Actor Lee Sang-yi is going viral after the drama he only made a special appearance in earned a major awards nomination.
On the 1st, the organizers of the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards announced the final nominees for each category ahead of the ceremony on the 31st. Among the stacked contenders, the name stealing the spotlight is Lee Sang-yi, who delivered a standout turn as Hwang Seok-ho in the TVING original series The Legend of Kitchen Soldier (hereafter 'The Legend of Kitchen Soldier').
Originally brought on as a special cameo, Lee’s overwhelming presence rewrote the rules—he pushed promotions and even guested on music programs, earning rave reviews for redefining what a "special appearance" can do.
Fans reacted with explosive comments like, "I heard 'Migak Boys' might perform at the ceremony—are they really doing it?", "How far can a special appearance go?", "This award has to go to Lee Sang-yi, no question", "He just set a new milestone for cameos", and "It’s an in-house battle with Yoon Kyung-ho."
Meanwhile, in the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards Best Supporting Actor category, Yoon Kyung-ho—who also made waves in 'The Legend of Kitchen Soldier'—was nominated alongside Lee, marking a double celebration for the team.