Penthouse has been the talk of the town since the airing of season 1 of “The Penthouse” last year. Its intense plot and cliffhanger episodes have been captivating audiences and continues to take over #1 rating on Friday and Saturday nights.
Not only is the plot a success but the characters in the drama have also left a strong impression with the viewers. Park Eun Seok, depicting the role of Logan Lee/Go Ho Dong was definitely one of those actors that captivated the attention of viewers and rose to fame. Let’s take a look together at his road to success.
The beginning
1. U.S.A
Park Eun Seok was born in Seoul but immigrated to Long Island, New York with his family at the age of 7. Under the encouragement of his mom, he attended an acting academy in New York and that was how it all started. He shared that he felt alive as he stepped on stage and in the spotlight and that was when he decided to move back to Korea at the age of 22 to pursue an acting career.
2. Korea
He attended many auditions in Korea while working as an English tutor and as a student at Seoul Institute of Arts. Unfortunately, his Korean was the main hurdle for him to not land any roles. To overcome this, he voluntarily enlisted in the army. Though he was a US permanent resident, there was a program at that time that allowed him to enlist while maintaining his residency. He made good use of his time in the military, practising his pronunciation by reading previous day’s newspapers and scripts, worked out and also learned about Korean culture.
3. Permanent Residence
Soon after his discharge from the military, he gave up his permanent residence in the U.S. In an interview, he stated that he did not want to use his residency as an escape route if things didn’t work out in Korea. He wanted to work hard knowing that there is no Plan B.
4. Acting
Initially returning to Korea with an intention to do TV acting, Park Eun Seok was only getting background roles. As he lived near Dae Hak Ro, a place commonly known for theatre and performing arts in Seoul, he bought a ticket to watch a show one day. It was during the performance that he decided that he could also be a stage actor and started to audition for theatre.
Rise to Success…
5. Theatre
Park Eun Seok first took the stage in Rooftop House Cat in 2012. Over time, he acted in over 11 plays which helped him to lay out his acting foundation and accumulate a fan base. He grew into an actor with such great ticket selling power and good looks that he was coined “Dae Hak Ro Idol.”
6. Small Screen
Park Eun Seok’s small screen debut was in 2010 in “Athena: Goddess of War.” However, it wasn’t until 2015 that he was more active in dramas, such as “The Village: Achiara’s Secret,” “The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop,” “The Rebel,” “Voice 2,” etc., that he was able to leave a strong impression on viewers.
7. “The Penthouse”
Park Eun Seok shared in an interview that he was initially offered a different role in “The Penthouse” and even participated in script reading for that role. However, the director and writer’s reaction after the script reading weren’t that great and he thought he was going to be cut from the show. Instead, he was offered the double role of Go Ho Dong and Logan Lee. This role shot him to stardom as his fluent English and detailed portrayal of two characters from different ends of the spectrum left a strong impression with the audience. As a result of his amazing acting, he was awarded 2020 SBS Drama Awards for Male Supporting Actor.
The Future…
“The Penthouse” will be returning with a third season at the same time that Park Eun Seok is starring in his theatrical play “Amadeus”. The timing would likely be around April or May. Also, remember to keep an eye out for Park Eun Seok’s next drama “Taxi Driver,” which is set to premiere in April!
Being an actor was not an easy road for Park Eun Seok, but his determination and hard work truly paid off. It is only the beginning of a new chapter for him and we hope to see more of his appearance on the small screen. Are you a fan of Kim Eun Seok? Let me know in the comments below!
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