upcoming To All The Boys spinoff series. Joining as series regulars are Choi Min-yeong (Dream Palace), Anthony Keyvan (Genera+ion), Gia Kim, Sang Heon Lee, Peter Thurnwald (Players) and Regan Aliyah (Club Mickey Mouse). They will appear opposite Anna Cathcart who takes on the titular role. The series comes from co-showrunners and executive producer Jenny Han and Sascha Rothchild.
Miss A’s Min, Kevin of U-KISS join cast of Broadway’s ‘KPOP’ The Musical
U-KISS and more are set to make their Broadway debut in the upcoming KPOP The Musicial.Yesterday (April 4), the producers of KPOP announced the cast of the forthcoming Broadway musicial. The casting details come shortly after it was revealed that f(x)‘s Luna will be starring in the musical, as announced late last month.
Mo'Nique and Lee Daniels Settle 13-Year 'Precious' Feud and Reunite for New Film 'Demon House'
Mo'Nique and Lee Daniels are putting their years-long feud to rest! The pair has been at odds since the release of the Academy Award-winning film in 2009.After winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2010 for her critically acclaimed performance as the titular character's abusive mother Mary, the 54-year-old comedian made headlines when she claimed she was «blackballed» from Hollywood, naming Daniels as one of the culprits.Years later, on Saturday, the actress brought the director onstage during her show on Staten Island, New York.«I am so sorry for hurting you in any way that I did. She was my best friend, my best friend.
Lee Daniels Apologizes to Mo’Nique After ‘Precious’ Feud: ‘I Am So Sorry for Hurting You’
Reconciled. Nearly seven years after Mo’Nique — full name Monique Angela Hicks — alleged that her Precious director, Lee Daniels, had “blackballed” her from the film industry, the pair are on much better terms.
Lee Daniels & Mo'Nique Reconcile After Years-Long Feud: 'I'm Sorry for Hurting You'
Lee Daniels and Mo’Nique are patching things up.
Women Filmmakers Dominate Jeonju Film Festival Korean Competition- Global Bulletin
Naman Ramachandran Seven of the nine features selected for the Korean competition at the Jeonju International Film Festival (Apr. 28-May 7) are directed by women.
‘Pachinko’’s Lee Min-ho to star in new K-drama alongside Gong Hyo-jin
Pachinko star Lee Min-ho is set to star in a new K-drama titled Ask The Stars with Gong Hyo-jin.Earlier today (March 28), South Korean news outlet XSportsNews reported that the Pachinko actor has been cast as the male lead of upcoming romantic-comedy Ask The Stars. Joining him will be actress Gong Hyo-jin, who is known for her roles in hits like Jealousy Incarnate (2016) and When The Camellia Blooms (2019).The upcoming series will revolve round an astronaut and tourist, who meet and fall in love while the latter visits a space station.
Sam Hunt Reveals Sex of Baby's He's Expecting with Estranged Wife Hannah Lee Fowler
Sam Hunt is getting ready to be a dad!
It’s A …! Sam Hunt Reveals Sex of Baby With Estranged Wife Hannah Lee Fowler Amid Messy Divorce
Excited dad-to-be! Amid his messy divorce from estranged wife Hannah Lee Fowler, country singer Sam Hunt has shared the sex and due date of the pair’s bundle of joy.
‘Prom Pact’: Margaret Cho & More Board Teen Rom-Com For Disney+
Margaret Cho (Good on Paper), Blake Draper (Clickbait), Monique Green (Big Shot), Arica Himmel (Mixed-ish), Jason Sakaki (Devil in Ohio) and David S. Jung (Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.) have signed on to star alongside Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Milo Manheim in the Disney+ Original Movie Prom Pact from director Anya Adams (Ginny & Georgia).
Korean Star Gang Dong-won Signs With CAA (EXCLUSIVE)
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSuperstar Korean actor and producer Gang Dong-won has signed up with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for representation outside Korea.Gang joins a string of Korean on-screen talent securing international representation as the country’s creative sector is propelled to the fore by films such as “Parasite” and “Peninsula” and by TV shows such as “Squid Game.”He continues to be represented in Korea and Japan by Lee Gi Wook at YG Entertainment. Gang, who has a mechanical engineering degree and was initially scouted as a model, transitioned to acting in 2004 with “Too Beautiful to Lie” and “Temptation of Wolves,” the latter of which earned him the best new actor award at the 24th Korean Association Critics Choice Awards.
NCAA swimmer blames Lia Thomas for taking spot in championship finals
an open letter posted to her private Instagram account, Reka Gyorgy, who previously competed for her home country of Hungary in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2016 Summer Olympics, blamed the NCAA for its “decision to let someone who is not a biological female compete” in women’s swimming events, according to Fox News.“With all due respect, I would like to address something that is a problem in our sport right now and hurting athletes, especially female swimmers,” the post read. “Everyone has heard and known about transgender swimmer, Lia Thomas, and her case including all the issues and concerns that her situation brought into our sport.“I’d like to point out that I respect and fully stand with Lia Thomas; I am convinced that she is no different than me or any other D1 swimmer who has woken up at 5am her entire life for morning practice. She has sacrificed family vacations and holidays for a competition.
‘Pachinko’ Creators and Stars on Navigating Lee Minho’s ‘Orbit,’ and Spotlighting Women as ‘the Backbone of History’
Angelique Jackson Korean superstar Lee Minho sent camera flashbulbs into a frenzy on Wednesday night at the premiere of his new Apple TV Plus series “Pachinko” at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles.Based on the bestselling book by Min Jin Lee, “Pachinko” chronicles a Korean immigrant family across four generations, with its story centered around matriarch Sunja, played by newcomers Yu-na Jeon and Minha Kim, as well as Oscar-winner Yuh-Jung Youn. Lee plays Hansu, whose romance with Sunja changes the course of both their lives.Despite his lengthy resume, and his worldwide celebrity, Lee Minho actively pursued the producers behind the show and auditioned for the role.
Youn Yuh-jung’s performance as Sunja in ‘Pachinko’ is “captivating”, says director
Pachinko director Kogonada has opened up about his experience working with Academy Award winner Youn Yuh-jung on the upcoming Apple TV+ series.In a recent interview withThe Korea Herald, Kogonada spoke about his time working with Youn and gushed about her performance as the show’s main character Sunja. “Her face to me was like a map of human history and Korean history, and the notes that she can play on her face are really remarkable to me,” he said.He added that he felt so compelled by Youn’s acting that he was always eager to film the next scene with her while on set.
Natalie Portman Supports 'Pachinko' Cast At The Series Premiere Event in Los Angeles
Natalie Portman wears an all red ensemble as she arrives to support the cast at the premiere of Pachinko held at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Wednesday (March 16) in Los Angeles.
‘The Boys’ Actor Karen Fukuhara Says She Was Target Of Hate Crime: “This Sh*t Needs To Stop”
Karen Fukuhara, who stars in Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys and David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, says she was struck by an unknown assailant outside a cafe in what the actor describes as an anti-Asian hate crime. “This sh*t needs to stop,” Fukuhara wrote in an Instagram post describing the attack. “Us women, Asians and the elderly need your help.”