Namjun Heo: "Did You Think I Never Struggled? I Was Working Part-Time Just Three Years Ago"

Interview with Actor Namjun Heo

Portraying Chaebol Heir Cha Segye in "Brave New World"
Learning to Let Go of Tension in Heavy Emotional Scenes
Juggling Part-Time Jobs and Acting Until 2023
Vowing to Stay Grounded Despite Growing Spotlight

Namjun Heo. Provided by H Solid

"Do you think I grew up like a flower in a greenhouse, never having struggled? Haha. Even just three years ago, I was working part-time jobs and fighting hard to get by. It was only natural to make a living by working as hard as everyone else."

It's hard to believe he's the same person who sent chills through living rooms with his cold stare in "Your Honor." Off screen, Namjun Heo, 33, bursts into easy laughter and calls himself a "mischievous prankster." Having landed his first romantic comedy lead as Cha Segye, a cold-blooded, heartless chaebol in the recently concluded SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Brave New World," he has become a rising star, knocking on the hearts of the public with the vitality forged during his fierce years as an unknown, hidden behind his polished appearance.

When we met Namjun Heo on the 18th at a café in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, he appeared determined not to get carried away. "Brave New World" depicts the entangled fate of the unknown actress Shin Seori (played by Lim Jiyeon), whose body is possessed by the soul of a villainess, and the chaebol heir Cha Segye. He led the story, moving between the past as Prince Cheongheon Lee Hyeon of the Joseon Dynasty and the present-day Cha Segye. Responding to some viewers' comments that the script was a bit cheesy, he said calmly, "It was difficult, but I believed that if I did well, it would become a valuable nourishment for me. As an actor, my job is to faithfully deliver what is written in the script."

He did not portray Cha Segye as a typical chaebol. Instead, he carved out "human cracks" in a thoroughly controlled life. Namjun Heo explained, "Because Cha Segye learned from a young age not to trust people and only to hide his weaknesses, he wears immaculate suits outside, but at home, he relaxes in stretched-out short-sleeve T-shirts. After meeting Shin Seori, he experiences his first awkward love and finally reveals the pitiful side he’s hidden all his life. That vulnerability is what makes the character appealing."

He also keenly pointed out why a man at the top of the capitalist ecosystem would become so blindly devoted to Shin Seori. He said, "As the richest chaebol in Korea, he's only ever encountered people who approach him with clear motives. In a world where everyone is desperate to gain something, meeting someone who treats him without any ulterior motive was the first time he encountered real humanity, and he was drawn in." He said he naturally immersed himself in the character, empathizing with the bitter reality that relationships narrow and trust becomes rare with age.

Before filming the emotionally charged final scenes, he struggled with intense pressure. He singled out the scene where, believing he had lost his lover, he meets her again and his emotions explode as the hardest moment. Namjun Heo said, "To make sure viewers didn't feel awkward, I had to completely believe in the situation as I acted." He continued, "Because I was so aware of the importance of the scene, I often tensed up from preparing alone for so long. But when I relaxed and approached it lightly, the heavy mood actually came across more naturally. From now on, I'll try to let go of that tension in my body."

Still from Brave New World. Courtesy of SBS Brave New World

Namjun Heo. Provided by H Solid

Unlike his flawless appearance on screen, he built his way up from the bottom during a long period of obscurity. Debuting in the 2020 film "Double Patty," he later appeared in dramas such as "Snowdrop" and "Sweet Home." He once helped his parents with the rice harvest, and confessed, "Even three or four years ago, I was constantly juggling part-time jobs and acting."

Regarding the fact that he first gained attention through chilling villain roles, he said, "I'm just grateful to my parents that I have both a warm face and a villainous one." He also has a clear philosophy for playing villains: "I avoid obvious, cliché performances that anyone can imagine. Just as you don’t always show your emotions even when you’re angry, when I play a villain, I try to create a sense of tension, like a ticking time bomb, rather than shouting, 'I'm a bad guy.'"

He says he can feel the recent surge of public interest. When he received a casting call from the tvN variety show "You Quiz on the Block," he laughed and thought, "Oh, things are really working out now." He also shared an anecdote about his taciturn twin brother sending him a string of thirty "ㅋ"s (the Korean equivalent of "lol") via messenger as a compliment. Namjun Heo said, "Close friends never tell me I look cool, but they do contact me to say they find me funny. They tease me with 'boyfriend material' memes, but I'm happy nonetheless."

Throughout the interview, he repeatedly vowed not to get swept away. Namjun Heo emphasized, "There will be happy days and sad days when I’ve done my best but am disappointed with the outcome. No matter what, I’ll keep my feet on the ground and walk my own path." He added, "The essence of my profession is acting well. Like my hairstyle, there are things I can’t control on the outside, but I’ll boldly let that go and focus only on extracting the best within my own limits."

Now, Namjun Heo is headed to Gyeongseong in the 1920s. Next year, he will play independence activist Song Haesu in the tvN drama "Whale Star." The character survives a childhood tragedy in which his family is massacred before his eyes and wages a fierce struggle. Namjun Heo explained, "He’s someone who, while desperately fighting for independence, finds someone he wants to protect and experiences both friendship and love."

In closing, he said, "'Brave New World' is a project I am truly grateful for, as it helped me discover a new side of myself. Still, I want to keep it in my heart as just one of the many roles I’ve given my all to—and occasionally, when it comes to mind, I want to take it out and smile at the memory."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.