Playing Seo Bum Jo, the second lead in "Pinocchio," gave Kim Young Kwang a chance to shine.

Kim was a very successful model before he decided to try acting. He walked the runways for such impressive designers as Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. He was also the first Asian model in Dior Homme's show.

But making the transition to acting meant starting all over again. He had to start with a small role in the 2008 drama "Worlds Within" and it wasn't until 2014 that his name became a household word.

He wanted very much to be a good actor but learning the ropes was not easy.

"It was frustrating in the beginning when I wasn't able to act the way I wanted to," Kim said in an interview with the Korean media outlet Chosun Ilbo. "But, challenging drama roles forced me to be better."

He had small roles in "My Fair Lady," starring Yoon Eun Hye and Yoon Sang Hyun, and in "Love Rain," which starred Yoona and Jang Geun Suk. He attracted attention with his role as fourth-year resident Han Jin Wook in "Good Doctor."

After that he played a bigger role in "Nine Plus Boys." He was the office player who truly falls for his work colleague but she does not take his intentions seriously. He was one of three brothers and an uncle whose age ended in a nine, which superstition said condemned them to bad luck.

It was only in "Pinocchio" that he truly began to make a name for himself. His character morphed from a spoiled mama's boy into a man of integrity even if he did lose the girl, played by Park Shin Hye.

He is glad his efforts have taken him this far.

"At the beginning of my career, I couldn't afford to reflect upon myself, and I was hasty to do something I wasn't even ready for," he said. "But now, I realize that if I get too hung up on what I can't do, I wouldn't be able to sustain my acting career for long. Of course, it doesn't mean that my desire to be good at acting is compromised, but I try to feel less burdened than before."

His next acting project will be "Dr. Mo's Clinic," a Korean-Chinese web drama. He will play a psychiatrist who helps women overcome love trauma. One of his patients will be played by Sandara Park of 2NE1.