Star Ahn Bo-hyun has come a long way since debuting as an actor 10 years ago in 2014 through the Korean drama “Golden Cross.”
Before becoming an actor, he started his career as a boxer in high school when he studied at Busan Sport Middle School and Busan Sport High School. He even won a gold medal in the 69 kg class at the President's National Boxing Competition hosted by the Korea Amateur Boxing Federation.
Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun at his press conference in Manila on May 24 (Jonathan Hicap)
Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun at his fan meeting in Manila on May 25 (Screenshot from New Frontier video)
From boxing, he started as a model in 2007 until he transitioned into an actor in 2014.
In the last 10 years, Ahn Bo-hyun has appeared in many dramas. In “Golden Cross,” he played a guard. He went on to appear in “Descendants of the Sun” and “Her Private Life.”
He captured the attention of viewers through the 2020 drama “Itaewon Class.” After this, he starred in "Yumi's Cells," "Military Prosecutor Doberman," "See You in My 19th Life" and "Flex X Cop."
Ahn Bo-hyun in a boxing match (Video from fmkorea.com)
Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun in "Flex X Cop" (SBS Play)
Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun (Instagram)
Last Mary 25, the hunky 36-year-old actor held his first “2024 Ahn Bo-hyun Fan Meeting in Manila” at the New Frontier Theater.
The fan meeting was his first since his acting debut, a testament to his growing career in the entertainment industry.
At the fan meeting, Ahn Bo-hyun sang “”Start Over,” “Until I Found You,” “I’ll Embrace Your Past” and “October Rain.
He said he was glad that despite the bad weather in Manila, people came to see him at the fan meeting. At the event, he talked about his career and played games with fans.
Before the fan meeting, Ahn Bo-hyun held a press conference on May 24 at the Novotel Manila Araneta City.
“This is my first time to come here for an official event so I’m very honored to be here,” said the actor about his Manila fan meeting.
He revealed that after the fan meeting, he will spend more time in the Philippines.
“I’m really curious about the Philippines. For now I’ve seen the Philippines inside the car but after the event, I’m planning to spend more time here in the Philippines. Among the cities in the tour that I’ve been to, this is the first city that I’m having a vacation as well so I'm very excited. Because many of my friends have visited here in the Philippines and they actually love this country so much,” he said.
About the weather in Manila, he said, ““You know, whenever summer comes, we prefer winter (in South Korea) and when winter comes, we prefer summer. But you know because I like to go to the beach so I think I prefer summer for me.”
Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun at his press conference in Manila on May 24 (Jonathan Hicap)
On his acting career
Ahn Bo-hyun: “I would like to say that I'm still growing at the moment, you know, I;m really happy that I'm actually doing the job that I love to do and I really feel happy at the moment but you know when I actually go to a role, I do not actually feel like I'm good at it already. But I'm a challenger, like doing something to challenge myself and be better every time. And also because of my age, I was actually able to understand much of the emotions, that actually helps a lot in portraying a role.”
Having a mindset
Ahn Bo-hyun: “I actually do love the word about initial mindset because I know there are a lot of other external factors that have grown me but this initial thought or initial mindset to never give up and if you never give up, there will be an opportunity or things will come into place. Those kind of initial mindsets are really helping me or encouraging me to be better so I always keep them in mind
Recommended places in Busan where he was born
Ahn Bo-hyun: “I would like to recommend Yeongdo and Songdo. It’s actually an island.”
Workout routine and diet
Ahn Bo-hyun: “Because I'm covered with a good image but, you know, actually If I actually do workouts, I actually go to a weight that is nearly like 100 kgs. already so I always do my workout. And also my diets. Whenever I feel like I'm not doing it but I always make myself and keep myself and I have to do it, I have to really constantly do it and it actually comes to mind. So my routine is really similar with anybody else who actually does workout and I just try my best to keep them in routine.”
From boxing to acting
Ahn Bo-hyun: “So I spent most of my school life as a boxer and I performed a lot of my times as a boxer but you know when I actually saw a movie about boxing and when I see people performing the actions and everything, I was really impressed like ‘How come they're not boxers but they're really good at playing the role?’ and I actually wanted to try it out as well.”
“And I had that feeling in mind but right after I actually quit my life as a boxer and I went to become a model, the turning point happened because most of the actors tried to be an actor. Most of the models tried to be an actor and you know I also tried it in my way and that has become my turning point.”
How he became an actor
Ahn Bo-hyun: “Actually I had no idea how to start at first. I followed the path of my friends, also my juniors who were already preparing to be an actor. To actually get the (acting) lessons, I also had to do my part-time job and everything. I had always had my initial mindset. I always kept myself doing it but at the same time, I had no idea what to do.”
