Netflix’s original series Get Schooled is exploding in popularity right after release — and actor Lee Bong-jun, who delivers a bone-chilling villain performance, is drawing rave reviews.
Released worldwide on the 5th, Get Schooled adapts a hit webtoon of the same name. It follows the newly formed “Teacher Rights Protection Bureau,” which dishes out hard-hitting justice to protect South Korea’s shattered classroom order from boundary-crossing students, teachers, and parents.
In the series, Lee Bong-jun plays Jo Gyu-cheol, the man who killed Na Hwa-jin’s (Kim Moo-yeol) fiancée two years ago. After serving time, he returns to school. Though he appears only briefly at first, his icy cameos ratchet up the tension — and when he fully steps in near the finale, he delivers a climactic punch that leaves a lasting impact.
After the premiere, online communities and social media were flooded with reactions like “His range with a two-faced character is insane,” “A tailor-made performance that maximizes his strengths,” “That goosebump-inducing villain acting is the real deal,” “I ended up checking out his other works,” “Maybe it’s the musical background, but his projection and gaze are on another level,” and “He’s terrifying in the show, but his real-life vibe is pure sweetheart — what a twist.”
Previously, Lee energized the TVING original series Running mate as the bright, high-energy “insider” Park Ji-hoon, firmly imprinting his name on the public. His 180-degree transformation from a cheerful boy to a frostbitten villain has fans eager to see what he does next.
Debuting in 2020 with the musical Jesus, Lee Bong-jun has steadily honed his craft and continues to work both on-screen and onstage. He will meet audiences again in the musical Mad Hatter, which opens on the 9th.