Heo Nam-jun on Post-'Brave New World' Fame: "I'm Not That Excited"

Korean actor Heo Nam-jun says the recent spike in attention around his career has not changed what he cares about. In an interview with Esquire Korea, produced in partnership with the Italian brand Gucci, he says he is still focused on the work and the people close to him rather than the noise around him.

The conversation, published in the magazine's August issue, follows the success of his drama "Brave New World," which drew a peak viewership rating of 14 percent.

Asked whether the response had gone to his head, Heo Nam-jun said it had not. "I'm not as excited as people might think," he said. "My idea of happiness is eating something good with the few close friends I've had for years, and with my family. There's nothing here to get carried away about. If anything, I feel a stronger sense of responsibility."

He added that he is trying to make the most of the moment while it lasts. "I don't know how long this attention will last, so I want to work hard while I can enjoy it," he said. "I even told my agency's CEO not to worry about my condition and to take every job we can get."

He also looked back on the three months he spent working as a day laborer, every single day, before becoming an actor. "I was so happy doing that work," he said. "The idea that I could earn more money if I put in more effort was a fresh shock to me. I got close to an older guy I worked with, and going to the job site every day was genuinely fun."

Heo Nam-jun first built up his résumé through small and supporting roles in projects like the film "Night in Paradise" and the Netflix series "Sweet Home" Season 2. He later widened his range with back-to-back roles in "Your Honor," "The Trunk" (Jigeum Geosin Jeonhwaneun), and "Brave New World."

He said his years as a supporting actor were more important than they might have looked from the outside. "That period actually mattered more," he said. "I thought hard about how to act in a way that didn't disrupt the lead actors' flow, while still making myself a little visible."

He walked through how he prepared even a brief appearance in "Night in Paradise." "I wanted to leave an impact on viewers, so I shifted my weight onto the balls of my feet and walked with a kind of swagger," he said.

His approach shifts from project to project. For his villain in "Your Honor," he said he deliberately avoided acting tough. "A truly strong, relaxed person never pretends to be tough," he said.

The role of Cha Se-gye in "Brave New World" called for the opposite. "With Cha Se-gye, I intentionally tried to act tough, almost like emotional armor," he said. "I thought that was the character's charm."

He is now filming the new drama "Gorae-byul," which sets a mermaid-inspired story against the backdrop of Korea's independence movement during the Joseon era. He plays Song Hae-su. "It's the heaviest, most weighted character I've taken on so far," he said.

Asked about what he wants to hold on to going forward, he came back to the basics. "Focus on the essentials. I'm an actor, so I should just act hard," he said. "That way, I won't act rashly on sunny days, and I can protect myself on rainy ones."

The August 2026 issue of Esquire Korea, featuring the Heo Nam-jun photo shoot and interview, is available from the 20th at bookstores and through the magazine's official website.