Dex faces backlash for lack of acting preparation in first drama role
TV personality Dex is under fire for his acting debut in the K-Drama The Defects.
On July 28, Dex appeared on Shin Dong Yup’s YouTube channel with actress Won Jin Ah, who worked alongside him. Dex revealed he had no formal acting training.
His reason for taking the role? “The biggest reason I chose this project is that there were no lines. I couldn’t let my flaws show. My strength lies in physicality, but I am still lacking as an actor. I don’t want to be a burden. My character is a quiet, do-it-yourself character, so I thought I could act his role well.”
Despite initial doubts, Won Jin Ah said Dex showed “incredible passion” once he understood the role’s importance. She added, “Dex seems to have a natural eye for acting… his eyes really changed once we started filming. He seems to have the talent.”
Dex himself admitted, “I haven’t [studied acting]. I thought about what I could improve and felt I needed to participate actively on set. I am grateful for the many action scenes.”
However, netizens are not as supportive. Comments on online communities slammed Dex’s performance and preparation:
- “I don’t dislike Dex, but it felt like a normal person trying to act. Even his action scenes felt like a variety show program. Why did they cast him?”
- “Is he proud of that? He should have taken classes first. Even the way he walked was strange.”
- “Jung Joon Young also didn’t want to be a burden…interesting.”
- “How does it even make sense that he didn’t know how important his role was?”
- “Hwaiting…just needs to study more.”
- “But he is already a burden…”
Dex responded on the channel, “I felt that even if I am not good at acting, I can get better if I act with someone who is good at it.”
The controversy continues as fans debate whether Dex should have taken more time to prepare before tackling a significant drama role.
“Dex is so innocent. After the script reading, he asked me if his role was that important. Since it was his first time acting, he thought it was a small role and that he just had to do what he could. He wasn’t greedy. He said he would take it step by step, but after realizing his role’s importance, his passion on set was incredible.”
— Won Jin Ah
