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One went through a strict diet and rigorous training for eight weeks to bulk up and attain a lean, sculpted body.
The other survived on one meal a day for six months to lose weight for her role as a terminally-ill cancer patient.
In town on Monday to promote their 16-part Korean romance hit drama 'Scent of a Woman', Lee Dong Wook and Kim Sun-A shared how they prepared for their respective characters in a media session held at Marina Bay Sands.
In 'Scent of A Woman', Kim portrays Yeon Jae, a thirty-something single woman left with just six months to live after being diagnosed with cancer. She meets Lee's character, a rich but cynical son of her former boss.
The two fell in love and live out a series of bitter-sweet adventures as Yeon Jae ticks off each dream in her bucket list.
Laughing, Lee said, "Viewers have given feedback that they prefer me to wear less and in this particular drama, I am always baring my body every now and then.
"I really pushed and had the help of a fitness instructor who put me through very tough training," he added. This is his first role after leaving the military in June.
His co-star, popular actress Kim, practically starved herself so she would look her part.
The 36-year-old lead actress of 'My Lovely Samsoon' said: "I put on 10kg for my character in Kim Sam Soon and thereafter lost weight in a healthy way through exercise.
"This time round, to really look like a cancer patient, I ate food with low calories, had only one meal a day and slept only two hours daily," she said.
Stressing that this is not a diet plan she would recommend for healthy weight loss, she said, "I really looked like a sick person."
During the press event, the chemistry between the pair was palpable as they laughed and joked with each other.
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Said Lee, "I met Sun-A only three weeks before we started filming to learn tango. We had good chemistry from the start and because of this, as well as good chemistry with other cast members, the atmosphere during the whole shooting process was fun and warm."
He added that the drama had a lot of memorable kissing and emotional scenes.
"We kissed while riding a bike, in front of the hospital. There was also this scene when I went to the hospital to look for her after realising she has cancer.
"We were both so emotional and cried when we looked into each other's eyes. Everyone- the director, camera crew teared. We stopped the shoot and only resumed the next day," he said.
Immersing themselves in the shoot also meant that it was difficult to get out of their characters and resume normalcy.
Sun-A teared when asked if she remains affected emotionally by the drama and said, "If I say no, I am lying."
She added, "Every time I get into a character, it is very hard for me to come out of it. Being an actress is very hard- you live as one person, and once the show ends and you start another, you have to live as another person again.
"I have not completed watching 'Scent of a Woman' because it is too emotional. It is a drama with a lot of emotional scenes, and I am sure viewers will feel the same if they watch it".
When asked to compare Sun-A with another co-star, Lee Da-Hae, whom Lee Dong Wook had acted with in hit drama 'My Girl' in 2005, he pointed out distinctive differences.
He said, "Sun-A is very experienced, and is my senior in the industry. She is a great actress who can focus on any scene and she helped me a lot.
"Da-Hae is like a ping-pong ball, very energetic. She is my junior in terms of age and she is very cute. In 'My Girl', there were times when we had to act without a script. She can do impromptu very well."
Was it hard for him to settle into his role after a two-year hiatus from acting because of military service?
He shared, "I was acting for 10 years before I was enlisted. When I came back, it felt very awkward at first, but the cast welcomed me with warm hearts and gradually, I was able to go into the depths of the role."
'Scent of a Woman' is currently airing every Wednesday and Thursday exclusively on ONE, Sony Pictures Television Networks' general entertainment channel.
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