Lee Jung Ha is opening up about his dramatic transformation for Disney+’s Moving. The rookie actor gained 30 kilograms (around 66 lbs) for his role as high school senior Kim Bong Seok but surprised fans by revealing how unrecognizable he became afterward—even to his sister’s friends.
Lee Jung Ha explained he initially gained the weight to hide Bong Seok’s supernatural abilities, as the character’s mother forces him to conceal his power to float by putting on weight. He shared he was happy to eat freely during this time.
“I was really happy to be able to eat. As I gradually gained weight, I wanted to become Bong Seok as soon as possible, and the more I gained, the more I could see him.”
— Lee Jung Ha
For the weight gain, Lee said he mostly ate various types of instant noodles and tried not to feel hungry. After filming wrapped, losing the weight proved just as difficult, taking almost a year to return to his previous size.
As frustrating as the physical toll was, Lee Jung Ha expressed more disappointment that people struggled to believe he was actually Bong Seok. Even his sister’s friend didn’t recognize him after his transformation.
“My sister’s friend said she enjoyed Moving, so I told her that I’m Bong Seok in Moving, but she couldn’t believe it… I wanted to be recognized as the character from the show, but it was disheartening that even when I said I’m Bong Seok, they wouldn’t believe me.”
— Lee Jung Ha
On the bright side, after the drama aired, people around him encouraged him to regain the weight, making him feel appreciated for his role.
“I feel happy because it seems like they appreciated the way I portrayed Bong Seok.”
— Lee Jung Ha
Lee Jung Ha debuted in 2017 with Heart Attack Warning and has appeared in Run On and Nevertheless. He recently had his first lead role in One: High School Heroes and made a cameo in Good Boy. When asked about future roles, he said he wants to try “Classic romance,” especially stories like Reply or movies like About Time.
