When the name of actor Lee Kwang-soo was called during the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards as the winner of the best supporting actor in the film category in June, the 36-year-old actor climbed the stage and stuttered in wonder. “I swear I didn’t expect to win this. I swear it.”

Months have passed since the award ceremony, but Lee was still being modest and doubtful about whether he was eligible to win the prize. He recently showed up at a local pub for an interview with the Ilgan Sports, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, and said he was in disbelief on the day when he grabbed the golden trophy. “I couldn’t believe it. I became very emotional back then,” recalled Lee.

Lee is often mislabeled as a comedian as he has been appearing on the reality TV show “Running Man” on SBS for 10 years and is beloved for his quirky character. However, Lee actually debuted as an actor in 2008.

Lee has been playing a wide scope of characters, but he was oftentimes overlooked due to his on-screen persona on “Running Man.” But his recent portrayal of Dong-gu, a young man who has a mental disability, in the 2019 film “Inseparable Bros” won him the first acting award of his career. All the judges at the Baeksang Arts Awards were reportedly in agreement that Lee was the most deserving of the prize.

The following are edited excerpts from the interview with Lee.

BY CHO YEON-GYEONG, PARK JUNG-SUN [kjdculture@joongang.co.kr]