Amy Baik, a South Korean actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo\/Juwon Park)<\/p>\n
\u201cHollywood\u2019s the dream (\u2026) the ultimate pinnacle of acting accolades,\u201d said Julia Kim, a Korean American casting director who worked on \u201cMinari,\u201d Amazon Prime\u2019s \u201cButterfly\u201d and \u201cKPop Demon Hunters.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Alison Dumbell, a co-founder of Upstage with experience in Bollywood and Los Angeles, said she has noticed more demands for \u201ccharacters that are specifically Korean\u201d than generic \u201cEast Asian\u201d ones from Western producers. She attributes that shift partly to the global popularity of South Korean entertainment.<\/p>\n
Still, stereotypes persist. \u201cThe one that irritates me is the nerdy tech programmer,\u201d Dumbell said. \u201cSometimes I just won\u2019t even submit my actor for that because I know that they\u2019re much more nuanced as actors.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com\/www.mariettatimes.com\/images\/2025\/12\/19151522\/AP-South-Korea-Hollywood-Acting-3-1100x733.jpg\")
<\/div>\n
Misun Youm, actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo\/Juwon Park)<\/p>\n
For most South Korean actors without connections or know-how, Hollywood is still uncharted territory.<\/p>\n
Kim, who typically casts high-profile stars and works with local casting directors for co-productions, also finds actors via social media. \u201cI usually put out an open call on my Instagram,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Kim said South Korean talent faces a steep learning curve. \u201cI would get questions \u2014 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\u2019m doing an audition?\u201d she said. Even name consistency is an issue: Kim recalled a K-pop artist turned actor whose name appeared five different ways online.<\/p>\n
Technical standards also differ. Actor Misun Youm noted American audition tapes require clean white backgrounds, while \u201cin Korea, it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Headshots diverge too: South Korean profiles feature modellike images, while American headshots match character types.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Korea, you shoot profile photos like a fashion magazine model,\u201d said veteran actor Shin Ju-hwan, who goes by Julian Shin. He played a masked soldier in second and third seasons of \u201cSquid Game,\u201d and stars in \u201cTaxi Driver\u201d Season 3.<\/p>\n
Shin found Upstage by chance \u2014 his wife, a producer, discovered them on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n
His Hollywood dream was partly motivated by colleagues at his former agency \u2014 Han Yeri in \u201cMinari\u201d and Jung Ho-yeon in \u201cSquid Game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though I wasn\u2019t a main character \u2014 I was just a \u2018soldier\u2019 \u2014 people who saw even that brief appearance started leaving comments on my Instagram,\u201d Shin said. \u201cThe impact of that show was truly unparalleled.\u201d<\/p>\n
Language and accents<\/p>\n
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. \u201cIdioms are really fun,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2018Break a leg\u2019 or \u2018hold your horses\u2019 \u2014 learning those makes you feel closer to being native.\u201d<\/p>\n
The accent question looms large.<\/p>\n
Devin Overman, another co-founder of Upstage who coaches English line delivery, said \u201cit\u2019s perfectly fine, even preferable to have an accent because the accent is part of who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
She focuses on intonation. \u201cWhen native Korean speakers are trying to read English lines, it sounds like they\u2019re reading. That\u2019s the hardest thing to break,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
But consultants aren\u2019t pushing actors to erase their identity. Shin recalled Dumbell advising him not to sound too \u201cAmerican-ish.\u201d \u201cShe said people would prefer my genuine pronunciation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Push factors<\/p>\n
For Shin, the pivot came as opportunities in South Korea contracted.<\/p>\n
\u201cStarting three years ago, I realized this industry was getting harder,\u201d he said. \u201cSince the Korean market was struggling, I thought I should broaden my horizons to international markets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Age discrimination is also driving some actors abroad. Youm, 29, said in South Korea \u201c30 isn\u2019t considered young.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some limitations when it comes to finding an agency or auditioning for a role,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Shin, in his 40s, was given a chance to audition for a 20-something character for an international production. \u201cIn Korean audition tapes, you usually say your age,\u201d he noted. \u201cIn the U.S. (\u2026) they don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Actors see a shift<\/p>\n
Baik, who got a minor role in the Netflix teen romantic comedy \u201cXO, Kitty,\u201d now sees her features as assets abroad.<\/p>\n
After feedback from American casting directors, she said she learned \u201cI could do action roles and break free from the \u2018cute\u2019 image.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also found working with an international crew an eye-opening experience, and came to appreciate aspects of the American work culture. \u201cIn Korea, overtime was routine. In the American market, you clock in and clock out like an office worker,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was more efficient.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said her ongoing journey to Hollywood has taught her to trust herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first, everyone said it would be impossible (\u2026) \u2018Only famous Korean actors can do this,’\u201d she recalled. \u201cBut after watching me fly overseas and make everything happen with my own hands\u2026I can say with certainty from my experience that Hollywood is ready to open its doors to anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shin, who hopes to play a villain in American productions, sees a shift.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a time when it seemed like you had to roll your R\u2019s and act like an American\u2026 But now it feels like you can be yourself \u2014 be Korean if you\u2019re Korean,\u201d Shin said. \u201cStereotypes are gradually crumbling.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.mariettatimes.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CAPTION CORRECTS THE NAME \u2013 Devin Overman, left, and Alison Dumbell, co-founders of consulting firm Upstage Entertainment, advise South Korean actors on navigating the Hollywood casting system in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo\/Juwon Park) Amy Baik, a South Korean actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2206536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[425856,425858,425857],"class_list":["post-2206535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-international-news","tag-more-south-korean-actors-seek-hollywood-dream-after-global-success-of-korean-entertainment","tag-more-south-korean-actors-seek-hollywood-dream-after-global-success-of-korean-entertainmentview"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/More-South-Korean-actors-seek-Hollywood-dream-after-global-success.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2206535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2206535"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2206535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2206537,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2206535\/revisions\/2206537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2206536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2206535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2206535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2206535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com\/www.mariettatimes.com\/images\/2025\/12\/19151532\/AP-South-Korea-Hollywood-Acting-2-450x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com\/www.mariettatimes.com\/images\/2025\/12\/19151522\/AP-South-Korea-Hollywood-Acting-3-450x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com\/www.mariettatimes.com\/images\/2025\/12\/19151540\/AP-South-Korea-Hollywood-Acting-1-1100x733.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com\/www.mariettatimes.com\/images\/2025\/12\/19151532\/AP-South-Korea-Hollywood-Acting-2-1100x733.jpg\")
<\/div>\n