Actor Ju Ji Hoon has opened up about how he handles criticism of his acting, admitting that negative reactions can still be painful despite his many years in the entertainment industry.
On November 6, Ju Ji Hoon appeared on dancer Lee Jung's YouTube channel, Super Dancer LEE Jung, where the two discussed the emotional challenges of working in the entertainment industry.
During their conversation, Lee Jung asked whether he feels disappointed when a project does not receive the response he hoped for, even after putting in a lot of effort.
Ju Ji Hoon gave a surprisingly honest answer.
*"I feel like I'm coughing up blood,"* he said, using a strong expression to describe how deeply criticism can affect him.
He then compared the experience to professional fighting.
*"Even UFC fighters feel pain when they get hit. Just because someone has been fighting for a long time doesn't mean they become made of steel,"* he explained.
Lee Jung agreed, sharing that she also finds it difficult when something she loves and works hard on receives an unexpected response.
Ju Ji Hoon explained that dealing with disappointment requires practice and emotional strength.
*"You have to turn that heartbreaking feeling into energy. Even changing that energy is exhausting. The question is whether you can keep doing something exhausting,"* he said.
The actor also revealed a practical method he uses to protect his mental well-being when reading reviews of his performances.
He explained that he treats criticism like a gymnastics scoring system, where the highest and lowest scores are removed before calculating the average.
*"When people evaluate me, I use the gymnastics scoring system. I remove the highest and lowest scores and calculate the average,"* he shared.
Ju Ji Hoon said he applies this approach by setting aside both excessive praise and extremely negative comments about his acting.
*"I remove the people who praise my acting too much, and I also remove those who say my acting is terrible. When you look at the average of the remaining opinions, you can find something helpful,"* he explained.
He added that constantly comparing personal achievements with other people's success can also be emotionally exhausting.
According to the actor, accepting that luck sometimes plays a role in success helps him maintain a healthier perspective on his career.
Meanwhile, Ju Ji Hoon is currently appearing as Emperor Sovieshu in Disney+'s fantasy romance series *The Remarried Empress*, alongside Shin Min Ah, Lee Jong Suk, and Lee Se Young.
Since the drama's release, his character's appearance and elaborate styling have drawn mixed reactions from viewers online.
During an earlier press conference, Ju Ji Hoon showed a lighthearted attitude toward the audience's frustration with his character.
He said, *"If pointing fingers at me and expressing your anger helps you feel better about your real life, I'll be satisfied."*
While his latest interview was not specifically about the reactions to *The Remarried Empress*, his comments offered a closer look at how he deals with criticism throughout his acting career.
Despite his experience, Ju Ji Hoon made it clear that negative feedback still hurts, but he believes learning how to use it constructively is an important part of continuing his work as an actor.
