Ahn Hyo Seop's boyish charm has made him one of the Hallyu scene's most sought-after actors today. We've come to know the K-drama star as Kang Tae-moo in Business Proposal, and recently, he's reprised his role as Seo Woo-jin in Dr. Romantic 3. But did you know that he almost became a member of a famous K-pop group?
Something that may pique the interest of Hyo Seop's fans is how he actually started in the industry on a completely different path. Before he became the heartthrob he is today, he was just Paul Ahn, a Korean living in Canada who was presented with an interesting offer from JYP Entertainment.
In a past interview, he revealed that he actually began as an idol trainee and was in line to debut as a member of—drum roll, please—GOT7. He was quoted saying: "I was just a regular student in Canada, but I got a phone call from a number I didn’t recognize. I still don’t know how they knew about me, but it was their rookie development team, who said they wanted to meet me."
During his time under JYP, he trained with the seven members who eventually comprised the K-pop group. "I was living with the others in the dorm at that time," he explained, "So when the group was being put together, I was practicing with them."
You wouldn't believe the reason why he didn't make the cut. According to Hyo Seop, he didn't get to join the "project team" because of his height. He says: "I was a bit lacking in talent then, and also I was too tall. I really resented my height then. I wanted to become shorter." For reference, Hyo Seop is about six-foot tall.
Despite the setback, he still became close friends with his co-trainees, particularly Jackson. The latter expressed how Hyo Seop became "the friend who knows [him] best" since both of them were able to speak casually in English. "In my hardest times, he's been my vitamin," he even said. Awww!
It's safe to say that things worked out in the end for Hyo Seop, who not only boasts of acting credits in hit dramas, but also a 2020 Baeksang Arts Award and a 2017 SBS Drama Award for Best New Actor. We're sure the best is yet to come!
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