Ji Seung Hyun opened up about nearly walking away from acting right before landing his breakout role in Descendants of the Sun. The actor appeared on the September 11th episode of tvN’s variety show You Quiz on the Block, where he candidly discussed his struggles and the emotional rollercoaster he faced during the early stages of his career.
Reading from a personal journal entry, Ji reflected, “I wrote this thinking it was a conversation with myself. I wanted to cheer myself on and offer some comfort.” He continued, “The entries were often about auditioning, failing, and telling myself to keep going.” Ji shared a specific entry that captured his feelings at the time: “I didn’t achieve anything that day. I took photos without getting paid, and there were no results. I wrote, ‘This is just the beginning. I can’t help feeling impatient. Stay positive. There will be many opportunities—I just need to grab one.'”
Host Yoo Jae Suk brought up Ji’s turning point—landing the role in Descendants of the Sun. Ji revealed that it came at one of the lowest points in his career. “We filmed ‘Descendants of the Sun’ in 2015, and it aired in 2016. But back in 2015, everything else I had lined up—movies, web dramas—fell through, even after meetings and table read,” he explained. “At the time, my wife was pregnant with our second child, and I was really struggling. I thought ‘Descendants of the Sun’ would be my last project.”
The actor said he poured everything into his role, believing it might be his final chance. “I filmed ‘Descendants of the Sun’ with the mindset that it would be my last. We were even getting ready to open up a snack shop. Then, in February, the show aired—and my second child was born on February 1st. And it blew up from the first episode,” he said, recalling the turning point in his career.
After Descendants of the Sun, Ji began to see steady work, including a role in the weekend drama The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop. “With that show, I started to earn a stable income, something close to what a regular office worker would make,” he shared.
Lastly, Ji said, “Looking back at 20 years of journal entries, I realized that even though I felt stuck, I never really fell behind.” Since then, he’s gone on to appear in major projects like My Dearest, Korea–Khitan War, and currently-airing Good Partner.
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