S. Korean star Song Joong-ki reveals why he’s had no success landing Hollywood, UK roles

October 18, 2023

South Korean actor Song Joong-ki, star of hit K-dramas “Reborn Rich” and “Vincenzo,” has revealed the challenges he faced breaking into international markets.

Exploring new horizons: In an interview with The Korea Herald in September, the 38-year-old actor expressed his eagerness to take on international projects, disclosing that he has been participating in auditions with the help of his wife, British actress Katy Louise Saunders.

“Many people think that I’ve become interested in doing overseas projects after marrying my wife, but I’ve been going to global auditions for many years to try more genres in different cultures and systems. But of course, my wife gives me a lot of support in many ways because she still has friends in the UK and Hollywood, arranging meetings and auditions for me. But sadly, I failed all of those auditions.”

Song’s dedication: Song’s commitment to exploring uncharted territories in his career led him to accept a supporting role in the recently released Korean noir film “Hopeless.” While he took the role without compensation out of fear his appearance would commercialize its original charm, he shared on the latest episode of Lee Dong-jin’s YouTube series that he won’t be repeating the gesture.

“I’m starting to worry that production companies might want me to star in their movies without getting paid,” he said, according to SBS Star. “My wife and I just had our baby, which means I’ll have to work harder.”

Despite the setbacks: Song remains unwavering in his desire to broaden his horizons and explained to Newsroom in a video uploaded on Sunday that he is continuing his pursuit of international opportunities.

“After finishing the schedules for ‘Hopeless’’ release, I will go overseas to attend several auditions,” he noted, according to Koreaboo. “I hope I make it this time. So far, I’ve always failed. My desire to act in different cultural contexts and industries is growing every day.”

Explaining his criteria in choosing roles, Song explained that he tries “not to do what I’ve done before. I have this strange obsession. If I don’t enjoy it myself, it shows. I’m not trying to be humble; if I can’t enjoy it because I don’t have the abilities to do it, then my full potential doesn’t come out.”

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