Over the past three years, Lee Do-hyun has ascended from up-and-coming actor to bona fide A-list star of Netflix’s Sweet Home – a monster horror smash that became the first South Korean series to enter the streaming behemoth’s Top 10 in the US, eventually cracking the top three. The 25-year-old actor has clearly made progress since his screen debut in 2017. Reel to real: which of these 6 off-screen K-drama romances were built to last? Lee’s first role was playing the younger version of Jung Kyung-ho’s character in the 2017 TVN drama Prison Playbook . He then attracted more attention acting across from left field indie-pop icon IU as her character’s first love in the TVN drama Hotel del Luna (2019). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hotel Del Luna 호텔델루나 (@hotel_del_luna_) Last year he broke out further starring in the JTBC drama 18 Again as the younger version of Yoon Sang-hyun, an adult who gets transformed into his teenage self. In the Netflix original series Sweet Home he played the character of Lee Eun-hyuk, the heroic leader of an apartment complex who steps up to protect people from infected humans turning into monsters. “Eun-hyuk is realistic and rational. People dislike him for being cold-hearted, but I think he's a reliable character we can all depend on in the midst of a terrifying situation. Personally, I’m more affectionate than him,” Lee said during a recent interview with The Korea Times . Why the internet is crazy for Aespa’s Karina – only a month after debut Despite his rapid success so far , Lee remains humble about his achievements. “I was lucky to have been cast in dramas. It's not common for an actor to make a consecutive score of hits, and I’m thankful to have been given the opportunity,” he said. Lee also revealed that he originally auditioned for the role of Cha Hyun-soo (played by Song Kang), but was cast as Eun-hyuk instead. “I initially vied for Hyun-soo’s character because I’ve always wanted to play a dual character. But as soon as I started reading my lines, director Lee Eung-bok said that I’m better suited for Eun-hyuk’s part,” he said. “I tried to show no emotions, but solely act with the expression in my eyes.” Although Lee is only 25 years old, the rising star said he takes acting extremely seriously. “My deepest desire as an actor is to show a great performance and give strength and positive energy to the audience. The more I work, the more my responsibility grows,” he said. Why Twice have the most fateful origins story in K-pop During the interview, Lee also revealed he is studying English in the hope of expanding his acting presence in Hollywood, following the success of crossover stars like GI Joe’ s Lee Byung-hun, The Walking Dead ’s Steven Yeun and undisputed K-pop genius Rain . “I try to use English when I’m around fluent English speakers. I’ve always dreamed of making inroads into Hollywood and I’m curious about how foreign film sets look. I’ll keep working hard to make it a reality,” he said. “Moreover, I’d love to do films in 2021. I have a penchant for film noir and action movies.” This article originally appeared on Korea Times . Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter . For more great stories on Korean entertainment, artist profiles and the latest news, visit K-post, SCMP's K-pop hub .