KBS’s ‘Entertainment Weekly’ revealed 7 celebs who had totally normal jobs before they were famous.
The first place went to Son Seok Koo. The actor, who made his debut in Bae Doo Na‘s TV series Sense 8, started acting at 35. Before becoming an actor, Son Seok Koo actually dreamed of becoming a documentary director, hence majoring in film and art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
However, after graduating, he returned home and became the CEO of a machine tool manufacturer. The company’s annual sales recorded a whopping 5.5 billion KRW (about $4.6 million), and Son Seok Koo owns more than 30% of the company’s share. Currently, he’s concentrating on acting instead of running a business.
Ahn Bo Hyun ranked second on the list. The actor used to be a boxer in high school. Representing Busan, he even won a gold medal in the national competition. Ahn Bo Hyun even made headlines in 2015 when he entered a charity contest helping children with rare and incurable diseases. He eventually quit boxing due to his parents’ opposition and frequent injuries and later entered the modeling world.
Yoon Sang Hyun, who once dreamed of becoming “the king of the restaurant business,” came in third. Before making his debut, he owned a successful snack bar in front of a women’s university. Using his good looks as his marketing tactics, he earned 12 million KRW (about $10,060) a month, purchasing his own apartment after a year. Yoon Sang Hyun thought of changing his shop to a Korean barbeque restaurant but instead became an actor after receiving a casting offer.
Fourth place went to Eum Moon Suk, known as the muay thai master in the industry. First worked as a backup dancer for g.o.d, he later debuted as dance singer Sic. Now, he’s turned into an actor.
Han Yeri took fifth place. She was a dancer who majored in Korean dance. For 20 years, she thought she was on the path of becoming an intangible cultural asset, graduating from the Gugak National Middle School and High School. Even now, she’s performing on various stages as a dancer while continuing her acting career.
Sixth place went to Heo Sung Tae, dubbed the “wanted villain.” Before making his debut as an actor, he was in charge of TV sales in the overseas sales department of conglomerate L. Having majored in Russian literature, he even became the best seller in the Russian TV sales department. Afterwards, he lived a stable life and transferred to D Company, one of Korea’s three largest shipbuilding companies. However, he started auditioning at the age of 35, playing small roles and working part-time jobs for his dream of becoming an actor. Now, he became the never-failing scene-stealer.
Source (1)
Translator Kim Hoyeun: If you are a fan of K-drama, K-movie, and K-pop, I am your guy. I will continue to provide you with up-to-date K-entertainment news.
