The Café Part-Timer Who Appeared for 5 Seconds on ‘Hangout with Yoo’ Became a Lead Actor… Choi Geon: “My Social Media Followers Are Increasing in Real Time” [Interview]
Actor Choi Geon has been cast in tvN's 'What I Decided to Die For,' scheduled to air next year./Photo=Reporter Lee Seung-hyun @lsh87Actor Choi Geon looked back on the time he spent pursuing his dream of becoming an actor, attending auditions and submitting profiles after beginning his acting career. Starting with an accidental appearance on an entertainment program, he has steadily built his filmography through various roles, including minor and supporting parts.We recently met Choi Geon at the TenAsia headquarters in Jungnim-dong, Seoul, and discussed how he prepared for acting before his debut and grew as an actor through his work.
After beginning acting in 2022, Choi Geon spent about two years going back and forth between acting academies and practice rooms, studying acting and consistently challenging himself in auditions. He said, "It was difficult, but I never thought, 'I should quit.' At the time, I had not even properly worked on a production," adding, "I thought you could only have those kinds of concerns after trying something, and I felt I was not even at that stage yet."
While preparing for acting, he also worked part-time jobs to support himself. After working for about a year and three months at a lasagna restaurant, he moved to a café in Namdaemun. While working there, he unexpectedly appeared for about five seconds on MBC's 'Hangout with Yoo.'
Choi Geon recalled, "The day before my part-time shift, a notice was posted in the group chat saying something like, 'There will be filming tomorrow, so come knowing that.' I often delivered coffee to the market vendors, so I thought, 'Would I even have any business there if filming was taking place?'" He continued, "After making a delivery, I happened to see the camera and senior Yoo Jae-suk passing by. I ended up appearing on the show purely by chance." Despite the brief appearance, the response was immediate. Choi Geon said, "I could see the number of my social media followers increasing in real time after the broadcast. That was the first time I felt the power of television."
Actor Choi Geon has been cast in tvN's 'What I Decided to Die For,' scheduled to air next year./Photo=Reporter Lee Seung-hyun @lsh87Choi Geon's first filmed production was Netflix's 'The Plaza.' Although it was released last year, filming took place in 2024. He recalled, "Everything was new to me. Rather than thinking, 'I have to do well,' I was more focused on, 'Let's not get criticized.' Simply being on set felt amazing."After experiencing an actual production set, his feelings about acting as a profession became even clearer. Choi Geon said, "Until then, I had practiced alone in practice rooms and attended an academy. Since I had never been on a filming set, I did not know whether this work suited me or whether I would enjoy it," adding, "Once I actually went to a shoot, I thought, 'I want to do more of this,' and 'I want to stand in that position too.'"
In 2024, about two years after he began preparing for acting, he stepped fully into the public eye with the web drama '9 O'Clock Is Inssa Time.' Last year, he played the keyboardist of the group Gold Boys in ENA's 'Idol Eye,' working alongside Kim Jae-young and others.
After debuting as the lead in a web drama, he took on roles with relatively little screen time, but he had no regrets. Choi Geon said, "I thought suddenly taking on a major role with little experience could actually be dangerous for an actor," adding, "So I believed it was better to learn by gaining experience one small role at a time."
Actor Choi Geon has been cast in tvN's 'What I Decided to Die For,' scheduled to air next year./Photo=Reporter Lee Seung-hyun @lsh87He also learned a great deal from the senior actors he met on 'Idol Eye.' He said, "At first, I found it difficult because there was an age gap between me and the older cast members, but they treated me warmly like their youngest brother. My role did not have much screen time, but it was truly a precious opportunity."He said Kim Jae-young's consideration was especially memorable. Choi Geon recalled, "When I was filming my scenes, Jae-young looked at the monitor and told me, 'Since the camera angle is like this right now, I think it would look better if you did it this way,' before leaving." He continued, "He must have been busy taking care of his own filming, but he still watched my scenes and gave me advice. I was truly grateful. At that moment, I thought that I wanted to become an actor like him someday."
Choi Geon said he still occasionally meets with the cast of 'Idol Eye.' He expressed his gratitude, saying, "I did not have to handle everything alone; I was able to work with good people who guided me from beside me. I was happy simply to be able to learn through that process."
Having steadily gained experience through minor and supporting roles, Choi Geon will meet viewers next year in his next project, 'What I Decided to Die For,' playing Moon Gi-seong, a secondary lead, with a significantly expanded role. Expectations are high for how he will incorporate what he has seen and learned on set into his new character.
This article was translated and republished by KOTourLive from 텐아시아. Copyright of the original belongs to the publisher. View original
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