Actor Lee Jun-young. [Newsis]
Actor Lee Jun-young. [Newsis]

Actor Lee Jun-young has opened up about the financial hardship he endured during his days as an idol and the pain he experienced while transitioning to acting.

Lee appeared Wednesday on tvN variety program "You Quiz on the Block," looking back on his long struggle from idol group member to one of the most sought-after actors in the industry.

"I kept failing auditions, so I thought maybe I just wasn't meant to do this," he said. "I figured I should just stick to dancing — stay in my lane." He eventually auditioned for the group U-KISS at the suggestion of choreographer Hong Yeong-ju and was accepted unanimously by the judges, joining the group at 18.

Lee made his debut as a new U-KISS member in 2014, learning more than 20 choreographies and songs in a short period to keep up with the existing members. But as the group's domestic activities dwindled, a long hiatus followed, and with almost no solo work, his income dried up entirely.

"When I watched big awards shows, my friends were on stage receiving cheers while I was at home watching on TV," he said. "We had the same job — I kept asking myself, why am I like this?"

He said his family was in debt at the time, and rather than dwell on his situation, he decided to start working night shifts at a convenience store to cover basic living expenses.

"I was on a night shift when my manager came in to buy cigarettes. I was so embarrassed I couldn't say a word — I just cried. It was a side of myself I never wanted anyone to see," he said, adding that his manager told him he also cried after dropping him off that night.

He then began teaching himself acting by tracking down scripts on his own, nurturing his dream of becoming an actor. He was rejected at more than 100 auditions but never gave up.

"Back then, the prejudice against idol-turned-actors was far worse than it is now," Lee said, recalling that he was even told to "stop getting in the way and step aside" simply because of his idol background.

"Every shoot day started with a sigh and ended with a sigh. I worried every day about how I was going to face the set on Friday," he said. "Still, I made up my mind to take whatever anyone said. I told myself that if I didn't want to hear those things, I had to be better."

He said he had promised his manager at the time, "I will definitely make it," adding, "From that point on, I gritted my teeth and held on. All I could think was: no matter how hard it gets, don't burn out — just keep going to the end."

Lee went on to build his name through a string of projects including "D.P.," "Mask Girl," "When Life Gives You Tangerines," "Weak Hero Class 2," "New Employee Kang Hoe-jang" and "Badland Hunters," cementing his status as one of the industry's most in-demand actors. He is set to begin his mandatory military service as an active-duty soldier on July 21.


betterj@heraldcorp.com