Unknowingly, South Korean actor Yoo Seung Ho has already been acting for 14 years. From his film debut in 'The Way Home' where he was known as the 'Nation's Imp' for constantly buggering the village's grandma for fried chicken, to his 'lonely serial killer' role in his recent MBC TV drama 'I Miss You', Yoo Seung Ho has successfully shed his 'child actor' tag to become a 'real man'.
Through his role as the Jade Emperor in 'Arang and the Magistrate', Yoo Seung Ho threw out a message to everyone that he was moving into adult roles. But his subsequent acceptance of a role in the classic melodrama 'I Miss You' left many worried for him, as Yoo Seung Ho had to transition and act in a totally different role in such a short period of time. Thus, Yoo Seung Ho clarified at the drama's press conference, "I only made a cameo in 'Arang and the Magistrate', so I didn't have much scenes and filming was really relaxed. I have a meatier role in 'I Miss You' and my role is really important in the story, so I can focus more of my energies into challenging myself for this adult role," showing his determination to walk out from the shadow of his child actor label to an adult actor.
# His teen star times was a good medicine for Yoo Seung Ho
Let us do a brief recap of the dramas that Yoo Seung Ho has starred in the past. Through KBS 2TV 'God of Study', it allowed Yoo Seung Ho to understand the rebellious and lonely world of a teenager; 'Warrior Baek Dong Soo' allowed Yoo Seung Ho on how to make use of his body as an actor; TV Chosun drama 'Operation Proposal' taught him how to understand feelings regarding women.
And just as everyone has anticipated in 'I Miss You', Yoo Seung Ho has sufficiently demonstrated what he has prepared, and the talent he possesses as an actor. His role as Kang Hyung Joon/Harry Borrison was a compilation of the experiences that Yoo Seung Ho had accumulated since he was a child actor. Kang Hyung Hoon's disability, loneliness due to a lack of motherly love, his undying love for a woman for 14 years that was taken away from him in an instant, all of that would be too much for someone to reprise if he/she doesn't have the experience. This isn't just simply just a show of his desire for acting but because it has a direct bearing toward him having to match up against other cast members who have their own experiences on the film set.
In the set of film set photos released through MBC TV 'I Miss You' official website, Yoo Seung Ho's show of professionalism has also left a deep impression on many. In one second, he is seen joking in a relaxed manner with the director and other production staff members. But in another, he is able to show his sad self by dropping tears in front of his mum, Kang Hyun Joo (Cha Hwa Yeon) photo. He is totally into his role even if the director is calling his name from behind.
# What's the secret for viewers indulging in the 'Yoo Seung Ho virus'?
It is really astounding to see the explosive reaction that viewers have for Yoo Seung Ho. As the star of the newest trend word 'virus', he has brought lots of benefits for his company. First, Yoo Seung Ho has managed to prove through 'I Miss You' of his unlimited potential as an actor in his 20s for romance dramas on the small screen.
The love of his life in the drama Lee Soo Yeon (Yoon Eun Hye) is older than him by 3 years, while Kang Hyung Hoon is a teenager that lacks motherly love, he is also a crazy stalker at hand, and yet a strong shield that protects Lee Soo Yeon from harm. Yoo Seung Ho is able to portray his role to perfection from a myriad of perspectives, and allowed female viewers to invest their feelings in it. Hence, many have expressed, "I only watched this drama because of Yoo Seung Ho."
Moreover, Yoo Seung Ho lived up to expectations and played the role of a 'mental deranged' to perfection, and left viewers with the impression that he was an actor that took on challenging roles. In the eyes of viewers, the role of a 'mental deranged' is a highly challenging one, and thus even if Yoo Seung Ho wasn't able to live up to expectations, he still would have gotten lots of points for challenging such a role in his transition into adult roles.
In addition, Yoo Seung Ho also had an advantage as a child actor which was being adept at crying scenes. Yoo Seung Ho had total mastery of his tears, and contributed much to the 'best of 1 minute' classic scenes. There was one when he was at his wit ends when he burst out laughing at his fate before crying out loud, and perfectly reprised the fragile mental state of Kang Hyung Joon.
After tasting success, Yoo Seung Ho made the sudden announcement that he was enlisting in the army. From a side perspective, he wanted to take a backseat after making his position stable in the acting field, and showing his confidence in himself. Yoo Seung Ho's management agency expressed on the December 21st of last year, "Although he is an actor, he is also a South Korean youth. Yoo Seung Ho wants to fulfil his national obligation with his same-age peers, and is determined to push through with it," before revealing that he will be enlisting in early 2013.
So why does it feel like Yoo Seung Ho's upcoming 2 year hiatus wouldn't be a long wait? This is probably because he has already shown his acting ability and surpassed all expectations in 'I Miss You'. Moreover, he is determined to walk down his path as an actor, and hopes to meet his fans in future with a more mature look.
Konu: Yoo Seung Ho 유승호 fan clup 
