A Korean star, who started as a magazine model and accidentally took the path of an actress, shared her thoughts on her careers.
On October 11th, a video titled “Why do you talk so much about 50 years?” featuring Kim Hyun Joo, Lee Moo Saeng, and Jin Seon Kyu as guests was uploaded on YouTube.
Kim Hyun Joo, who debuted in 1996 in singer Kim Hyeon Cheol’s music video and gained great love for her outstanding beauty and fresh charm, responded to the question, “Is it true that you went two years without a manager after debut?” by saying, “There was a time when I didn’t have a company,” adding, “I shot a music video and then joined a company, but since I was such a rookie, they didn’t assign a formal manager to me,” and “I handled simple things on my own.”
Regarding her active work not only in dramas but also in variety shows right after her debut, she said, “Back then, the senior members at the company couldn’t appear, so I had to go in their place. I don’t think that happens much these days.” She candidly confessed, “At that time, I didn’t appreciate it and was very dissatisfied. I was angry thinking that the company didn’t build me up but just sent me here and there.”
She revealed, “I just felt like I didn’t exist. I felt like I lost myself, so after running a certain distance, I intentionally took a break. I didn’t appear on variety shows to pursue the path of an actress. I made a lot of effort on my own to shed that image.”
In the video, Kim Hyun Joo also shared a special debut story. Although she challenged herself as a magazine model and failed, she recalled, “Since I was young, I wanted to earn a lot of money. So I was trying to find a job, not because I had a passion for acting,” adding, “I failed as a magazine model but worked as a reader model, did cosmetics pictorials, and got cast in a music video.”
Furthermore, she opened up, “Since I started acting without making any plans, I feel sorry and lacking when I see friends who worked hard to become actors.”