PUBLISHED ONOctober 04, 2024 8:33 AMByYeo Shu HuiSouth Korean actor Ji Seung-hyun's career has been on the rise since making a viral public apology video in August on behalf of his character Kim Ji-sang, an unfaithful husband in the hit drama series Good Partner.
While the 42-year-old only gained more recognition now, he has actually been in the entertainment industry for close to two decades and even appeared in popular drama series Descendants of the Sun (2016).
Seung-hyun got candid about his acting career in the most recent episode of YouTube talkshow series Donor Hyeong, which was released yesterday (Oct 3).
"A lot of people think actors make a ton of money when they appear on television shows. Descendants of the Sun did so well, but what I earned that year from acting was only about 2 to 4 million won (S$4,000)," he told comedian-hosts Shin Dong-yup and Yoo Jae-pil.
In the series, Seung-hyun played North Korean soldier Ahn Jung-joon and had multiple climatic scenes with lead character Yoo Si-jin, played by Song Joong-ki. As an English language graduate, Seung-hyun also dubbed his character when the drama was released internationally later.
Despite playing a memorable side character, Seung-hyun's career didn't pick up then.
He added: "People would ask when we were moving to a bigger house. The reality was so different… I felt embarrassed when I met my parents. People also asked them if they would be moving home too. I was only making as much as an office worker."
To make ends meet, he worked part-time jobs, including at his cousin's eatery and an actor recognised him while dining there one day.
"I wasn't embarrassed by my job. But it wasn't my job… The actor said, 'What are you doing here?' and I told him I was just helping out. But then, after a while, another actor, their manager and stylist came to dine at the eatery. I felt upset because I was there doing something that wasn't my real job," Seung-hyun explained, adding that he would even wear a hat and glasses so that customers wouldn't recognise him.
He also revealed that when his child was born, he had to get financial help from his parents and his in-laws. But now that his career is progressing, he lets his mother-in-law use his credit card, adding: "I'm trying my best to make up for everything."
When asked if he would encourage his two children to join the acting industry in the future, Seung-hyun shared that he wouldn't recommend it as the job is "unstable and unpredictable".
"If you know you'll make it through hard work, then sure, but hard work isn't enough [in this industry]," he said.
Good Partner, which also stars Jang Na-ra and Nam Ji-hyun, is available on Viu.
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