By now, "Descendants of the Sun" are used to having Song Joong Ki play Captain Yoo Si Jin and would have it no other way. But fans would be surprised to know that four other stars nearly got the role instead of Song.
On the June 6 broadcast of tvN's "The List 2016," it was revealed that Won Bin ("The Man From Nowhere"), Jo In Sung ("It's Okay, That's Love"), Gong Yoo ("The Coffee Shop Prince") and Kim Woo Bin ("The Heirs") were considered to play the part, but they all turned it down. Of these four actors, "Descendants of the Sun" leading actress Song Hye Kyo previously worked with Jo In Sung in 2013's hit drama series "That Winter, The Wind Blows."
According to Soompi, the actors had two reasons for passing up on the offer - all 16 episodes of "Descendants of the Sun" needed to be pre-produced and that the male lead was required to have short hair. Meanwhile, Song Joong Ki took the time to read the script while he was still serving the remaining days of his mandatory military service. "Descendants of the Sun" then became his comeback drama, reinstating him as one of South Korea's premier actors.
Even co-star and leading lady Song Hye Kyo couldn't help but express his admiration for Song Joong Ki's acting chops, and how well he portrayed the charming soldier on screen.
"Song Joong-ki played his role so attractively, which even made my heart flutter," Song Hye Kyo told Korea Times. "After I finished filming in December, when the drama was aired, I watched it as a viewer and fell for his charms. After all, I'm really happy that the drama ended well."
Although Song Hye Kyo, on her own, is a prolific and award-winning actress, she admitted that she also learned a couple of things from her television boyfriend. "I thought I found many things to learn from him. He did his job perfectly in the drama, and he is such a great person," the actress said.
Due to the massive success of "Descendants of the Sun" and Song Joong Ki's well-lauded performance as Captain Yoo Si Jin, he earned multiple endorsements deals and a solid fan base all across Asia and the world. He is currently in China visiting fans through a series of events.