[비즈엔터 윤준필 기자]

▲Actor and creator Jeon Chang-ha(Soon Ent.)

"Really, it felt like I had no fear. Haha."

Life is said to be a series of choices. With a total of 28.5 million followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube (as of December 31, 2023), the creator Jeon Chang-ha faced a new path as an 'actor' in 2023. The decision to walk that path or turn back was his own. He chose the path of an actor, and in 2024, he is fully prepared to run as the 'rookie actor Jeon Chang-ha.'

Two years ago, Jeon Chang-ha started his acting career with the web drama 'First Love Again.' At that time, the production company approached him, a 'mega influencer' with a massive following, to play a role. He accepted the offer, thinking it would be a 'good experience to try at least once.'

"As I continued to act, as I continued to learn, I realized how difficult it was. Haha. Filming the drama was really tough, but after the work was released, the strange feeling of my character being loved by viewers came over me."

▲Actor and creator Jeon Chang-ha(Soon Ent.)

'First Love Again,' which led him onto the path of acting, is a drama about a popular web novel writer who remembers everything from the past and, in his third life, meets the first love of his past life as the editing director. It gained attention not only domestically but also ranked 1st on Japan's RakutenTV and 4th on Taiwan's LineTV, dominating the global OTT platforms.

"The character I played, 'Jung Ha-yeon,' is the first love of the protagonist, Yeon-seok (Jin-geon). However, in the current life, I am a man. Haha. I had a lot of difficulty expressing the setting that I was a woman in my past life. The most challenging part was hiding the Gyeongsang Province accent that naturally comes out since I am from Daegu."

▲'First Love Again' poster(Ascendio)

Of course, for a novice actor like him, acting was not an easy task. Thanks to his experience in front of the camera as a creator, he wasn't overly nervous. However, as a creator who had to handle everything from planning to shooting to editing and show the perfect content to fans, his inclination as a creator tormented him. There were many days when he felt sad due to the self-blame of not fully expressing the acting he had envisioned.

"While being a creator is fun, on the other hand, it can be lonely. However, acting is not like that. The more you do it, the more difficult and challenging it becomes, but at the same time, it's thrilling and enjoyable. Especially in the process where numerous people gather for a single work, share their thoughts, and strive to create the best results. Captivated by that charm, I officially started my actor activities in April of last year."

Continued in Part 2.