Park Hyung Sik's latest Disney+ K-drama, Buried Hearts, is all the rage right now. But have you ever wondered what drove this talented actor to pursue his dreams in the first place?Recently, Park Hyung Sik made a heartfelt appearance on You Quiz on the Block, where he dished out the details on his early days as a trainee.?
For the unversed, before beginning his acting journey, Hyung Sik was a part of the boy band ZE:A, also known as Children of Empire, which was formed by Star Empire Entertainment in 2010.
Park Hyung Sik revealed that his entry into the entertainment industry was not part of his plan. Initially, he had little interest in pursuing a career in the spotlight and didn't dream of becoming an idol. However, life had other plans for him. Although he wasn't interested in becoming a celebrity, he was always passionate about music. Fuelled by passion, he decided to join a school band in middle school and ended up winning an award. Following this, he was scouted by a talent agency and received a casting offer he couldn't refuse.
"At first, I had no dreams of entering the entertainment industry. I thought it was a completely different world from mine," the actor said.
He added, "In middle school, I joined the band club because I knew how to sing. We entered a competition, and while I won an award, I also received a casting card, and that¡¯s how it all began."
Given the trajectory of his career, one would think Park Hyung Sik's rise to fame was a smooth ride, but it wasn't all easy. He opened up about how tough it was to fit in as a trainee. Since he didn't come in through the usual audition process, his fellow trainees didn't quite get him, he revealed.
On most days, Hyung Sik said he felt like an outsider, which coerced him into isolation. But instead of letting it get him down, he used that time to focus on perfecting his skills.
Park Hyung Sik shared that before joining ZE:A, he had briefly stayed at another company that had cast him in a band competition. At that time, he was cast, but other trainees who came in through auditions likely viewed him as a "parachute".
"As a result, the other trainees kept their distance from me," Park added. "I thought trainee life was all about competition, picking sides, and bullying," he admitted.
However, he soon decided to focus on doing well on his own, concluding that it's all about proving oneself with skill, which led him to get used to practising alone.
The Strong Girl Bong Soon?star admitted that he didn't even eat and spent all his time practising ballads in a small room. He recalled, "An older member would often say, "Why are you doing this by yourself? Let's eat first."
He added that the ZE:A members brought him from a dark place into the light, from a mouldy basement room. "We ate together and joked around, and I remember gradually opening up again," he said.
Park Hyung Sik opened up about the difficulties he faced while pursuing an acting career. Despite not having a formal education in acting, he learnt through hands-on experience.
?The Doctor Slump actor revealed that he often faced criticism, with people telling him he had no talent, which affected him deeply.
"From a young age, I heard people tell me, ¡®You have no talent,¡¯ and even though I knew it was true, my ears would turn red and my hands would shake, but I still wanted to do well," he said.
Park Hyung Sik rose to fame with his role in the 2013 K-drama The Heirs (also known as Inheritors), starring Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye. He slowly transitioned into leading roles in High Society (2015) and Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016-2017). His major success was with the 2017 blockbuster K-drama Strong Girl Bong Soon, which now enjoys a cult classic status.
Some of his other well-known dramas are Happiness,?Doctor Slump and Soundtrack#1. He recently garnered critical acclaim for his role in Buried Hearts.
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