Oct 21, 2026 9:00pm IST
Lee Jun Hyuk on ‘The Ordinary Jackpot’, Tom Cruise and the Freedom to Take on Challenging Roles (EXCLUSIVE)
What would you do if you won the lottery? Would you quit your job and head off on a vacation, or return to work the next morning as if nothing had changed? “The Ordinary Jackpot” explores this very dilemma when Gong Eun Tae (Lee Jun Hyuk) wins 1.3 billion KRW in the lottery but turns up for work as usual the following day.
In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, Lee Jun Hyuk reflects on his nearly two-decade-long career and his desire to take on more challenging roles in the future.
How much do you relate to Gong Eun Tae in real life?
We have a lot in common. I’ve worked on more than 50 projects over nearly 20 years, so you could say I’ve spent almost my entire life working. Even if a project does well, I can't just stop working. I could relate to the ordinary struggles and joys Eun Tae experiences. The biggest difference is that Eun Tae is more patient. I tend to complain a bit more, and I’m not as good at bottling up my feelings as he is.
If you won 1.3 billion KRW in the lottery, would you continue acting?
I think I would keep acting. Just look at Tom Cruise. Even with hundreds of billions to his name, he continues to take on new challenges. That’s something you can do only if you genuinely love what you do. At the same time, having that kind of financial freedom might allow you to choose projects like “Digger,” which offer new challenges. I think “The Ordinary Jackpot” explores a similar idea.
Related Stories
Would you consider playing an unconventional or imperfect character? Is there any hesitation to take on roles that are out-of-the-box?
It’s not so much hesitation as the fact that I get bored easily, so I’m always looking to try something different. Gong Eun Tae was an interesting character, but he rarely had moments when he could really let loose, which was sometimes frustrating. I’ve played a lot of characters with strong personalities, so I’d be happy to take on something lighter and more cheerful if the right offer came along.
If you could relive one moment from the sets of “The Ordinary Jackpot”, which would it be and why?
There was a scene in which Gong Eun Tae imagines himself going to work after winning the lottery. Each sales team took turns improvising in a sort of ad-lib showdown. In Sales Team 5, Seo Hyun Woo’s character, Yang Jun Ho, dramatically rolls his eyes back and collapses. Everyone burst out laughing when we shot that scene, and it felt as though our team had won. It was such a fun day on set, and I’d love to go back to that moment.
Popular on Variety
The show has 10 episodes, but if Gong Eun Tae’s journey was longer, where do you think he would be?
I think he would still be going to work even after becoming a deputy general manager. Winning the lottery wouldn’t change the fact that he still has to work, look after his team members and keep learning. However, we could have shown more of Sales Team 5 growing together.
“The Ordinary Jackpot” is streaming on Prime Video.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.