Kim SeonHo Steals the Show (and a few hearts as well)
With all the attention he has been getting for his “good boy” role in Start Up it is easy see why people felt this 34 year old stole the show. In fact, on the day the final episode aired his name was trending on SNS.
SeonHo credits the leads Nam Joo Hyuk and Suzy for getting attention which spread to him as well, but many who watched the show felt it was his character which really stood out.
During Start Up he was also still a regular member of the popular variety show 2 Days & 1 Night (2D1N). They noticed his growing popularity from their show as well as Start Up.
Vixx’s Ravi, who is also on 2D1N couldn’t help but comment when SeonHo gained more than 460,000 Instagram followers in the 2 weeks between October 14 and November 3rd, putting his own record highest number of followers amongst the cast (1.5 million) in danger of being passed. (SeonHo now holds the record with more than double at 3.6 million at the time of this article.) The rest of the cast is proud of him but is going to keep him humble though through their good natured ribbing, as you can see in this clip from 2D1N
He began his career in 2009 by performing in stage plays. Although not interested in television, as he was enjoying all he was learning for the stage, he was contacted and asked to audition for 2017’s Good Manager, which starred Nangoong Min and Lee Jun-ho, and this became his debut drama. He credits the cast reward vacation for giving him a taste for travel. Having never been on a plane until he was 32 he now has more interest in this mode of transportation. “(the flight) was also because I could not help it, since it was a close family occasion. It was through "Chief Kim's" reward vacation that I first learned the appeal of travelling,“
With so many new experiences he was ready to take on more acting roles in dramas. Strongest Deliveryman followed that same year and he moved quickly on to roles in dramas like: Two Cops (which won him 2 drama awards), Welcome to Waikiki 2, and 100 Days My Prince (one of the highest rated cable drama).
He would not have imagined, as a teenager, that he would ever become an actor as he had trouble just breathing if the teacher stood close to him while he read. The idea of being surrounded by strangers would have made him pass out. This, he explained in a interview for W magazine, was due to trauma when he was younger. Thankfully he was able to move past it though he still has some insecurities. His sense of humor is something he is proud of for getting him through and helping him connect with others
He has a charming dimpled smile which some are calling his trademar, but wasn’t always a fan of it (though even young girls found it fascinating)
‘I had fair skin when I was young, and together with the dimples, other kids used to tease me and said that I was a girl. A girl even followed me home, asking how I got my dimples. My younger self was stressed from receiving that question, so I answered without thinking much about it. ‘I got them from pressing hot peas into my cheeks.’ But then, that girl went home and really gave it a try…and her mother came looking for me at our house“
Like his character in Start Up, SeonHo has come through many challenges on his way to success. Hopefully he will feel more confidence now and soon we will be able to see him in a lead role.
(Photos are from his Instagram @seonho__kim)