On the 3rd, a video titled “’I’m Really Sorry…’ Actor Ji Seung-hyun, Known for the Film ‘Wind,’ Shares His Journey | Shooting Hyung EP.12″ was uploaded to the YouTube channel ‘Sad Hyung Shin Dong-yeop’s Shooting Hyung.’ Ji Seung-hyun played the role of Kim Ji-sang, a husband who cheats on his wife, in the recently concluded SBS drama ‘Good Partner.’
In the video, Shin Dong-yeop asked, “At what point, financially or otherwise, did you decide to continue acting?” Ji Seung-hyun candidly replied, “People think you make a lot of money when you’re on TV. ‘Descendants of the Sun‘ was a huge hit, but I only earned 4 million won, 2 million won that year from acting. Yet, people were asking me if I was moving to a better place, and that’s when I felt the disconnect.”
He continued, “People assume I earn well, but it’s awkward to deny it. It’s embarrassing, especially when my parents hear, ‘Aren’t you moving to a better place?’ Even though I’ve been acting for 18 or 19 years, I’ve only made as much as office workers for less than five of those years.”
Ji Seung-hyun also shared, “When I wasn’t making money, I did a lot of part-time jobs. I worked at my cousin’s curry shop in Yeouido, and once, one of my peers came in. I had already done the film ‘Wind’ but was only getting small roles in dramas at the time. I wasn’t ashamed of working, but I felt down because I wasn’t doing ‘my work’.”
He added, “Since it was Yeouido, some actors came in to eat after filming with their managers and stylists. I thought, ‘I should be doing my work right now,’ and felt a sense of self-doubt. I wore a cap and glasses, trying not to be recognized, though now I realize it wasn’t necessary,” he said with a laugh.
