Woo Do-hwan to lead new Netflix series

Actors Woo Do-hwan, left, and Lee You-mi will star in Netflix's new series "Mr. Plankton." Courtesy of H& Entertainment and Varo Entertainment

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actor Woo Do-hwan is set to lead Netflix's new original series, "Mr. Plankton," following his recent role in the series "Bloodhounds."

The streaming service announced that Woo has confirmed the lead role, alongside actress Lee You-mi, who gained global recognition for her role in "Squid Game," which earned her the Guest Actress award at the Primetime Emmy Awards last year.

The upcoming series will center around Hae-jo (played by Woo), a lonely man who is unaware of his biological father's identity and feels abandoned by those around him. Living a purposeless and isolated life, Hae-jo unexpectedly receives life-altering news that prompts him to embark on a quest to find his long-lost father.

Lee will play the role of Jae-mi, who is the world's most unhappy bride-to-be. She has been wanting a family for a long time. But just when she is about to marry into a head family of a respected clan, she ditches the wedding to accompany Hae-jo.

Actor Oh Jung-se will play the role of Jae-mi's fiance who hunts down Jae-mi and Hae-jo, who took off on the day of his wedding. Veteran actor Kim Hae-sook will play the matriarch of the family who also goes after Jae-mi.

The series is led by Hong Jong-chan who is known for directing Netflix's legal series “Juvenile Justice” (2022) and is penned by writer Cho Yong, who previously scripted the 2020 series “It's Okay to Not Be Okay.”

Woo, who debuted in 2011, became familiar to the public with his role in the cult thriller series "Save Me" in 2017. Since then, he has starred in several TV dramas and movies, including his latest series "The King: Eternal Monarch" in 2020. He was discharged from mandatory military service last year and has picked up his acting career after about a two-year hiatus, returning with the period series “Joseon Attorney,” which wrapped in May.