On the 19th, Lee Byung-hun attended a conference at McCaw Hall, Stanford University in California. The conference was titled 'The Future of Hallyu: Korean Cinema on The Global Stage.
Lee Byung-hun was asked if there was a work that he had received a casting offer for but regretted declining, to which he answered 'Parasite', 'Old Boy', 'Decision to Leave', etc. He revealed that the reason he declined the offer was that he already had other schedules planned (for movies, etc).
In 2009, Lee Byung-hun made his Hollywood debut through 'G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra'. He revealed, "They didn't take my acting skills seriously. They only saw my fan meeting at Tokyo Dome in 2006 which gathered 40,000 audiences. I think they only cast me to expand their movie into the Asian market. However, they acknowledge my acting skills later through my subsequent works."
https://v.daum.net/v/20230420132626093
-Oh... But I think he made the right decision to decline those offers because those movies don't suit him at all.
-Now that I imagine it, he would've suited those movies if he hadn't declined them...
-Was he offered the role of Choi Minsik in Old Boy...? Or Yoo Jitae? I'm curious...
-I think he would've suited Old Boy and Parasite, but not Decision to Leave, though...
-I don't know which role he was offered for in Parasite, but I think he would've suited that movie...
-He must've regretted it... I can't believe he declined Decision to Leave for Emergency Declaration
-I don't think he would've suited Decision to Leave
-He's an amazing actor, I think he would suit any roles he takes...
-That's a relief...
-Lee Byung-hun is an amazing actor, but the final casts are the best casts they could come up with
-Thanks for declining those offers...
-He would've suited Old Boy, though... What a shame...
