Before BTS, Blackpink and EXO, there was Jung Ji-Hoon, better known to the world as Rain, the South Korean superstar who rode on the crest of the global K-pop wave and paved the way for the rest to come. Touted as the first South Korean star to break into the Western stream of consciousness, he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2006, made it into People magazine’s “Most Beautiful” list in 2007, and faced offwith Stephen Colbert in a Dance Dance Revolution competition that same year, when he proved more popular than the disgruntled American talk show host in an online user popularity poll. To top it off, he starred in two Hollywood movies (2008’s Speed Racer and Ninja Assassin in 2009) even before Lee Byung-Hun showcased to the world his impressive pecs in the G.I. Joe movies. Not bad for someone who was once told he would never make it as a star because of his single-eyelid looks.
Having found a recent resurgence in popularity thanks to the endearingly candid videos he puts up on his TikTok account (@rain.xix), the 38-year-old singer, actor, producer, dancer and martial arts practitioner speaks to BAZAAR about staying relevant, and what it takes to be a star in this day and age.
I expected a “superstar” stance from you, but you look rather at ease.
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