Moon Sang Min Opens Up About His Acting Career, "Cinderella At 2AM," Which K-Pop Songs He's Listening To, And More

Sep 01, 2024

Moon Sang Min recently posed for a stunning photo shoot for Allure Korea magazine!

After the shoot, the star took a moment to discuss his acting career, his new drama “Cinderella at 2 AM,” and other recent projects.

Following his debut, Moon Sang Min starred in popular series like “My Name,” “Duty After School,” and “Under the Queen’s Umbrella.” When asked if acting was immediately enjoyable for him, he said, “Actually, it’s the opposite. Since I had zero experience, the biggest challenge was figuring out, ‘What is this? How do I do this? What should I do in this part?’ It’s still like that. I think I spend more time worrying about those things and keep asking the director for guidance.”

When asked what he inquires about the most, Moon Sang Min replied, “The character’s emotions. I think emotions are incredibly important. While I have my own thoughts, I think the director’s interpretation is also crucial. Understanding the director’s perspective helps create the right synergy during filming. So I try to have a lot of conversations [with the director] while waiting after getting into makeup. Through those talks, I often discover something new.”

Moon Sang Min won the Best New Actor award at last year’s Baeksang Arts Awards for his role in “Under the Queen’s Umbrella.” Reflecting on the experience, he said, “It was thrilling. Just being nominated was exciting, but I froze when it was time to speak. On stage, the faces of senior actors looked so big, and I could see each and every expression, which made me even more nervous. When I said, ‘Hello, I’m Moon Sang Min,’ I stumbled over my own name. I felt so overwhelmed that my mind went completely blank.”

At 24, Moon Sang Min has already reached significant milestones. After leaving Cheongju and enrolling at Hanlim Multi Art School, he won a Best New Actor award in less than 10 years.

When asked if he recalled how he felt when he left home, he replied, “Absolutely. I cried on the bus to Seoul. My parents always came to see me off at the terminal. Even in high school, I’d usually go home on weekends. I’d smile when saying goodbye, but once I got on the bus, the tears would come. I cried a lot at the terminal. At Hanlim, there were many students like me [from other regions of the country,] so having friends with similar experiences helped us connect.”

In his latest drama, “Cinderella at 2 AM,” Moon Sang Min plays male lead Seo Joo Won. On the most challenging part of his role, he said, “Portraying a chaebol heir. I don’t know any chaebols personally. I watched a lot of performances by senior actors who have played similar roles and was really impressed by Lee Junho and my agency senior Park Seo Joon.”

Although Cinderella’s magic typically ends at midnight, the drama is titled “Cinderella at 2 AM.” Moon Sang Min explained, “What did Cinderella do from midnight until 2 a.m. after coming home? What was she feeling? What happened during those two hours? That mystery is the key point of our drama. But honestly, I usually go to bed early.”

Regarding his upcoming film “Pavane” (literal title), which is currently filming, he said, “We’re almost done, and it should be out next year. It’s my first film, but we spent a lot of time preparing with the director, which was really fun. Please come to the premiere. It’s a truly heartfelt romance, and my character is quite similar to me.”

This year, Moon Sang Min also began hosting “Music Bank” as an MC. He described the role as a challenge, saying, “I’m the type of person who likes to try new things when the opportunity arises, so I took it on, and it has definitely been challenging. Thanks to it, I’ve been listening to a lot of K-pop.”

When asked what he listens to the most these days, he said, “RIIZE’s songs! I really like both ‘Boom Boom Bass’ and ‘Impossible.'”