#theater actor

[growing-cosmos]

Kim SeonHo for ELLE Singapore May 2021 Issue - Full Interview

Kim Seon Ho Is On His Way To The Top

Caroline Suganda

For the uninitiated, Kim Seon Ho might seem to have emerged out of nowhere, but the South Korean actor's meteoric rise did not just happen overnight nor by luck. The humble and charismatic actor is taking over the world at his own pace.

If 2020 was a year that life came to a standstill for many, it proved to be the opposite for South Korean actor Kim Seon Ho — thanks to a TV drama role that singlehandedly propelled him to stardom: Netflix’s Start-Up. Airing last October, the drama had Kim starring alongside idol drama heavyweights Nam Joo Hyuk and Suzy Bae and told a story of young entrepreneurs trying to forge a path in the world of start-up companies. To his 400,000-odd Instagram followers then, the 35-year old was playing the second lead in his eighth TV drama; to his new followers, which quickly amounted to three million over the course of 16 episodes (two months), it was more like love at first sight.

It’s not hard to understand why. Kim may play the second lead, but his role as Han Ji Pyeong made him hard to resist. In fact, Han is what a 21st-century dream man looks like: A handsome, young, clever investor who is living in his bachelor pad overlooking Seoul’s Han river [read: loaded]. His backstory is equally compelling: An orphan with nowhere to go helped by a stranger — a grandmother who stood by him through the tough times. His cold and reserved demeanour was eventually overturned to show a warm, affectionate side, but alas, his narrative (albeit expected) left many heartbroken. But despite all that, Han emerged as the crowd’s favourite, topping the Brand Reputation Index for South Korean Actors last November (when Start-Up was airing) and winning the Best Emotive Award from the 2020 Asia Artist Awards, not to mention inducing fans to flood the internet to console each other over the heartbreaking ending.

Kim attributes Han’s popularity to his character. “Like in a fantasy, it’s a great rags-to-riches story. He has all the circumstances I wanted to experience and that’s what attracted me to this role. And I guess, that could be why viewers think he is really attractive too. I want to be as smart and capable as him,” says Kim, whose name has since become indistinguishable from Han’s — but not for long.

The way fans took the character of Han to their hearts is only matched by their recognition of Kim’s skill as an actor, leading to his well-deserved shot to fame that followed. Up is only the way to go, as Kim grows out of Han’s shadow to find his own footing. Soon after Start-Up wrapped, Kim returned to his roots as a stage actor. Earlier this year, he acted in Ice, a two-person play whose tickets were sold out within minutes. “I couldn’t even get any [tickets] for my friends,” says Kim. “I was in disbelief, but very thankful too. It felt great.”

In the theatre industry, Kim has already established his own fan base — rightfully so since he has been in the scene since 2009. In the past, fans would form a line outside the theatre to buy tickets, so much so that it would cause traffic jams. After the show, fans would wait around, hoping for a chance to speak to him, and he would always gladly oblige. “I was really moved by their support for me and I would always think about how else I can improve or try different things for my future acts. It was really enjoyable to meet and greet my fans then,” says Kim.

Stage acting was something Kim fell into after graduating from college. “I wanted to act but didn’t know how to start, so I decided to take a six-month break. One day, I met a junior of mine who was already in the scene and he asked why I hadn’t thought of stage acting when I love theatre so much. So, I thought: ‘Oh yeah? Should I give it a go?’” says Kim, who went for an audition that eventually led him to his first stint on-screen with a supporting role in the TV drama Good Manager (2017).

Whether on stage or on screen, acting has always been what Kim dreamt of doing. While it may seem to many that the theatre was merely a stepping stone to bigger things for him, the actor says that performing live gives him a sense of contentment the latter can’t replicate. “In stage acting, we can interact with the audience live, so we know their response right away. I think the audience contributes to the play as well because their laughter, or even the sound of their breathing instigates our next move or spurs us to do something more. That was an ecstatic feeling that I cannot forget,” says Kim.

