Nam Joo Hyuk Net Worth 2021: Did 'Start Up' Actor Really Grow Up Poor?

Nam Joo Hyuk is just 27 years old but his net worth already spells how successful he is in life, and in his career. The actor has an amazing portfolio under his belt comprising of one well-received project after another, and this has certainly paid off for him.

Nam Joo Hyuk Net Worth 2021

The "Start Up" actor is reportedly sitting on $64 million, which is quite a lot by any standards. Through the years,

He has starred in several highly-acclaimed dramas such as "Who Are You: School 2015 (2015)," the romantic comedy, "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016)," "The Bride of Habaek (2017)," "The Light in Your Eyes (2019)," and "The School Nurse Files (2020)."

Year 2020 might have come to a standstill for many, including K-Drama artists, but Nam Joo Hyuk was still able to partake in a very successful project and wowed many fans because of "Start Up (2020)," which aired in the streaming giant Netflix.

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Even though he has done many projects already, "Start Up" certainly made him a household name, not just in Korea, but all over the world that got caught on to the K-Drama craze.

Just this year, he wrote a message for his Filipino fans, a testament of how popular he is everywhere

Who is Nam Joo Hyuk? Everything to Know

What makes Nam Joo Hyuk net worth 2021 all the more amazing is that he worked hard for every penny of it. Earlier reports about the actor revealed that he grew up poor, so he was already on an uneven footing compared to other artists with massive net worth. Nam Joo Hyuk was born on 22 February 1994 in Busan, South Korea, and he lived quite a simple life when he was still a child.

He made his first-ever talk show appearance in 2018 with Radio Star, and there he revealed that he grew up struggling financially. Being a model and actor changed his fate. He shared, "It was really tough for me and my family. For the whole year of third grade, I only ate cup ramen. We didn't even have a bathroom in the house."

The fact that he now has a massive net worth due to acting and modeling is all the more interesting, too, when one finds out he wants to become neither of the two. Instead, he really dreamed of becoming a basketball player. The actor played basketball for 3 years while still studying in middle school.

It was at that young age when he realized his passion lies in that sport. However, his dreams of playing for the national team were cut short because he experienced a great injury that required him to get surgery on not just one but both of his legs. But he was destined to be a model and an actor - and earn big.

When Nam Joo Hyuk moved to Seoul, he took part in a competition called Top Model and ended up bagging the top prize. Because of his sheer talent and looks, he immediately signed with YGKPlus (aka the modeling management arm of YG Entertainment) and enrolled in a model academy. His modeling career kicked off at the 2014 Seoul Fashion Week, where he was able to book a total of 10 shows immediately.

He landed his first acting gig in "The Idle Mermaid," and the rest is history.