SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — When actor Amy Baik was cast in a South Korean commercial last year, she thought she had landed a promising gig.
But after filming wrapped, she was shocked to learn that both the director and advertiser had cut her scenes — not because of her performance, but because she lacked a facial feature prized in South Korean beauty standards.
“The reason was that I don’t have double eyelids,” said Baik, 26.
“After receiving that feedback, I started to reconsider what kind of appearance Korea wants,” she said, adding it “made me wonder how I can survive as an actor in South Korea.”
That experience pushed her toward a different market. The global success of “Parasite,” “Minari” and “Squid Game” has opened doors for South Korean performers in Hollywood — and spawned a cottage industry of consultants helping actors navigate American casting.
“Hollywood’s the dream (…) the ultimate pinnacle of acting accolades,” said Julia Kim, a Korean American casting director who worked on “Minari,” Amazon Prime’s “Butterfly” and “KPop Demon Hunters.”
While established stars like Park Hae-soo and Lee Byung-hun have both South Korean and American representation, most aspiring Korean actors lack such connections. That gap is what talent agencies like Los Angeles-based Upstage Entertainment are trying to bridge.
Alison Dumbell, a co-founder of Upstage with experience in Bollywood and Los Angeles, said she has noticed more demands for “characters that are specifically Korean” than generic “East Asian” ones from Western producers. She attributes that shift partly to the global popularity of South Korean entertainment.
Still, stereotypes persist. “The one that irritates me is the nerdy tech programmer,” Dumbell said. “Sometimes I just won’t even submit my actor for that because I know that they’re much more nuanced as actors.”
Multiple challenges
For most South Korean actors without connections or know-how, Hollywood is still uncharted territory.
Kim, who typically casts high-profile stars and works with local casting directors for co-productions, also finds actors via social media. “I usually put out an open call on my Instagram,” she said.
But for actors without major agency backing, the right contacts are hard to find. The American and Korean industries operate differently, and U.S. casting information rarely reaches those outside established networks.
Kim said South Korean talent faces a steep learning curve. “I would get questions — should I change my Korean name to a Western name? Do I pay to get an agent? Can I look into the camera when I’m doing an audition?” she said. Even name consistency is an issue: Kim recalled a K-pop artist turned actor whose name appeared five different ways online.
Technical standards also differ. Actor Misun Youm noted American audition tapes require clean white backgrounds, while “in Korea, it doesn’t matter.”
Headshots diverge too: South Korean profiles feature modellike images, while American headshots match character types.
“In Korea, you shoot profile photos like a fashion magazine model,” said veteran actor Shin Ju-hwan, who goes by Julian Shin. He played a masked soldier in second and third seasons of “Squid Game,” and stars in “Taxi Driver” Season 3.
Shin found Upstage by chance — his wife, a producer, discovered them on LinkedIn.
His Hollywood dream was partly motivated by colleagues at his former agency — Han Yeri in “Minari” and Jung Ho-yeon in “Squid Game.”
“Even though I wasn’t a main character — I was just a ‘soldier’ — people who saw even that brief appearance started leaving comments on my Instagram,” Shin said. “The impact of that show was truly unparalleled.”
Language and accents
Shin took an intensive approach to English, transcribing over 30,000 English words and expressions from the internet, then using AI to check if any phrases were outdated. “Idioms are really fun,” he said. ”‘Break a leg’ or ‘hold your horses’ — learning those makes you feel closer to being native.”
The accent question looms large.
Devon Overman, another co-founder of Upstage who coaches English line delivery, said “it’s perfectly fine, even preferable to have an accent because the accent is part of who you are.”
She focuses on intonation. “When native Korean speakers are trying to read English lines, it sounds like they’re reading. That’s the hardest thing to break,” she said.
But consultants aren’t pushing actors to erase their identity. Shin recalled Dumbell advising him not to sound too “American-ish.” “She said people would prefer my genuine pronunciation,” he said.
Push factors
For Shin, the pivot came as opportunities in South Korea contracted.
“Starting three years ago, I realized this industry was getting harder,” he said. “Since the Korean market was struggling, I thought I should broaden my horizons to international markets.”
Age discrimination is also driving some actors abroad. Youm, 29, said in South Korea “30 isn’t considered young.”
“There are some limitations when it comes to finding an agency or auditioning for a role,” she said.
Shin, in his 40s, was given a chance to audition for a 20-something character for an international production. “In Korean audition tapes, you usually say your age,” he noted. “In the U.S. (…) they don’t.”
Actors see a shift
Baik, who got a minor role in the Netflix teen romantic comedy “XO, Kitty,” now sees her features as assets abroad.
After feedback from American casting directors, she said she learned “I could do action roles and break free from the ‘cute’ image.”
She also found working with an international crew an eye-opening experience, and came to appreciate aspects of the American work culture. “In Korea, overtime was routine. In the American market, you clock in and clock out like an office worker,” she said. “It was more efficient.”
She said her ongoing journey to Hollywood has taught her to trust herself.
“At first, everyone said it would be impossible (…) ‘Only famous Korean actors can do this,’” she recalled. “But after watching me fly overseas and make everything happen with my own hands…I can say with certainty from my experience that Hollywood is ready to open its doors to anyone.”
Shin, who hopes to play a villain in American productions, sees a shift.
“There was a time when it seemed like you had to roll your R’s and act like an American… But now it feels like you can be yourself — be Korean if you’re Korean,” Shin said. “Stereotypes are gradually crumbling.”
Juwon Park, The Associated Press
