This is Us actor Tim Jo felt invisible as a child in US. A trip to Korea changed his life
- The Korean-American reflects on how, after a trip to Korea, he ‘no longer wanted to be silent’ and how his wife convinced him to take a role
By Dong Sun-hwa
As a child growing up in the US state of Texas, Korean-American actor Tim Jo was so quiet that he was practically invisible – the only other person he spoke Korean to was his mother. This all changed at the age of 16, when he went on a church trip to Korea.
“It was there that a new spirit was birthed inside me,” Jo recalled in a recent interview. “I immediately fell in love with my culture, people and country. In Korea, I finally learned to love myself.
“As soon as I came back to the US, I no longer wanted to be silent. I no longer wanted to keep my thoughts, my art, and my creativity to myself. I began to feel an unbelievable urge to express myself.
“Suffice it to say, I found that outlet through acting.”
Jo made his acting debut in his mid-20s with the 2009 film The 2 Bobs, and he has since appeared in productions including US musical romcom drama Bandslam and sitcom The Neighbors.