Singer-turned-actor Im Seul Ong has been cast in the upcoming web drama "Love Cells 2." In that drama the 2AM singer will play a handsome chef named Park Tae Jun. His character is the perfect man, blessed with culinary skills, good looks and a good job. But Park is a little shy about getting involved romantically. He just doesn't see the point of falling in love. He's focused on success and love won't help him achieve the goals he wants.
But as is often the case, life is more complicated than that.
Despite the fact that Im gets to play a man known for his good looks on TV, he has repeatedly stated he does not have a face people will remember.
He described himself as "not very good looking" in an interview with Elle Girl. When asked about fashion in an interview for Singles magazine, he said he did not have a memorable face and that's why he paid extra attention to his clothes.
"I don't have a trendy or a especially eye-catching face so I try to give a lot of changes to my dress code. I think that's how I got into fashion."
Someone must have noticed his distinctive look because after participating in the TV competition program "Hot Blood," he was selected to become a member of the group 2AM.
He signed with JYP Entertainment in 2008. Im Seul Ong left the agency in the spring of 2015 to pursue new goals. He said that it was a difficult decision to make.
"I really liked JYP as 2AM, and I respect Park Jin Young hyung more than anyone in the world. He truly is an amazing person and someone who shaped my 20s," he said in an interview with the Korean media outlet Newsen.
He joined Sidus HQ with the idea of working harder on his acting career.
He won praise for his role as the conflicted lawyer Byun Kang Chul in the romantic comedy "Hogu's Love," starring Choi Woo Sik, Uee and Lee Soo Kyung. One of the hardest parts of that role was kissing Choi Woo Sik, he said. It was hard because they both kept laughing.
In the drama Byun Kang Chul thought he was in love with Hogu, played by Choi. This made him think he was gay and turned his life upside down, but it turned out Byun had really fallen for Hogu's twin sister.
"To be honest when I filmed with Woo Sik, I burst out laughing just by looking at his face," said im. "For the romantic scenes, we acted them out in an exaggerated way for fun and had a lot of fun filming."
His acting career began in 2010 when he played one of Lee Min Ho's co-workers in the film "Personal Taste." He also had roles in the dramas "Hotel King" and "The Fugitive of Joseon." Given his funny and yet touching performance in 'Hogu's Love," viewers can expect much more from him in the future.