In the short span of the last six months, Kim’s Instagram following has grown 1,150 per cent, and stands at five million strong now (as of press time). Congratulations are definitely in order. In response, he smiles shyly and laughs before saying thank you. “In the beginning, the numbers were going up so fast that I would randomly check my followers in the midst of filming — it was exciting. I am really thankful that [there are people] out there who show interest in me,” he says.

“Interest” is an understatement — “immense interest” is more fitting. Newly-minted fans who are converts after watching Start-Up thronged the internet to see more of him. Netflix quickly made 100 Days My Prince available one day after Start-Up wrapped, where Kim played the second male lead, an advisor to the Crown Prince. Video streaming service Viu even curated a playlist known as “Kim Seon Ho Specials”, compiling all of his shows to date, from Good Manager (2017) where he played a nerdy accountant and Welcome to Waikiki 2 (2018) where he acted as a struggling singer, to his first leading role in full-length series Catch the Ghost (2019) as a police officer. He also starred in a four-episode miniseries You Drive Me Crazy (2018) where he played an introverted artist, a role he resonates with the most. But what fans gravitate towards the most is 2 Days 1 Night, a reality-variety show series where Kim is a cast member. The show’s concept takes the six cast members on various 2D1N trips around places of interest in South Korea, while competing in missions to earn rewards such as meals and sleeping arrangements. The show, while having a certain format, is entirely unscripted, allowing the cast members to show their candid, spontaneous reactions when placed in surprising or stressful situations.

Indeed, 2 Days 1 Night is popular with Kim’s fans because they get to enjoy a side of the actor that they otherwise would not see. In the first episode (of season four, when he joined as a new member) which aired in December 2019, Kim entertained the viewers just by being himself — a variety show rookie who failed his first mission finding his way to the set after being dropped off at a random location, and came in last, or to be exact, 26 minutes later than the cut-off time. He also got caught sneaking in snacks (food is almost like a currency in the show) and demonstrated his unfamiliarity with the variety show cameras by back-facing them while surrendering said goods — all within the first 30 minutes of the show. In the same episode, fellow cast member Ravi (from South Korean boy group VIXX) said veteran cast member Kim Jong Min (who has been in the show for 14 years) predicted Kim would be a superstar. When asked about that moment itself, he says, “I felt really happy, and I asked [Kim Jong Min] why he said that, and he replied, ‘Oh? I just randomly said it.’ He said that I have a ‘good’ image. I don’t think I have become a superstar. I’m just very grateful.”

Kim must have been quite enthralled; after all, Kim Jong Min is more than just a fellow cast member — he’s also a role model. “He is much more serious off-screen, very self-aware and I would say, mentally healthy. By observing him, I realised that if I were to just change my perception on certain things, I would be able to overcome whatever problems I may face. I learnt how being mentally healthy is important and good for the individual, thanks to Kim Jong Min. For the past one year, as an actor and an entertainer, I’ve learnt a lot about the importance of having a good attitude,” says Kim.

It has been 15 months since Kim joined 2 Days 1 Night, a gig that has since won him KBS Entertainment’s Rookie Awards for Show and Variety. Sleeping alone on a deserted island, awkward dancing to Jessi’s Nunu Nana in front of the rapper herself, impersonating a baby dinosaur hatching from an egg — Kim has done it all. From starting off as a clueless and shy rookie, he’s now quick-witted and sharp, sometimes even initiating pranks in order to win. From someone nicknamed “Paper Doll” for his clumsy dancing skills, he’s developed into someone who won the audition to dance in South Korea’s tourism board video Feel the Rhythm of Korea: Incheon — a 2 Days 1 Night special project for season four’s first anniversary. But in the game of reality-variety show, strength and wit are nothing without luck — which he has no lack of, so much so that there was an episode loosely dubbed as “Kim Seon Ho’s Special” where he won almost every game. “My luck has been so good in the show and I think it’s probably due to the amazing people I get to work with on set.” These days, he looks forward to shooting the show, “It’s really fun!” he says. But what happens when he lost a mission, has to sleep outdoor or skip meals? “No stress at all. I feel very comfortable with the people I play and work with on set so it’s really fun.”

