Chun Jung Myung Reveals Stories of Hardship and Abuse He Endured as a Rookie Actor

On the July 28 broadcast of tvN’s “Taxi,” Chun Jung Myung talked about his hardships as a rookie actor.

Chun Jung Myung is now in his mid-30s and more than ever before, he contemplates his acting. He has recently finished a project and is in the process of deciding on his next one. He opens up about his personal aspirations during the interview honestly, saying, “I’m sure every actor feels this way, but I’d like to be known as a movie actor. I would like to have an image of being a movie actor only.”

The actor, who is known for looking young, also spoke about his age. The MC and senior actor Oh Man Seok says, “When you get older, you’ll have to act as the father of a child, too.” This puts Chun Jung Myung deep in thought for a bit, but then he says calmly, “When that time comes, I think I’d think ‘I’ve become old, too, now.’ But as an actor, I’ll have no choice but to accept it.”

The actor was cast by chance; he was scouted on the streets in 1996 and was asked to be in a commercial. After that experience, he discovered his passion for acting. He says during the show, “In the past, I didn’t like being in front of people. I had social phobia and I was shy. When I was a student, I was reading a book out loud and I passed out. But when I started working in this industry, I changed. I met a lot of new people, but it was strangely enjoyable. I got over it without even knowing.”

However, his career wasn’t all smooth sailing. He confesses, “I failed so many auditions because I looked young, and that was very stressful. If I went to 200 auditions, I would pass maybe one. I wanted to try manly and charismatic roles, but there were limitations with those roles.”

Not only that, but he surprises everyone by saying, “When I was a rookie, I was beaten so much by a director. During the script reading, he was completely fine, but once we got on set, he was a totally different person. After the first shoot, I wanted to run away. All he did was swear at me. He hit me so much to the point a tooth broke. That motivated me and I got through it with my teeth clenched.”

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