I originally came to Korea out of curiosity. I wanted to learn about the culture, study the language, and even try to learn how to make Korean cuisine. Acting was always my dream, but I needed to find stability first. During my time in Korea, I decided to shift majors from culinary arts to Mass Media and Communications. I enrolled at Korea University, where I studied camera work and acting. That is where I was introduced to the industry and that’s when I started working toward my childhood dream of becoming an actor. 

Learning Korean and gaining a deeper understanding of the Korean film industry helped guide me toward this path. After graduating, I made the decision to pursue it professionally and began training consistently, both on and off set. Living in Korea not only gave me more opportunities as an actor, it also reshaped how I approach the craft. Korea pushed me to become more adaptable, more observant, and more intentional as an actor. 

In the beginning it wasn’t easy to navigate the cultural and industry differences. Even though I had a high proficiency in Korean and understood the culture, set hierarchy and terminology were new to me. Over time, I started to understand how sets operated. I became more confident communicating in Korean and was able to adapt to what was required of me for each specific role and project. 

As I became more comfortable on set, I learned how to articulate my opinions about my character to the director and receive feedback more accurately than what a translator could provide. It was after I reached that level that I could really showcase my true self and build characters that felt real and authentic. Finding this balance allowed me more freedom to stay true to my craft.

When I first build a character and break down the script, I approach roles very differently for the Korean market versus the US market. When I receive a Korean script with English dialogue, I ask for the original Korean dialogue to accompany it. Then I compare both texts and if the translation feels too direct and lacks subtext or if it is off in tone then I will request to adjust the dialogue. The reason is to make sure my character is saying what is truly intended by the writer and so it matches the tone of the scene more accurately.

From there the process becomes universal and I approach the script exactly how I would approach any script. I break it down, memorize it, figure out my objective, obstacle, who I am speaking to in the scene and why.

Stepping in Bloodhounds 2 was a unique and thrilling experience. Most Korean dramas don’t go for more than 1 season and because this was season 2, I had the opportunity to watch season 1 and better develop Ian off of the tone that was already set in season 1. My goal was to make sure not to disappoint the fans of Season 1. 

I really worked hard on Ian’s character and I think audiences will think of Ian as a breath of fresh air. Between rewriting my dialogue to help aid the scene better and then getting to set and adjusting the dialogue again to match the tone and circumstances better, Ian was a constantly evolving character that the director brought out of me. It’s a character I’m genuinely proud of, and I would call it my best work to date. Ian has a quiet intensity, he doesn’t get easily impressed by small wins, and he doesn’t back down when challenged.

I feel honored and amazed to have been a part of something so big. To have the world see Ian and make Tiktok videos about him and Rain’s character has brought me a lot of joy. As an actor, you only get to perform certain characters so often and Ian is the exact opposite of me in everything he does. He is confident and doesn’t second guess himself. 

It feels weird yet phenomenal that the people love him and have been tagging him as #ragebait. Bloodhounds was an amazing story in season 1 and to add value to it in season 2 is one of the top achievements in my career and I’m thankful for every moment of it. 

I was drawn to “My Name” because the script and story were very powerful and a part of Korea’s actual historical events. While the film is not a documentary, it follows a woman who survived the brutalities and has blocked out those memories from her childhood completely. In this story I play a role based on a real soldier during those events.

My character is very unique compared to other characters I have played in the past because of this. He is a soldier who is out to complete his mission no matter the cost. This man is much older and more mature compared to the soldier roles I have played in the past. I really enjoy these types of projects because I get to better understand Korea’s long history.

Working with performers at such a high level as Richard Armitage and Choi Min-sik was and is an honor. I knew that going into those sets and so I tried to learn as much as I could from them.

The main things I took away from collaborating with them are always being prepared and ready to adjust, confidence is key but that comes from knowing the text and character, and finally, no matter how big you are, always treat everyone with respect. Those two gentlemen were great mentors during the scenes we filmed together. 

No matter the scale of production, whether it be a student film or a Blockbuster feature, the answer to staying grounded and authentic remains the same. Always know your dialogue. Make sure to put in the work not just building the character but by reading and understanding everything you can about the character's world. Try to always be training in acting class so you are ready for anything thrown your way on set. Go into the scene with the goal of always listening to your partner or partners. 

Finally, I believe you should be confident in your choices on the day you film but not so glued to them that you can’t adjust. The director, your scene partners and the writer will guide you the rest of the way to ensure you are giving your best performance that day. 

