[Focus] New Actors Find OTT as the 'Golden Lifeline' Instead of Movies and Broadcasting

Rising Star Gateway OTT Trend
Wi Ha-joon, Song Kang, Kim Hye-jun, Park Ju-hyun, and Others
Casting Changes with Content Market Shift
Quality Over Recognition
Seeking Fun Over Famous Actors

Photo by tvN, Netflix, Showbox, Baeksang Arts Awards Secretariat

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] For actors, choosing a project is crucial. Ultimately, because it is a competition of images, the roles they take on determine the longevity of their acting careers. Meeting a good director can help hide weaknesses and highlight strengths. This is especially true for newcomers who have no established image. New actors put all their effort into grabbing the golden lifeline that can change their fate.

In the past, rookie actors gained recognition and rose to stardom through films by famous directors or prime-time dramas by star writers and producers. Each agency fiercely competed to place their newcomers in good projects. Through the behind-the-scenes casting battles, some laughed while others cried.

Recently, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for Over-The-Top (OTT) services has increased and the market has expanded, intensifying competition. With various content being produced, OTT platforms are taking on the role of a gateway for newcomers instead of films or dramas.

Actor Song Kang, who gained recognition through the 2019 Netflix series "Love Alarm," successfully led the series through its second season. He then starred as the lead in the 2020 series "Sweet Home," gaining worldwide popularity, with a second season confirmed. Although he had appeared in variety shows and dramas before, it was through OTT that he rose to stardom and earned the nickname "Netflix's prodigal son."

Moreover, "Sweet Home" helped new actors such as Song Kang, Go Min-si, Lee Do-hyun, and Kim Nam-hee raise their profiles with impressive performances. They later expanded their presence to television and Chungmuro, becoming "trend stars."

Actor Kim Hye-jun gained recognition through the "Kingdom" series, the pioneer of K-content on Netflix, released in January 2019. Although her acting as the queen was initially criticized, it was remarkable that she succeeded in making a name for herself. Subsequently, she was cast in several prominent projects and erased controversies through her hard work.

Actor Park Ju-hyun made an impressive impact playing Gyuri, involved in Jisoo's business, in the Netflix series "Extracurricular," released in April 2020. Selected through an audition, she was a newcomer without an agency at the time but signed with a management company through this work and began her full-fledged acting career.

Last year, Wi Ha-joon was rediscovered through the global sensation "Squid Game," released on Netflix. He left a strong impression playing detective Hwang Jun-ho, who secretly infiltrates the game. Although he debuted in 2015 with the film "Coin Locker Girl," he gained huge popularity through "Squid Game," firmly establishing himself not only in Korea but worldwide.

Photo by Netflix

The industry views this trend as a positive change. Due to the nature of OTT platforms, they are considered less risky than Chungmuro or terrestrial TV and more flexible in accepting new faces.

A film industry insider said, "A rising rookie actor recently took the lead role in an OTT original series. If it had been a film or a terrestrial drama, they probably wouldn't have been the first choice for a main role. This casting was possible because it was an OTT project."

The insider added, "On OTT platforms, the completion and quality of the content itself are more important than the actor guaranteeing the fun of the content. Fresh faces can actually enhance immersion and enjoyment in the story. Since the content is presented to a global market, having a well-known lead actor is not always necessary, which may lead to bold casting choices."

Another production company official said, "The main audience of OTT is the youth in their teens and twenties (10s and 20s) and thirties (20s and 30s). They are active and flexible in accepting new faces. They don't automatically consider a work good just because famous actors appear in it."

He continued, "In films and dramas, when a hit is born, usually only the lead actors get attention and popularity. But in OTT, characters appearing in a hit work all receive attention. Sometimes, even roles with small parts are recognized early by actors who then express their willingness to appear," he said.