Actor Namkoong Min revealed his connection with the late Choi Jin-sil and expressed gratitude, calling her the benefactor who opened the path to acting for him.
On the 10th, actor Namkoong Min appeared as a guest on KBS2 variety show Problem Child in House.
That day Namkoong Min looked back on the process that led him to become a triple grand prize winner, receiving acting awards three times for Stove League, The Black Sun and Lovers. It turned out he had an engineering background; he said, "I majored in mechanical engineering and aimed to become a researcher at a large company, but it didn't suit me, so I gave up graduating."
The turning point in his life was a TV announcement he saw by chance. Namkoong Min recalled, "I saw an MBC open recruitment notice for actors and thought about applying. People around me also encouraged me to try acting."
But his first attempt failed. He said, "I took a profile photo and applied for the open recruitment but I was immediately eliminated," adding, "Still, when I went to the broadcaster my heart was pounding. I became interested in acting and started with bit parts."
He later met a fateful connection during a commercial shoot. Namkoong Min said, "At the time the late senior Choi Jin-sil was the main model and I shot the commercial as a sub model," adding, "Through that connection Choi Jin-sil introduced me to a manager, and thanks to that I began my acting career in earnest." He went on to express gratitude, saying, "The person who opened the path to acting for me was senior Choi Jin-sil."
He had previously recalled on another broadcast, "Senior Choi Jin-sil had a humane beauty. She was truly warm and not like an entertainer," which made the memory even more touching.
He also revealed the harsh reality he faced early in his career. Namkoong Min said, "In my rookie days, an industry official told me, 'You can never be the lead,'" recalling, "When I said I wanted to be the lead next year, they told me, 'You are too old.'" He added with a laugh that "looking back now, I can see why they might have thought that at the time," while noting, "I am not in contact with that person now."
From engineering student to one of Korea's representative actors, Namkoong Min. Asked about his parents' reaction, he said, "They used to worry about my acting, but now they comfortably watch my work," and the cast marveled, "If your family can watch comfortably, you really are a good actor."
[Photo] 'Rooftop'
[OSEN]