How do you prepare for a role or a project?
Ahn Bo-hyun: “Actually I do not find a person where to (compare) that role that I’m actually taking. For example, if I take a look at senior actors that I’m doing, I might get influenced because of similar roles that I’m having so I always find answers in the script and I always create my own character or role from the script.
Places in the Philippines to visit with family and friends
Ahn Bo-hyun: “I have had the opportunity to visit the Philippines with my friends before but due to the schedule, I had to cancel my flight. My friends were bragging to me how great Boracay was and how they were enjoying the big waves there. If ever I’m given the opportunity anywhere like Palawan, Boracay, Cebu, it would be good for a vacation with my family.”
Dream role or genre in next project
Ahn Bo-hyun: “Since there are a lot of job roles that I haven’t tried yet, I would like to try it out for them and also because many of the worldwide fans are watching K-content, I would like to do, like, historical drama or romance comedy and I would like to try a very evil role as well.”
Secret talent
Ahn Bo-hyun: “I do not have a very specific talent that I can mention aside from the roles that I’m taking, how natural I am as a person, how human I am. To actually show that, I’m filming a lot of entertainment shows. I'm trying to show myself like my true self through those media.”
Considerations when choosing roles and projects
Ahn Bo-hyun: “We can't exclude the fact that the most important factor that we consider is about like ‘can I actually perform it well with this role?’ We can’t exclude that. Another thing that I've actually focused on is, with the previous projects that I've done, is my role very different? Can I show a different or new side to the audience or to the viewers? That's one of the other most important things that I consider–to actually show a different side of me.”
How do you transition from one role to another?
Ahn Bo-hyun: “If you consider ‘Itaewon Class,’ it is actually a very famous webtoon in Korea and it originated from there. I was able to portray myself in the emotions expressed in the drawings. In the case of ‘See You in My 19th Life,’ it is also a project that is already present but I actually did not look at it because if I watched and actually tried to follow the emotions of the actors, I cannot create my own self as an actor. So I tried my best to create my own version of myself and my thoughts and tried a lot to show how it was actually portrayed in the drama.”
Advice to his 10-year-old self
Ahn Bo-hyun: “To actually look back about the life that I actually lived, I lived a life where I cannot even remember what puberty is but I was really harsh on myself doing a lot of efforts. If I go back I would like to tell my younger self to be more lenient and to live a life that suits your age.”
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Ahn Bo-hyun: “I think it’s easier to choose for me because it’s 10 years after, not 10 years before. Something happened before, we cannot change it anymore. But I would like to say that I'm actually doing a good job in acting but always be thankful. Never forget your initial mindset and, at the same time, you can enjoy the achievements that you have done.”
About his damas airing in different countries
Ahn Bo-hyun: “When I was filming ‘Yumi’s Cells,’ I put a lot of effort into every scene but I could not feel people in different countries would be watching. But seeing this kind of results after the drama has been aired and is being aired in so many different countries and people are loving them so much, I'm just so happy and so thankful that people are doing that. And it also becomes a motivation for me to do better so I'm very thankful.”
Memorable experiences as an actor when he was just starting
Ahn Bo-hyun: “There were a lot of things that I was really surprised about when I went to the filming location. When I arrived at the filming location, I never imagined that there would be a lot of staff. To actually be in the same place or in the same project as the senior actors that I just see on screen, and to imagine that I’m shooting one the same screen (together with them), it felt incredible and it felt like a dream.”
Character that he portrayed that he wants to live in real life
Ahn Bo-hyun: “To think of the role, I’ll choose Jin I-soo in ‘Flex X Cop.’ (A chaebol who turns into a detective).”
What kept you going as an actor in the last 10 years?
Ahn Bo-hyun: “I would like to say that I had a lot of signs from a role that doesn’t have a name to a role that does have a name, plus a role that has a line. These kind of similar and small steps were actually signs that would give that ‘I should never give up and just continue myself.’ Those kinds of small processes were able to drag me for 10 years and became who I am.”
Most memorable role
Ahn Bo-hyun: “I think definitely it’s the same answer, which is Jin I-soo in ‘Flex X Cop’ because I was loved through this role by a lot of fans around the world. There were people doing my signature pose of Jin I-soo from the project as well. To actually think about it, he’s very rich. Though he has some pains from the family, he also has good friends around him.”
The “2024 Ahn Bo-hyun Fan Meeting in Manila” was presented by Wilbros Live and IAM Worldwide.
Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun at his press conference in Manila on May 24 (Jonathan Hicap)