Before becoming an actor, Heo Nam-joon seriously dreamed of pursuing a career in music.
He spent several years studying music and preparing for college entrance exams, but after failing to get into a music program and realizing how difficult the path would be, he eventually gave up on his dream.
That setback, however, became a major turning point in his life.
At the suggestion of someone he knew, Heo Nam-joon tried acting for the first time and later entered Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Performing Arts.
In this article, we look at why Heo Nam-joon originally wanted to pursue music, why he eventually gave it up, the emotional story involving his high school music teacher, and how he ultimately found his way into acting.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- What led him to switch from music to acting
- Why Heo Nam-joon originally wanted to become an entertainer
- How seriously he pursued music during high school
- Why he gave up his dream of studying music
Did Heo Nam-joon Originally Want a Career in Music?
Yes. Before becoming an actor, Heo Nam-joon seriously pursued music for about three years with the goal of becoming a singer.
His reason for wanting to enter the entertainment industry actually goes all the way back to his childhood.
Why Heo Nam-joon Wanted to Pursue Music
Heo Nam-joon has said that his desire to become an “entertainer” began with a writing exercise he did in kindergarten.
One day, he was asked to copy a sentence that roughly meant:
“Animals leave their skins behind when they die, while people leave their names behind.”
For some reason, those words made young Heo Nam-joon intensely aware of death.
He later recalled that the fear became so strong that he sometimes had trouble sleeping.
Speaking about that time, Heo Nam-joon explained:
“Becoming an actor wasn’t originally my dream.”
When I was very young, I had an unusually strong fear of death. I thought, “Someday I’m going to die too, so at least I want to leave my name behind.”
Among the different paths in entertainment, Heo Nam-joon became interested in music because, as he explained, children naturally enjoy music and people who are good at it often seem cool.
That eventually led him to seriously pursue the dream of becoming a singer.
He Was So Dedicated to Music That His Friends Teased Him
Heo Nam-joon was extremely serious about music during his school years.
He practiced so much that he reportedly has very few photos of himself simply hanging out with friends during high school.
Even when his friends wanted to spend time with him, they would sometimes come to the practice room where he was training.
Seeing how hard he worked, his friends even joked that if he had studied academics with the same dedication, he probably could have gotten into a very good school.
His commitment shows that music was not just a casual hobby for Heo Nam-joon. At the time, it was a goal he was genuinely determined to achieve.
Why Did Heo Nam-joon Give Up Music?
Heo Nam-joon has openly said that he gave up music because he felt he simply did not have enough talent for it.
Despite years of intense effort, he failed his music college entrance examination and eventually decided to take a different path.
Heo Nam-joon Hit What He Saw as a “Talent Barrier”
Heo Nam-joon devoted himself seriously to music for around three years.
However, despite all his practice, he ultimately failed to get into the music program he had hoped for.
Looking back on that period, Heo Nam-joon has spoken about himself with a surprising amount of humor and self-criticism.
His words make it clear just how frustrated and discouraged he felt after working so hard toward his dream.
Interestingly, Heo Nam-joon has never revealed exactly what area of music he planned to major in.
He jokingly said that he intends to keep it a secret “until the day he dies.”
His High School Teacher’s Words Made Him Cry
Heo Nam-joon once shared an emotional story about a music teacher who gave him realistic advice about his chances of succeeding in the college entrance examination.
His teacher told him, in essence:
“At your current level, it will be difficult to expect a good result from the entrance exam.”
The teacher was being realistic about Heo Nam-joon’s chances, but the words were deeply painful for a student who had been working so hard.
Heo Nam-joon said he was so hurt that he cried even while crossing the street afterward.
What once felt like a painful rejection had, years later, become an emotional reminder of how dramatically Heo Nam-joon’s life had changed.
How Heo Nam-joon Went From Music to Acting
After struggling with music, Heo Nam-joon did not immediately set out to become an actor.
His acting career began almost by chance after someone he knew suggested that he give acting a try.
A Simple Suggestion Led Heo Nam-joon to Acting
The turning point came when an acquaintance visited the place where Heo Nam-joon had been studying music and casually asked him:
“Why don’t you try acting?”
At the time, Heo Nam-joon had already decided to give up music.
Curious about what acting might be like, he decided to give it a try.
After watching him act, the acquaintance told him something along the lines of:
“You actually seem pretty good at this.”
But after spending years hearing criticism about his music, Heo Nam-joon found it difficult to believe the compliment at first.
Then one day, he was asked to perform a scene that required him to express anger.
Heo Nam-joon has said that he had rarely expressed anger openly before, so he struggled at first.
But when he finally shouted with everything he had, he felt an unexpected sense of relief and freedom.
That experience helped him realize that acting felt fundamentally different from music.
He later described the difference between the two paths in roughly these terms:
For Heo Nam-joon, that small sense of possibility was enough to keep going.
Heo Nam-joon Studied Acting at Sungkyunkwan University
After failing his music entrance exam and discovering an unexpected connection with acting, Heo Nam-joon went on to study acting at Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Performing Arts.
When he first announced that he wanted to become an actor, some people around him reportedly doubted the idea and asked what kind of acting he thought he could possibly do.
Heo Nam-joon, however, had already experienced something in acting that he never felt while pursuing music: a sense that his efforts were producing some kind of response.
That feeling encouraged him not to give up.
Acting initially began simply because he found it interesting.
After returning from military service, however, Heo Nam-joon became much more serious about pursuing acting as a career and devoted himself to improving his craft.
Conclusion: Heo Nam-joon’s Music Years Became a Turning Point in His Life
Before becoming an actor, Heo Nam-joon spent several years seriously pursuing music. After failing his music entrance exam and realizing that music might not be the right path for him, he eventually chose a different direction.
A casual suggestion to try acting became a turning point. The positive feedback he received gave him confidence and encouraged him to keep going.
Heo Nam-joon’s journey from music to acting shows how one setback can open the door to a new opportunity. Today, he continues to gain recognition for his performances, and it will be exciting to see where his acting career takes him next.
