On the October 13 episode of YouTube channel “Fairy Jaehyung,” actor Park Seo-joon discussed the behind-the-scenes of his appearances on variety shows.
Park Seo-joon, who gained a lot of love by appearing on PD Na Young-seok’s variety show “Jinny’s Kitchen,” said: “It all started with “Youn’s Kitchen 2”.“
He explained: “I really enjoyed watching “Youn’s Kitchen”. After watching the whole season, I continued acting as usual and then I got an offer. It was fascinating because it wasn’t something I usually do. I was a fan of the show, but I was also scared because it’s not a familiar area for me. I have always been just a spectator, but now I would show my true self, not play a role. I felt like I was exposing myself. I rarely appeared on talk shows because I felt pressured to perform or show something interesting for the sake of screen time, which I didn’t think I was good at. But “Youn’s Kitchen” had such a slow, relaxing vibe that I found it comforting to watch it. It’s fascinating because it’s not dramatic, but you keep watching. The most appealing part was the idea of running a restaurant abroad. I wondered if I would ever have an experience like this in my life. And of course, I was grateful that I was asked to work with PD Na Young-seok, which no one would want to refuse.”
Reflecting on participating in “Youn’s Kitchen 2,” Park Seo-joon recalled how challenging it was. He said: “I was more stressed than I was during my senior year of high school. It wasn’t the first season, it was the second. With Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Seo-jin, and Jung Yu-mi already present, I joined as the youngest. I felt like I had to do really well to even be considered average. On top of that, I had to show my true self. I kept asking myself, ‘What is my role here?’ The pressure was immense.“
He added ironically: “It was such a new experience for me. I had to take a long flight and had a stop on the way back. They kindly upgraded me to first class, but I was so stressed that as soon as I got on the plane I fell asleep sitting upright, as if I were in economy. I woke up as we were landing, which shows how much pressure I was under.”
When asked what aspect of himself he didn’t want others to see, Park Seo-joon replied: “I was embarrassed by my awkward way of speaking. In the past I hated it even more. I practiced pronunciation a lot and studied vocal techniques. In the past, I would end sentences with “that was it” or “so what” like a child and speak slowly. Now it’s at least a little faster.“
Speaking about the impact of appearing on variety shows, Park Seo-joon said, “It didn’t feel like a typical variety show. I thought I had to do something because it’s a variety show, but of course I became a restaurant employee. I wasn’t an actor; I was the youngest staff member with the most work. I had to wake up earlier and go to bed later. I really related to that role. Learning to cook was fun and it was different from making movies, so I enjoyed it.“
He also mentioned how appearing on variety shows has led to many business deals, saying, “After doing variety shows, I felt like I became more familiar to the audience and received many advertising offers. But at the same time I was a little disappointed. I’ve done a lot of work on acting, but apparently variety shows are the real deal for commercials”, eliciting laughter from everyone.
Park Seo-joon reflected on the situation: “I think it’s because when a person has charm, their main job also becomes more attractive. I joke about it now, but at the time I was confused. I was working so hard on acting but suddenly I was getting advertising offers every other day. I wondered if it made sense. I also talked seriously about it with people around me, and they said that it’s because I’m dedicated to my main job that people see me in a positive light. I hadn’t thought about it that way. I hope it’s true.”
Source: Nate
