[Interview|Trans] Lee Jonghyun: CNBLUE also wants to be like the 4 Gentlemen of AGD

[SBS E! Entertainment News | Reporter Lee Jeongah] Believing in himself towards his dream, he courageously take on a beautiful challenge. It’s through his appearance in SBS drama “A Gentleman’s Dignity” that we can see the other side of CNBLUE – Lee Jonghyun, and now this is his story.

CNBLUE guitarist Lee Jonghyun, with his chic looks, oozes a mysterious charm towards his female fans. Then he appeared as Jang Donggun’s son in the drama “A Gentleman’s Dignity” , which increased the viewers expectations and made them want to know about him even more.

Now, even though he must leave the beloved Collin, Lee Jonghyun seemed to have a tough time letting Collin go from his heart.

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Q: In the drama your appearance seems fresh and surprisingly you fit your character, Collin, very well. I would like to know how did you prepare for the part.

Jonghyun: This is my first piece (drama), but it seems like I will never forget it for a lifetime. I’ve learned a lot at the set, and being the youngest I’ve also received a lot of love. At first, I thought that I would get scolded a lot at the filming, but the atmosphere was so warming, and they (seniors and staff) took care of me. This is really a memory that I can’t forget.

Q: Based on the story, it seems like Lee Jonghyun has received love from the all the great actors and staff.  But since you’ve been receiving the love and support from the actors and staff, it must have been more challenging  for Lee Jonghyun to do well.

Jonghyun: In acting and singing, the practice is the same, you have to treat the seniors politely. Of course, I had already debuted as a singer, but I am still a rookie in acting and I think that it was good to behave in that way as what people had been telling me.

Q: All members are acting. Did you ask the other members’ advices after the drama had started, to see what they think about you?

Jonghyun: At home, we monitor each other and they didn’t give me any good comments. They pointed out a lot of things (laughs). Minhyuk seems to be very good. What else should I say?

Q: There are lots of attractive women in the drama. Who is the closest to your ideal woman in this drama, is it Im Meahri (Yoon Jin Yi) that is closest to your style?

Jonghyun: Kim Jungnan sunbaenim, who acted as Park Minsuk in the drama, is the closest ideal woman to me. There is a saying that a humorous woman is good. My style of woman is the kind that will hold me tight.

Q: We heard that you were actually reluctant about acting. It’s surprising if that’s true, why do you feel that way?

Jonghyun: I am stubborn and my strength is in music. I do well in music and lack the confidence to do other things. However, I had thought that acting would have been fun. So, the CEO insisted on me doing it eventhough I already know that I would be terrible at it. (laughs) I’m afraid that I would just disrupt something that is good if I actually go out there and do it. But the CEO is always giving me encouragement and kept on asking me to act. I thought hard about this and finally went for audition. I thought a lot of people did well during that time. Fortunately, I was able to show a good appearance during the audition and was able to develop as Collin.

Q: Collin’s charm is his overpowering fluency in Japanese. Is it because Lee Jonghyun has lived in Japan when he was a child?

Jonghyun: I have lived in Japan before during my childhood days, but I did not remember that part of my life. However, before CNBLUE debuted, we lived there and had a lot of performances there. Therefore, we used a lot of Japanese in everyday life, so it’s not a big problem for me.

Q: CNBLUE is known to have an unusually good teamwork. What is the secret?

Jonghyun: It’s a shame if a team does not get along, especially when you’re a band. We’ve known each other for 7 years and we’re still going strong. The younger ones still use formal language but it seems to decrease when we’re ‘fighting’. We are like a family. Therefore, we know about each other a lot, including our strengths and weaknesses. We are careful not to touch sensitive issues. The important thing is always saying good things. When a particular member is too busy, we try to accommodate him in order for him to have time to practice with us. Although the younger ones are scared of the older brothers, we still cherish each other and we’re proud of it. Like the four gentlemen of A Gentleman’s Dignity, we also wish to be successful like them.

Q: You always looking confident and strong. I always wonder how you bring forward the unstoppable energy.

Jonghyun: Live like a cool person, think pleasant thoughts. I dream of aging gracefully. Like Eric Clapton… if anything is stressing me, I quickly release it. That should be the way when something is pressuring you. If I’m stressed, I went off alone to unwind and shout. Then, after an hour, I’ll go back. No matter how sad or stressed I was, the next day is a different start.

Source: SBS E! News
Translated by: @norleecious+@syapotter of CNBLUEBEAT
Edited by: fizzy @ cnbluestorm