IU and 'Grand Duchess' Reunion in Acting.. Heo Nam-jun: "I Asked My Agency to Book Every Possible Job" — Bursting with Passion

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Heo Nam-jun (33) has shown his ambition for intense work.

On the 20th, fashion magazine Esquire Korea released a photoshoot and interview with Heo Nam-jun, who graced the August issue cover.

Heo Nam-jun rose to prominence as a top star following SBS drama 'Grand Duchess,' which concluded last month. In response to questions such as "Were you not excited as the lead of 'Grand Duchess,' which achieved a peak viewership rating of 14%?" he responded humbly.

However, Heo Nam-jun stated, "I was not as excited as I thought," adding, "My happiness lies in eating delicious food with a few close friends and family members I have known for a long time, so there is nothing to get excited about. Instead, my sense of responsibility has grown even larger."

He further added, "Even if I receive attention for now, I do not know what will happen, so I think we should work hard while we can enjoy it."

Notably, Heo Nam-jun expressed his intense enthusiasm by saying, "I told So Sok-sa (CEO) to book every possible job without worrying about my condition."

Heo Nam-jun also recalled an anecdote about working as a day laborer for three months without a single break before becoming an actor. He said, "Working that job made me so happy. It was a fresh shock to realize that the more effort I put in, the more money I could earn." He reminisced, "I became close with the older worker I worked alongside, and going to the workplace every day was so much fun."

After leaving a strong impression as a supporting actor in Netflix film 'Night of Paradise' and Netflix series 'Sweet Home' Season 2, Heo Nam-jun has continued his upward trajectory through dramas such as 'Your Honor,' 'The Phone Call You Made Now,' 'A Hundred Memories,' and finally 'Grand Duchess.' Regarding his time as a supporting actor, Heo Nam-jun remarked, "That period was actually more important. I thought deeply about how to make myself slightly visible in my acting without disrupting the flow of the lead actors."

He further explained, "Even in my brief appearance in 'Night of Paradise,' I wanted to leave an impact on viewers, so I shifted my weight onto the balls of my feet and walked casually." On his approach to characters, he said, "For the villain in 'Your Honor,' I tried not to act tough because truly strong and confident people never pretend to be tough. Conversely, for Cha Se-gye in 'Grand Duchess,' I made a conscious effort to act tough, as if wearing an armor of emotions, believing that was this character's charm."

Currently, Heo Nam-jun is actively filming tvN's upcoming drama 'Whale Star.' Regarding his role as Song Hae-soo in the series, he introduced it as "the heaviest and most solemn character I have ever portrayed so far." He then reflected, "Let us focus on the essence. As an actor, I should work hard at my craft. Only then can I avoid reckless behavior on sunny days and protect myself on rainy days."

Meanwhile, Heo Nam-jun was scheduled to appear in IU's new music video 'Never Ending Story' last May, following his appearance in the same project, but the release schedule faced delays. Originally planned for a September release, IU announced on the 20th that she would postpone her full album comeback entirely due to complications from open-angle glaucoma. Additionally, IU canceled her concert scheduled at Goyang Stadium in September.

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*This content was translated by AI.