Ahn Jae-hyun Says Work Dried Up for Three Months After Esquire Shoot

Model and actor Ahn Jae-hyun looked back on a rough patch early in his career. He revealed that he went three months without work after one of his first magazine shoots.

Ahn shared the story in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel on Nov. 9, titled "From Model to Designer. A Special Challenge for My Beloved Cat Anju!" In the video, he visits the showroom of designer Kim Seon-ho, a longtime friend of 18 years. The two take on the challenge of creating a custom outfit for Ahn's 14-year-old cat, Anju, hoping to strengthen the bond between owner and pet.

Before getting into the design, they looked through Ahn's early modeling portfolio, including his first profile photos and lookbook.

"There was this fierce drive in his eyes, like, 'I'm going to be the best model,'" Kim said. Then he admitted his first impression of Ahn, "When I first saw him, I thought he looked way too cold."

Ahn said that the first impression changed how he carried himself. "That's why I made a point of becoming someone who talks more," he said.

He also recalled an unexpected setback he didn't saw coming. As a newcomer, he appeared in a fashion spread for men's magazine Esquire.

"After that, I didn't get any work for three months," he said. "The work stopped because they said I was really bad at it and really ugly."

Part of the problem, he said, was that his look did not fit what the magazines were looking for. "Every magazine was going for a very different look," Ahn said. He described his shoot with Kim as a turning point. Afterward, he began working with women's magazines such as Vogue Girl, Elle Girl and CeCi.

Things changed again once he started making a name for himself as an actor and was picked to host Mnet's music show "M Countdown." Kim said Ahn got so busy that he hesitated to ask him to serve as the main model for one of his fashion shows.

Ahn showed up anyway.

"Ahn Jae-hyun came to my office himself with drinks he'd bought," Kim said. "He told me, 'I've got "M Countdown." I'll do that, then come do this.' He was glad to walk the show for me."

After 18 years, the two are still working together. This time, their client is a cat.