If At First You Don't Succeed: The Rocky Road to Kdrama Success

Sometimes the road to kdrama success takes a few unexpected turns.

For example, Yoon Sang Hyun, seen recently as prosecutor Cha Gwan Woo in "I Hear Your Voice" did not really think about becoming an actor because he wanted to sing. But it wasn't until he succeeded as an actor that he got to record.

 And Lee Joon of MBLAQ studied dance in school and always wanted to be an actor. But it was not until he was a successful member of the group MBLAQ that he got his chance to star in the film, "An Actor Is An Actor."

And newer kdrama fans may not know that Yoon Eun Hye did not originally consider acting. She debuted in the girl group Baby V.O.X., but was the least visible member and prone to attacks by anti-fans. After a less than stellar time in the group, she went on to become a kdrama superstar, appearing in "Princess Hours," then "Coffee Prince" and more kdrama hits.

If there's any lesson to learn from their stories, it's important to pursue whatever avenue you can until you reach your goal.

For Yoon Sang Hyun, breaking into show business took a long time. No one wanted to give him a singing contract and he did not land his acting first role until he was 32.

"Somehow I debuted as an actor, but I never dreamed of becoming one," said Yoon Sang Hyun.

Even after his debut, he had doubts.

"At first I wondered how I could be any good," he said.

Five years after his debut in "Marrying A Millionaire," he released his first single and became a recording star in Japan. He is one of many actors, such as Lee Min Ho, to add successful singing careers.

When Lee Joon tried out for an acting role, he was faced with the prejudice reserved for idol actors, but the "An Actor Is An Actor" director Shin Yeon Shik said that it was obvious Lee really felt strongly about acting.

"The acting majors always say that an idol got in because they were idols, but I have no interest in idol actors," said Shin. "When I met Lee for the first time, it was obvious that he had a real desire to act."

Yoon Eun Hye felt like a failure after her experience with V.O.X. and was not sure what to do next.

"I felt ashamed because I was ugly, couldn't sing well and couldn't dance well but I went up on stage," said Yoon Eun Hye. "I am really embarrassed sometimes at my past videos. There's nothing worse than a singer who can't sing."

When Yoon Eun Hye was first cast in "Princess Hours," fans responded negatively. They did not want to see someone with so little experience act a role in the drama version of their favorite manga. She was hurt by the criticism. Although she seems confident now, it was not always the case.

"I never thought I was good at acting," she said. "I know I got here through luck. I know I'm not as good as I should be but won't I improve if I try my best?"

And kdrama fans will agree that she did.