Actor Heo Nam Jun has revealed his strong determination to continue working after gaining wider attention through the SBS drama “Wonderful New World.”
On July 20, Esquire Korea released Heo Nam Jun’s pictorial and interview for its August issue. During the interview, the actor reflected on the success of “Wonderful New World,” which reportedly reached a peak nationwide rating of 14 percent.
Despite the drama’s strong performance, Heo Nam Jun said he did not become overly excited by his growing popularity.
“I was not as excited as people might expect,” he shared. “My greatest happiness is eating good food with the few close friends and family members I have known for a long time. Instead of feeling excited, I felt a greater sense of responsibility.”
He continued, “Even though I am receiving attention now, I do not know what will happen later. I want to work as hard as possible while I have this opportunity.”
Showing just how serious he is about his career, Heo Nam Jun revealed, “I told the head of my agency not to consider my condition and to accept every job they could arrange for me.”
Before becoming an actor, Heo Nam Jun worked as a daily laborer for three months without taking a day off. He recalled enjoying the experience because his earnings directly reflected the physical effort he put into the job.
The actor later built his career through smaller and supporting roles in projects such as “Night in Paradise,” “Sweet Home 2,” “Your Honor,” and “When the Phone Rings.”
Looking back on those years, Heo Nam Jun said his supporting roles were especially important because they taught him how to stand out without interrupting the lead actors’ performances.
“That period was actually more important,” he explained. “I thought deeply about how I could make myself noticeable without disrupting the flow created by the main actors.”
Heo Nam Jun is currently filming the upcoming tvN drama “The Whale Star,” where he will play Song Hae Su. He described the role as “the heaviest and most serious character” he has taken on so far.
He added, “I remind myself to focus on the basics. I am an actor, so I should work hard on acting. That way, I will not lose myself when things are going well, and I will be able to protect myself during difficult times.”
Meanwhile, Heo Nam Jun was expected to reunite with IU by appearing in a music video for her upcoming album. However, the project’s release has been delayed after IU announced the postponement of her sixth full length album and planned September concert due to her worsening ear condition.
