Kim Hee-jae wants to become trot singer who is good at acting and variety shows

연합뉴스 / 2022-04-18 13:51:37

▲ This photo, provided by Moco Ent, shows trot singer Kim Hee-jae. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, April 18 (Yonhap) -- “I wanted to show people that trot singers can do anything - become actors, do variety shows, and shoot commercials,” said trot singer Kim Hee-jae.

Kim, who challenged himself in acting by appearing in MBC TV’s new Saturday-Sunday drama “From Now on, Showtime!" which will air on Apr. 23, explained his new acting life during an interview in a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul.

Kim said he received an offer to appear in the drama while preparing for an album. The singer explained, “I was honored to have the opportunity to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming an actor.”

“I found acting attractive during elementary school while seeing school and church plays. Since I love singing, I’ve come to become a singer, but gratefully now I have the chance to try acting.”

Kim built himself as a trot singer, by appearing on TV Chosun’s audition program “Mr. Trot” in 2020. The singer’s decision to star in a drama was evaluated by some as an unexpected move. Kim revealed that he also had a lot of worries.

“I didn’t want to hear that I’ve started acting by chance after gaining some popularity in ‘Mr. Trot.’ It is not right for me to act with the mindset ‘Should I try acting once?’ when there are actors who have been through it all. I tried my best to work harder as a rookie.”

Kim plays policeman Lee Yong-ryeol in the upcoming series. The singer explained his role, “Lee is honest like the Generation MZ these days. Except for his specialty as a policeman, Lee portrays the ordinary twenties around us.”

“I think Lee is similar to me in a way that he’s honest and bad at saying shy things. However, in romance, Lee is straightforward to the person he likes whereas I try to respect the other person’s feelings,” explained Kim.

Kim, who revealed how he found acting fun through the new drama, said, “I liked acting and I thought I wanted to continue to pursue it,” adding, “Acting is still difficult and singing is fun.”

“I sang for about 23 years and acted for the first time in 28 years. In that sense, acting is hard when singing is more fun. However, I think the charm of acting is that I can live a different person’s life. While acting Lee, I was able to pursue a part of my childhood’s dream of wanting to become a policeman.”

Kim, who’s preparing his full-length album mentioned, “I tried my best to create various music for the people who’ve wanted to see the singer side of me while filming the drama for 6 to 7 months. I will see my fans in June with a good album.”

“I want to be a singer who stays in people’s memories for a long time. Even if I don't reach the top, I want people to sometimes think of my songs. Although I’m still inexperienced as an actor, I want to become an actor who improves and a person others can look forward to. My goal is to have the honor to work in another drama next time. (laughs)”

(This article is translated from Korean to English by An Hayeon.)

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