Who was Kim Seon-ho before the fame? How the Netflix’s Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha star overcame his childhood trauma and why his dimples used to stress him out
Given Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’s popularity, all eyes are currently on Kim. The Korea Times reported that he is in talks to join the cast of Dog Days, a film about people finding happiness from raising dogs. He will also debut in two films: Sad Tropics, where he will play an aspiring boxer with a Korean father and Filipino mother, and romance flick Two O’Clock Date, where he will appear alongside Girls’ Generation Im Yoon-ah.
As Kim continues to achieve success, we take a look back at the actor’s humble beginnings and what his life looked like before the fame.
He had a traumatic past
According to Koreaboo, in a past interview, Kim shared that he suffered from childhood trauma that made him so reserved that he could not even read a book in front of his classmates.
According to SBS, he recalled that a robber once broke into his family’s house and assaulted his mum. Witnessing the incident took a toll on him – understandably – and he still feels anxious whenever someone is behind him.
He was chubby as a teenager
When Kim’s popularity skyrocketed last year, his high school photos ended up circulating online. Fans were surprised to learn that he used to be on the chubbier side, and his transformation became a hot discussion topic.
Today, Kim maintains his physique by lifting weights and running for 30 minutes on the treadmill, according to Kdramastars.
His was often picked on for his dimples
In a 2019 W Korea interview, Kim said he was teased for looking like a girl because of his complexion and pretty dimples, which really stressed him out.
But it was also good prank fodder, apparently. He also recalled how, when a female classmate once asked him how he got dimples, he jokingly answered that he pressed hot peas on his cheeks to get them. His classmate fell for it, and her parents went to Kim’s house to scold him.
His ex-girlfriend dumped him while he was in the military
Like a scene from a K-drama, he went to the girl’s house, begged and knelt in front of her. He said he was desperate then because he was a soldier.
He kicked off his career in plays
Before his small screen debut, Kim honed his acting on stage and appeared in several plays.
In an interview with Forbes, he said he chose theatre to develop his skills, spending a lot of time reading scripts.
- Following his breakout role in Start-Up alongside Bae Suzy and Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim is stealing more hearts as Hong Du-sik in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
- Kim is now one of the most in-demand actors in South Korea, set to make his film debut with Girls’ Generation’s Yoona – but he was once dumped via text message