Luck is something that took the humble actor a while to realise he has. “I learnt that I’m very lucky,” he says. He attributes his luck to the fact that he has many good people who work with him. But luck wouldn’t have materialised without the faithful combination of opportunity and capability, which is what has actually brought him to the top. These days, besides shooting 2 Days 1 Night, Kim is busy with endorsement engagements for numerous lifestyle brands, as well as preparing for his upcoming drama where he will play the male lead against veteran actress Shin Min-A (our February cover star). A romcom drama set to launch in the second half of year, it is a remake of the 2004 movie Mr. Hong with a working title of Seashore Village Cha Cha Cha and Kim will play an unemployed, go-to guy in a fishing village.

Kim seems to have it all — he’s a TV actor and an entertainer on the rise, albeit a “late bloomer” which he acknowledges but he really wouldn’t have it any other way. He debuted in his first TV drama at 31 years old, almost 10 years late compared to most of his peers. But that doesn’t bother him at all, in fact he prefers to chart his career trajectory at his own pace and that often works in his favour. “If I were to go back in time [and change things], I wouldn’t have been able to debut at all,” he laughs. “I don’t think I was good enough to debut early [on TV], and I think now is the right time. I’m not saying that I’m very good now, but I think I’ve improved enough that I’m able to express my character well. Also, debuting later [on TV] helped me to form a good acting foundation, without being too arrogant or carried away.” It’s evident that Kim is a humble person, and also an endearing one. When asked if there is anything he can be proud of, “I don’t think I have anything to brag about in particular… Maybe my dimples?” he says with a laugh. “I never liked them when I was younger, but as more people complimented me [his nickname is Dimple Prince], I’ve grown to like them. I’ve got my mum’s eyes and so I love them since there’s a saying that goes ‘the eyes are the windows to the soul’.”

If 2020 was a career-defining year for Kim, 2021 is only going to be bigger. He shares that his wish is to hear someone say, “Wow, I could never imagine anyone else acting as this character apart from Kim Seon Ho” or “Nobody can play this role as well as Kim Seon Ho”. But ask anyone who has watched Start-Up, chances are they would tell you, Kim has already nailed that.

—

[digital cover]

source: discountmags.com

special thanks to havennary

#kim seon ho #김선호 #elle singapore #magazine cover #full interview #archive #photoshoot #korean actor #startup kdrama #hometown cha cha cha #theater actor #kim seonho #editorial

[its-shakespeare-baby]

I’m kinda nailing my role as Antonio, but my amazing performance keeps getting ruined by the fact that my voice is that of a twelve year old’s at all times and I cannot stop it

#shakespeare #i sound like a child #i hate my voice #theater #classical theatre #theatre #theater kid #acting #actor #theater actor #antonio #antonio twelfth night #twelfth night #tn #what you will #actor problems #acting problems #theater plays #theater problems

[yeehawpim]

a comic about different types of storytellers

#original comic #comic #artists on tumblr #dnd actual play #animation #dimension 20 #animation school #theater #actors #worlds beyond number #quiddie #megolas #my art #my comic

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

Vincent Price at the opening of The Tingler (1959)

#vincent price #the Tingler #scream for your lives!! #theater #william castle #horror movie #movie theater #photo #photo edit by me #horror #old horror movies #vintage #movie #actor #handsome #hes so hot #i want him so bad #he makes me feral #im fine. #Bicon #bisexual #god

[kaleidescopic]

oh you hate musicals? oh so youre allergic to all fun and whimsy then? youre against all joy and giddiness brought in front of you huh? you just hate any and all happiness and silly times dont you?

