South Korean star Oh Ji Ho was not taken seriously when he started acting because of all the attention on his looks.
SOUTH Korean actor Oh Ji Ho is thoroughly amused by how popular South Korean pop music, otherwise known as K-pop, is outside his home country.
During the filming of his latest drama series Strangers 6, he found that his Chinese and Japanese co-stars had a tendency to belt out K-pop hits at random.
One co-star in particular, Hong Kong actor Bowie Lam, was especially prone to singing the catchy tune Nobody by girl group Wonder Girls frequently.
Dashing and talented: South Korean actor, Oh Ji Ho, who has been in the industry 13 years, says: ‘The constant spotlight on my looks over my work is all in the past – I hope.’ “Bowie really likes that song – he hums and sings it all the time on the set,” says Oh, 35, with a chuckle while doing the famous hand gestures that go with the song during a recent interview at Joel Robuchon Restaurant in Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore.
He was in the island republic for a three-night visit to film footage for his first autobiographical documentary and was invited by Resorts World Sentosa to use the integrated resort as a backdrop.
The one-hour documentary, which has yet to be named, will showcase what he is like as a person outside of his many acting personas. It will be released in Japan and South Korea early next year.
Though the bachelor declined to provide more details about his documentary, he was eager to talk about Strangers 6, which is touted as the first television series to be co-produced by South Korea, China and Japan.
The action drama, which is set to be aired early next year, is about six secret agents from the police forces of the three countries who must work together to protect the economic future of East Asia.
The high-profile project, whose budget is reportedly around 1bil yen (RM41.4mil), also features Korean actress Kim Hyo Jin, Japanese stars Toshiaki Karasawa and Masaya Kikawada, as well as China’s Liu Xuan.
The man can’t look bad, even as a runa way slave. (Clockwise from left) Lee Da He, Oh and Jang Hyuk in The Slave Hunters. Oh says the series, which is still being filmed, is a positive step forward for future offerings by Asian production houses.
“If we all work together this way more often, there is hope that Asian dramas can become as internationally popular and acclaimed as big American series,” he adds.
On his experience collaborating with so many international co-stars, he says diplomatically: “Though we may have language barriers or slight cultural differences, working on any drama is ultimately the same. Everyone is very professional and it has been great to be a part of this show.”
Oh has appeared in more than 20 television dramas and films since he debuted in 1998. He is best known for his roles in popular television series such as Couple Or Trouble (2006), where he played a handsome handyman.
His film credits include action comedy My Wife Is A Gangster 3 (2006), which also starred Chinese actress Shu Qi, and the upcoming Sector 7, a monster horror movie that is slated for release in cinemas here on Nov 3.
Getting to where he is today, he says, is due to plain old determination and hard work.
Oh, who is commonly noted for his dashing good looks as well as his acting abilities, says seriously: “When I first debuted 13 years ago, people seemed to focus only on my looks and wondered if I could ever be taken seriously. But I think my persistence to move forward in the industry might have changed that a little. The constant spotlight on my looks over my work is all in the past – I hope.”
Which is why he is not at all concerned by the potential pressure of having to compete with the onslaught of younger, hotter actors.
The winner of acting awards such as the KBS Drama Award for Excellence for his role in historical drama Chuno last year, says matter-of-factly: “I am actually more than happy to be able to work with the younger generation whenever I can.
“Since there is more than a 10-year gap between my experience and theirs, I feel that we can actually use the opportunity to share our different ideals with each other. It is all part of the learning process to be better at what you do.” – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network
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