Namgoong Min Reveals Why He Took A 2 Year Break From Acting

Apr 12, 2017

In an interview on April 11, actor Namgoong Min talked about his experience as the main lead in “Chief Kim” and about his two year break from acting.

Although the actor has generally taken on roles as the sub-lead or as a side character in the past, “Chief Kim” gave him another opportunity to take on a lead character role. Namgoong Min carefully expressed his opinion on the matter and said, “I think that goes beyond acting abilities. It’s true that everyone has different standards when they evaluate if an actor is good or bad at acting but being a main lead does not necessarily equate to good acting abilities.”

In regards to his two year break from acting, Namgoong Min explained, “After ‘Can You Hear My Heart,’ I decided I wanted to take on only lead roles in dramas and so I turned down any offers for roles as a sub-lead. Because of that, I ended up not being able to work for two years. I think that luck and fate play a significant role in every actor’s career.”

He continued, “Before, I used to only look for cool roles that I thought I could pull off well; however, I now look at the project as a whole when choosing a drama. As long as there’s a good director and good writer, it’s a pleasure as an actor to take on any role the project requires,” demonstrating the actor’s matured mindset.

Namgoong Min finished the interview on a humble note and said, “Although many looked upon my acting in ‘Chief Kim’ favorably, I felt that I was still lacking in many ways… I am approaching acting with the enthusiasm and humility of a rookie actor in their 20s. I believe that if I continue to focus and try my hardest, I will be able to do even better in my next project.”

Meanwhile, Namgoong Min was recently nominated for Best Actor for the upcoming 53rd Baeksang Art Awards, alongside Gong Yoo, Han Suk Kyu, and more. Plus, check out our final review for KBS2’s “Chief Kim.”

Watch “Chief Kim” exclusively on Viki!