#“hamiltons so overrated” this #“falsettos is so cringe” that #“the dancing in six is so embarrassing” this #“ride the cyclone is so weird” that #“people dont break into song in the middle of a sentence irl” this #“its unrealistic and not historically accurate” that #SHUT UP #ACTUALLY SHUT UP #YOURE NOT ORIGINAL #YOURE NOT BETTER THAN ANYONE BC YOU THINK UR ABOVE MUSICALS #STOP TALKING AND APPRECIATE THE LEVEL OF TALENT EVERYYTHING ABOUT THAT SHIT TAKES #STOP MAKING FUN OF ACTORS FOR BEING GOOD AT THEIR JOB #musical theatre #kal rambles!! #musical theater #broadway #sorry i just got a little angry

[paulamenesesph]

#theater director #script writer #theater actor #production head

[nesyanast]

Scene from the most famous Yiddish play The Dybbuk by the Vilner Trupe. 1910s.

#jumblr #jewish #jews #nesyapost #jewish history #jewish culture #yiddish #Poland #Eastern Europe #jewish art #Jewish theater #Jewish actors #the dybbuk #1910s #yiddish folklore #Jewish folklore #ashkenazim #ashkenazi #photography #vintage photography

[fourmenmarching]

heeeeeeyyyyyyyy

#falsettos #theatre kid #falsettoland #march of the falsettos #marvin falsettos #christian borle #stephanie j block #trina falsettos #anthony rosenthal #jason falsettos #andrew rannells #whizzer brown #in trousers #william finn #tracie thoms #betsy wolfe #brandon uranowitz #broadway #broadway actor #musical theater #theatre #fanart #artistsupport #artists on tumblr #digital aritst #procreate #falsettos revival #2016 falsettos

[wdr2-rlbmut]

Folks need a fair shake in the theatrical and cinematic arts. Do your part.

#strike #SAG-AFTRA #writers #actors #crew #Teamsters #money #$$$ #theatre #theater #film #flickers #cinema #movies

[growing-cosmos]

KIM SEONHO on 'Way Back Home' vlog by PDC

– Watch Seonho's way to work in Daehak-ro as a theater actor here

#kim seon ho #kim seonho #on the way to work #vlog #theater actor #김선호 #퇴근길 #브이로그 #by PDC

[its-shakespeare-baby]

So as you can tell, I’ve been thinking about Fabian. And that’s because I was thinking about my one friend who played Fabian once, and how they portrayed him, and now I’m kinda interested in the guy and wrote a mini analysis on how to portray Fabian in an interesting way.

Each character in that friendgroup has a bit of a role in the group, and it starts off with a balance before Fabian enters. Or does it? Because, when you think about it, there was not true voice of reason.

Maria always seems like the voice of reason, but is mainly a mastermind and is more the common sense than the voice of reason (yes, there is a difference). Sir Toby is a ringleader who takes pranks too far, and while he’s smart, he doesn’t even try to be the voice of reason. Feste is unpredictable and switches alliances too much to be the voice of reason. They could be one if they wanted to, but the fool can only be the voice of reason at certain times, and around this crew, Feste doesn’t really feel like it. Sir Andrew is Sir Andrew. 

Fabian doesn’t seem to have any particular role in the group. He’s just kinda there. But my friend decided to add a bit of personality to him and cement his role in the group, though it is gradual and subtle.

They made him a prankster like the others and someone who doesn’t mind playing a (slightly mean) joke, but he is also the only one with a clear moral compass (even if that compass isn’t the best). There are lines he won’t cross, and while there are plenty of lines he will cross, he seems to have an understanding that some things will legitimately hurt someone, and he doesn’t want to do that. 

As I said, he isn’t a good person. He plays these pranks on people and also put all the blame on Sir Toby in the end. But, unlike many of the others, he understands when things have gone too far. I imagine that, while he doesn’t want to confess his involvement and get in trouble, he might legitimately feel bad about what happened to Malvolio.

I remember how my friend added a certain visual reaction to Toby saying they should basically torture Malvolio. They looked almost confused and concerned, but brushed it off as nothing much.

He’s also the one constantly holding Sir Toby and Sir Andrew back during the scene where Malvolio finds the letter. He truly is the secret voice of reason in the group.

Or maybe I’m just wrong and ya’ll can yell at me in the notes.