The most challenging role for me so far was in Disney+’s Big Bet. When I was cast, I was also asked to help aid in anything English dialogue related behind the camera. I was hired as the dialect coach and also played the role of Brian Hunt in 3 episodes. 

It was challenging to balance coaching on set and helping adjust dialogue for scenes based on each actor’s English level but even more challenging to go from that and jump straight into my scenes while trying to maintain character consistency. It was tough to balance. Despite the challenge, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Korean storytelling resonates with a worldwide audience because what Korean writers create are uniquely Korean stories slightly adjusted for a global audience but still at heart Korean. Korean stories are about trust, love, betrayal and everything else human. This makes them very relatable but they maintain their culture throughout these stories which creates a unique take on life over all. 

The Korean language itself has a deep and long history that tends to create situations or circumstances that are interesting to an audience who isn’t used to a language or culture that is based in a hierarchy system. Scripts written in Korea create situations that happen at a much faster pace than most films and television. Korea has coined this fast-paced ‘twist and turns’ drama writing style that keeps the audience engaged while eliminating the need for 9 seasons unlike the US.

Having seen how international productions have evolved over the past few years, I believe they will only become more ambitious and interconnected. These days it’s very common to have foreign productions coming to Korea to film and vice versa Korean productions going abroad. 

When I worked on the Disney+ Korean series Big Bet we filmed about 40% of it in the Philippines. The director wanted to really capture what it was like to live in Manila and Clark, where the story took place. We had to be on location to film any scenes that took place at a casino, inside someone's house, or out on the bustling street. Some of the sets they were able to replicate or create in a large studio in Korea but to capture that raw energy, we had to be at the heart of the location.

I cannot wait to see what other amazing stories and art will be created in the future when two or  more  worlds of culture are collaborating. You already see this with Netflix’s XO Kitty and Apple TV’s Butterfly. A beautiful fusion of cultures blending together to capture art through unique stories driven by real locations, people and culture.

What kept me motivated through the challenging times has been my desire to break barriers and push myself to grow past my limits as an actor. When I wasn’t on a set, I would be training in online Hollywood acting classes at 3am due to the time zone difference. I was always reading acting books daily and applying the techniques to what I am auditioning for and filming. I challenged myself to do practice a new script every week, then film it and then ask friends that are directors and actors in the industry for constant feedback. 

Staying active in my craft during downtime has helped me remain sharp and prepared, so that when opportunities come, I am ready to fully step into them. I believe an actor should always be learning and evolving in their craft and that’s what differentiates a good actor from a great actor.

Seoul has shaped me to not only be a stronger actor but an even better human being. Working and living day to day speaking 80% Korean and 20% English, as well as following Korean cultural norms, has taught me a lot about respecting others and how to communicate and understand others better.

I try my best to be mindful of the culture I’m living in and follow Korean social norms and cultural norms as much as I can.  Even if it is a struggle at times as an American, I remind myself just how great it is to be in Korea and have the career I have thanks to Korea.

The most defining moment on my journey so far would have to be my Bloodhounds 2 audition. I sent in a self-tape for the boxing coach role but when I got the callback I went in and was asked if I’d be interested in auditioning for Ian. I did the cold read and after the director gave me a huge compliment stating he thought I was the best American local actor in Korea. 

Getting a reaction like this in my callback made me feel as if all of my years of hard work and training were finally paying off. I was on cloud 9 for about a week and honestly his comment drove me to work even harder on Ian’s character to make sure he wasn’t one-note.

Short term I am drawn to more family man, dad, husband types of roles. They are more of who I identify as. I am very family oriented and would love to connect with a character through my own personal experiences.

Long term I would love to audition for roles that challenge me not only as an actor, but also as a person. If given the chance I would love to take on characters that push me to question my own beliefs and allow me to grow through the process of portraying them.

The definition of success has changed a lot for me over different stages of my career. Success used to mean I booked the job and I am a full-time working actor. But these days that isn’t the case anymore.

Success to me now is when I have challenged myself to try a difficult character in acting class but failed. Or when I have tried my best in an audition but was rejected. When I have been cast in a show as a big character but still get a chance to audition for a short film in a smaller role. For me, success now is any opportunity that pushes me to grow as an actor and try something new, regardless of the outcome.

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Photographer - Jeong Sihu

Hair & Make-up - Kim Chae-an

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