Son Seok Koo revealed the ups and downs of his career, especially when he was just starting in the industry.

Considered one of the most versatile stars, the 39-year-old actor has a slew of nominations and recognitions under his belt.

He was nominated for Best New Actor - Film for his performance in "Hit-and-Run Squad," and Best New Actor - Television in "Matrimonial Chaos" both for Baeksang Arts Awards.

Interestingly, he earned multiple nods for his portrayal as Mr. Gu in "My Liberation Notes," which includes the Popularity Star Award, Excellence Award, Actor in Miniseries, and Best Couple Award with Kim Ji Won at the 2022 APAN Star Awards as well as the Best Supporting Actor in "The Roundup" in the upcoming Grand Bell Awards 2022.

From living in the United States to studying acting for 10 years, Sok Seok Koo previously shared that he returned to South Korea to pursue his acting journey. However, it's not always rainbows and butterflies for the then-budding actor.

In his latest appearance in "You Quiz on the Block," the actor revealed what he went through during his early years in the industry.

Son Seok Koo Confesses Early Years as Actor

Long before solidifying his name in K-dramas and movies, Son Seok Koo struggled to book roles.

During his guest appearance, he tells host and comedian Yoo Jae Suk that there was a sense of sadness and doubt while starting his acting career.

As obtained by a media outlet, the actor thought he was "screwed" after failing several auditions.

"I failed a lot of auditions, so I ended up not really taking an audition in the first place," he said, adding that he thinks that he might fail it again. Hence, he skipped callbacks.

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Moreover, he recalled a specific incident that made him think about quitting being an actor.

At the time, he was looking at the profiles of actors and reading them all one by one as if he was an assistant director.

"I thought, 'Even if I were me, I wouldn't choose me too.' I was not unique. So I put it back and thought it was really time to stop. I should quit," he said, adding that after this incident, Son Seok Koo got the part in "Sense8" season 2, where he played the character of Detective Mun.

Son Seok Koo's Popularity

Since his Hollywood debut, Son Seok Koo landed various projects from films to series.

Interestingly, his career skyrocketed in 2022 after landing two blockbuster projects.

In the beginning of 2022, Son Seok Koo headlined the melodrama "My Liberation Notes," along with Lee El, Lee Min Ki, and Kim Ji Won.

Viewers were drawn to his undeniable chemistry with Kim Ji Won, with fans dubbing them as the "worship couple."

At the height of the drama, Son Seok Koo starred in the much-awaited sequel "The Roundup" with Ma Dong Seok.

In the film, he played the new villain Gang Hae Sang.

Son Seok Koo then shared in the same interview that his "My Liberation Notes" co-stars teased him about his growing popularity.

It was Lee El who showed him an article and joked about him being a foreign top star visiting Korea.

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Written by Geca Wills