#Fabian #fabian twelfth night #Twelfth Night #shakespeare #William Shakespeare #shakespeare twelfth night #shakespeare plays #character analysis #acting #actor #theater actor #character role #What You Will #morally ambiguous #morally questionable #morally grey characters #voice of reason #but also #voice of chaos #he will goad people on while holding them back

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I went to see the Barbie movie but was surprised to see that the theater was also showing a movie called ‘Ken’. It was filmed at the same time as the Barbie movie, with all of the same actors and sets and everything, except in this one, it was from Ken’s POV and he was a serial killer.

#dream #barbie #barbie movie #movie #film #ken #actor #acting #theater #murder tw #death tw #serial killer tw

[cryptidisland]

timkon theater au wip……,

#every day i make a new au #tim is the assistant stage manager and kon is an actor #cassie is stage manager #kon doesn’t know she waits every day for tim to confirm he’s on stage so she can call lights <3 #the theater side of me is peeking out look away everyone #yj theater au

[malfoyx]

Charlie Cox (The Lover and The Collection - 2008)

#charlie cox #demolidor #daredevil #boy #fashion #celebs #model #male model #male #male aesthetic #male chest #pop culture #theater #aesthetic #actor

[verystrangehuman]

High school theater is so much fun because literally everyone is unstable as shit, pretty much no one has their schoolwork fully up to date, we’re all exhausted, and there’s usually huge amounts of relationship tattering drama but during performance nights we drop all of that off and if asked, we would all still die for each other. It’s like the pinnacle of non negotiable found family.

#musical theater #theater kid #theater #high school theatre #theatre #backstage theatre #theater tech #tech theatre #techies #stage actor #chicago the musical #ranked musical #hairspray the musical #hadestown #be more chill #something rotten #heathers the musical #six the musical #beetlejuice the musical #anastasia the musical #anastasia #fiddler on the roof #Hamilton #carrie the musical #mama mia

[nelkcats]

The Phantom of the Opera

Jason had hobbies, despite what his siblings believed. One of them was as simple as reading while the other was a bit more...private. It wasn't that he was embarrassed, he just wasn't used to sharing it.

The crime lord loved musicals and theaters, he liked going to plays often, escaping patrols just to see a novice actor perform the life of Mr. Darcy, or the death of Romeo. It was such a simple thing, but one that filled him with joy.

So, when he was invited to a "new" and "unique" play he went immediately. The bright green paper on the ticket didn't seem so strange to him, even though he had never heard of "Amity Park" before.

Unlike Jason, Danny hated musicals, plays and so. But his friends were convinced that it was the best way to introduce "ghosts" to society, a way to counter the GIW and make it look like they were harmless (and had feelings). Danny rolled his eyes, but agreed that having a ghost playing "Phantom of the Opera" was hilarious.

What wasn't so funny, was being forced to play the lead in the play, as Phantom was the only one willing to risk such a thing, but he managed it somehow. The grin Clockwork kept sending him didn't give him a very good feeling, but he ignored it.

Most of the people in Amity seemed to be thrilled to see their hero doing something other than fighting after years. Some of them weren't so pleased, though.

Jason had been to a million plays before, but none in such a strange theater, the lead actor also seemed to be stealing his breath away. He frowned as he felt the pits stir after seeing him, but he was determined not to let that ruin his night.

Of course, when they were halfway through the play something had to go wrong: someone in the audience shot the lead actor (What the fuck?), and Jason got to watch in the front row as the boy watched the attackers in pain as he pressed on his wound, which was bleeding the same green as the Lazarus pits.

Well, that's definitely not how he expected his night to go.

#dpxdc #actor Danny #or temporary actor #it was a simple plan #show Amity Park that ghosts can have feelings #and do simple things like them #Danny was tired of fighting the GIW #so he agreed with the idea #Sam thought the theater was a good way to show that ghosts were complex #they forgot that the GIW were not their only enemies #dp x dc #dc x dp #Jason like to visit theaters #it's his hobby #He did not expected to find something related to the pits when he decided to go #or protect the lead actor who was clearly not human #but life is weird #Adult Danny #Clockwork has plans that he doesn't share with anyone