In September, Korean singer and actor Seo In Guk held his first ever U.S. fan meeting. To commemorate his career and greet his U.S. fans personally for the first time, the actor visited Washington D.C. and Los Angeles on his two-stop tour. Ahead of the two events, he shared his thoughts on acting, singing, and his own career path.
Although best known for his acting, Seo In Guk made his debut in 2009 as a singer, after winning the first season of singing competition show, Superstar K. He saw immediate success as a singer, winning the Male Newcomer of the Year Award at the 2009 Cyworld Digital Music Awards, and his first single album reached number seven on the Gaon Album Chart. To him, however, being a singer is more stressful than being an actor. “Singing is like a close friend to me,” he began. “But, when I’m making music, I’m really stressed. There are many times when the music that I want to make isn’t what is coming out, so I’m very stressed about that. When I am acting, I’m playing a role that is given to me. But, when I’m making music, I’m definitely more stressed because [I’m more involved]. Both are roles that I really, really love, though.”
In 2012, Seo made his acting debut, playing a supporting character in Love Rain. This was an opportunity that he stumbled upon, but it’s one he will never forget: “I was just doing an audition program, and by chance, there was a role that I wanted to play. So, I auditioned, and I ended up getting the part. It was such a life changing moment for me.” A few months after his first role, Seo was cast as Yoon Yoon Jae in Reply 1997, which ended up changing the course of his career. Reply 1997 saw overwhelmingly positive feedback from both critics and the general public, and from then on, the actor began to play more and more lead characters in dramas and films. “Acting is like a new friend. I was [just a] beginner. Now, I know how to show my feelings more, and I have tactics for how to play a character. But, it’s still hard for me,” he shared earnestly. “Getting the script, reading the script, and getting into character takes about two months. I look at the characters and the role that I’m given, I get into a routine, and then I see how that character talks to other people as well. Even then, though, I’m in doubt and question, ‘Is this really the character?'”
While he’s played various characters in projects such as Doom at Your Service, Cafe Minamdang, and Pipeline, there are still characters and genres he’s eager to try. “I enjoy playing a role that is funny so that the audience can also have fun watching me play that role,” he started. “But, I really want to get into horror, too. My favorite horror character is the Joker, [so perhaps something like that].” Most recently, the actor also starred in TVING’s Death’s Game, another successful drama. Even despite the high ratings and love his projects receive, Seo doesn’t have much interest in watching his past works. “I’m not the type to rewatch a project I was in,” he admitted. “But, I do see the highlights of the shows that are on YouTube, and I do watch those. Sometimes while I was acting, I didn’t really like the scene, but after watching, I’m like, ‘Oh, I did pretty well!'”
Although he mentioned that music is more stressful than acting, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel stress at all when taking on new projects. “Before going into a role, I don’t really have that many worries. But once I know the amount of work the staff put into the production, I do have a lot of pressure [and put a lot of thought into it],” he said. “I de-stress by gaming — mobile games, computer games, Playstation games, all of it — and drinking alcohol. I also occasionally go camping.”
Having learned by now what works best for him when taking on new work and keeping himself from being overwhelmed, the last thing Seo shared was some advice for aspiring actors: “What I’m saying is what I heard from the other actors and actresses when I was on set,” he started. “Just don’t give up, because an opportunity will come. Of course, waiting around for the opportunity might be hard, and working on yourself might be hard, but grabbing that moment when the opportunity arises is what’s truly important.”
Click on the photo below to view our photos from Seo In Guk’s 2024 fan meeting in LA:
