Lee Jong-suk Recalls an Awkward Heinrey Filming Moment

The “Remarried Empress” star joked on “MMTG” about an unexpected shirtless scene and a camera movement he had not prepared for.

Lee Jong-suk’s polished fantasy prince came with a decidedly ordinary concern behind the scenes: whether he had prepared for a camera shot beginning at his legs. The actor shared the story on “MMTG,” recalling how an unexpected request to remove clothing while filming “The Remarried Empress” left him thinking about the distance between a storybook royal and the practical realities of appearing on camera.

According to Star News, Lee discussed the experience in a November 12 episode alongside fellow cast members Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon and Lee Se-young. Host Jaejae asked about his preparation for scenes involving Prince Heinrey’s exposed physique, prompting an account that quickly became a humorous exchange about grooming, camera movement and the character’s image.

A Reassurance Followed by an Unexpected Request

Lee recalled that the director initially assured him he would not need to make any special preparations. According to Star News, however, the situation changed once filming was underway, when the director suggested that he remove clothing for a particular scene.

The detail that stayed with Lee was the camera’s movement: he described it traveling upward from his legs when he had not removed his leg hair. What might look effortless in a finished scene consequently became a moment of uncertainty for the actor responsible for maintaining the prince’s appearance.

He explained that he felt leg hair did not quite match Heinrey’s image, and that the possibility of another exposed scene made him more attentive to grooming afterward. His remarks concerned his interpretation of this particular fictional character, rather than a general rule about how actors should look.

Jaejae Keeps the Conversation Playful

The exchange remained lighthearted in the account published by Star News. When Jaejae jokingly suggested that the director was responsible for the situation, Lee joined in with a teasing description of the embarrassment he had experienced, drawing laughter from the conversation.

That tone is important to the story. Lee was recounting an awkward production memory during a cast interview, and the report presents his response as part of the program’s humor. It does not describe a formal dispute or provide a separate account from the director.

The anecdote also lets viewers see the actor outside the composed royal persona he creates on screen. Instead of discussing palace strategy or romantic dialogue, he was remembering an immediate practical thought about how a camera angle would present him.

The Distance Between a Prince and a Performer

Our reading is that the story works because it contrasts the finished fantasy image with a small, recognizable human concern. Heinrey can appear entirely at ease within an elaborate royal setting, while the actor playing him is managing details the audience may barely notice.

The concern Lee described was also tied to character consistency. He did not simply say he disliked the shot; he connected the grooming detail to whether it suited Heinrey. That makes the anecdote a glimpse of how an actor thinks about a role’s visual identity, even when explaining it through a joke.

We previously explored the prince’s contrasting looks in our coverage of Lee’s agency stills, from formal palace clothing to a uniform and cape. Those photographs show the deliberate screen image that gives his much less glamorous filming recollection its comic contrast.

Heinrey’s Place in the Romance

“The Remarried Empress” follows Navier, played by Shin Min-a, whose marriage to Emperor Sovieshu, portrayed by Ju Ji-hoon, breaks down after he falls for Rashta, played by Lee Se-young. Navier accepts the divorce on the condition that she may marry Heinrey, bringing Lee’s prince into the center of the fantasy romance.

His character also has a supernatural side, explored in our earlier report on Lee’s concerns about Heinrey’s bird transformation. The two accounts offer different perspectives on playing the same royal: one concerns the unseen work of visual effects, while the latest concerns the very visible details of a live-action shot.

Together, they add a practical dimension to a role built around fantasy. The prince may belong to an imagined kingdom, but Lee’s story returns attention to the preparation and unexpected adjustments behind the image.