More Actors Who Overcame A Dramatic Childhood

A while ago we did a story on actors whose childhoods were dramatic enough for the plot of a kdrama. But those actors were not the only ones whose lives could serve as a dramatic storyline about overcoming roadblocks to become a success.

Here are a few more.

Singer and actor Kim Min Jong recently told the hosts of the SBS talk show "Healing Camp" that he grew up in a home with serious financial problems. His father made several bad investments in the movie business and those investments led to financial ruin.

The family lost their home and had to move to a basement apartment. His mom opened a small restaurant to house and feed the family.

This was a difficult transition for Kim and it would have been easy to give up on his dreams of becoming a star.

"But I thought about my mom and decided that I could never waver," he said. 

Kim, who went on to appear in dozens of films and dramas, including "A Gentleman's Dignity," "Athena: Goddess of War" and "The Return of Iljimae," had nothing to lose. So he asked for a job with a movie production company. That bold move landed him a role in his first film, "Don Quixote on Asphalt" and the rest was history.

Ryu Seung Bum, 33, was another actor who faced struggles when he was young. He and his brother Ryu Seung Wan, 39, lost their parents when Seung Wan was in middle school.

Seung Wan became the family's sole breadwinner but he also dreamed of making films. Seung Wan dropped out of high school to make enough money to both feed his family and study at a film workshop. He worked as a construction worker, janitor, driving instructor and cart driver. Besides pursuing his own dream, he never forgot to help his younger brother. He gave Seung Bum a chance to act in his debut film, "Die Bad."

Both went on to be successful in their respective fields. Ryu Seung Wan has written, produced, directed and acted in a succession of films. As a director, he has produced both films and music videos, including some for family friends, hip hop duo Leessang. This year he released the films "The Berlin File" and "Behind The Camera."

His brother Seung Bum has appeared in a string of successful films, including this year's hit movies, "New World" and "Berlin File."