Back in the day, before Kim Nam Gil became a beloved actor, he took on the challenging role of part-time dishwasher to put food on the table while pursuing a career in acting.

Similarly, 44-year-old Kim, known for his versatile performances in hit dramas like Be Strong, Geum-soon, Queen Seon-deok and The Fiery Priest, battled many challenges on his road to fame.

According to NewsAid, the actor was kicked out of the Department of Theater at Seoul Institute of the Arts due to school debt and had a period of struggling to survive.

Kim was eager to learn about the fast-paced life of the kitchen as he worked in a teppanyaki restaurant. It was a busy restaurant, however, which meant there were far too many plates to wash.

Many employees only lasted a couple of months; the workload was brutal, but Kim stuck it out for six months. Impressed with his work ethic, his boss placed him in training to become a chef.

However, Kim never lost sight of his goal of being an actor and did and fought everything he could to get his chance.

He had been told by mentors to aim higher, so he started taking open recruitment tests for broadcasting companies. He made his debut in 2003 with the highest score on the MBC talent exam.

From then on, Kim presented a wide and impressive filmography through dramas and films that reveal his history as an actor.

As of late, he returned to one of his most recent roles in the wildly popular, delayed Season 2 of The Fiery Priest.

Kim's rise from humble beginnings as a dishwasher to a successful actor inspires hope of hard work one day succeeding in the entertainment industry.