VIXX's Cha Hak Yeon Opens Up About Finding Confidence + Fighting His Perfectionist Tendencies

Jan 22, 2022

In a recent interview and pictorial for Arena Homme Plus magazine, VIXX’s Cha Hak Yeon (N) reflected on his acting career and how he’s changed.

The idol-turned-actor is currently starring alongside Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon in tvN’s “Bad and Crazy,” where he plays the compassionate and upright police officer Oh Kyung Tae.

“‘Bad and Crazy’ and the character of Kyung Tae hold particularly special meaning for me,” shared Cha Hak Yeon. “I always get especially caught up in my thoughts and worries at the end of each year. Up until now, I’ve had regrets when looking back at the past year, but it was different this year.”

He went on to explain that unlike in previous years, he was able to wrap up 2021 on a confident note, telling himself, “You worked hard and did well.”

When asked if there was a moment that stood out to him as a turning point in his career, Cha Hak Yeon replied, “My love for the job of acting really grew starting from ‘Tunnel.’ Even though I had a small role and little screen time, I found my character really charming. I’d stay up all night analyzing the role. I ended up receiving a great response, and the director also liked my performance. After that, I became more confident about my acting.”

He continued, “I think I’m at the stage where, if an opportunity comes my way, I’m prepared to seize it. I still have a long way to go, and I still have a lot of steps to climb. But if an opportunity should come my way, I’m ready to seize it. I’ve been acting with that kind of confidence and self-assurance recently.”

Cha Hak Yeon also spoke about trying to tamp down his perfectionist tendencies while acting and learning to go with the flow.

“It’s true that I have the type of personality where I need to do something perfectly, exactly the way I’ve prepared it, in order to feel satisfied,” he explained. “If I don’t prepare properly, I get so nervous that I can’t even do half of what I need to do.”

“However, my feeling of wanting to trust the filming set has grown stronger [recently],” he went on. “I’ve decided to figure out the flow of my surroundings on the filming set and just go with it. I’m slowly gaining that kind of know-how.”

According to Cha Hak Yeon, ever since he ventured into acting, he’s spent a lot more time thinking about and reflecting on himself.

“I think I’ve only now started to know myself a little,” he said. “I have a wide variety of personality traits, but among them, I’m proudest of my truthfulness. I don’t sugarcoat things or beat around the bush because I’m worried about what the other person will think. I try to show myself exactly as I am, and I like my honest self.”

As for what he’d like to tell himself, he remarked, “I’d like it if I could enjoy things a bit more. It’s okay to enjoy things and relish in them.”