When the producers of "You Who Came From The Stars" were casting the drama, they specifically wanted Kim Soo Hyun to star in it. If he would not take the role of the alien Do Min Joon, they said, they were not going to make the drama. They could not think of another actor who looked young but could act a 400-year-old character with such maturity. It's an interesting compliment.
Besides knowing that the Kim Soo Hyun is great in the drama "The Moon Embracing the Sun" and the film "Secretly Greatly," what else should you know about him? Here are a few facts.
1. To play the spy-pretending-to-be-a-fool in "Secretly Greatly," he looked for inspiration in some unusual places. He read the comic, and liked it a lot, but modeled his character on a children's show.
"I looked at the Teletubbies and copied their body language," he said.
It's not an image that comes to mind when you think of Kim Soo Hyun.
2. He was the only non-idol cast in a "Dream High" leading role and it was scary at first.
"Among that group of idols I felt like I didn't exist," he said. "I worried but there was no point. They all really opened up to me and I was accepted into the group."
Still, he had to work harder than the others, never having danced before.
"I trained in the JYP practice room for over three months," he said. I was surprised at how daunting it was to perform. Taecyeon and Woo Young really helped me a lot. They're friends that I'm really thankful for."
3. If he writes you a love letter, you may not be able to read it.
"When I took my midterm, I had to write a report," he said. "I did my best and turned it in, but the next day my professor called me and asked me what I wrote."
4. His first kiss took place on the stairs of his apartment building but he won't divulge the girl's name.
"She's not an actress and I can't say much about her because it might harm her."
He has said in the past that his dream girl is English actress Kaya Scodelario, who appeared in "Skins" and the film "Wuthering Heights."
5. His parents encouraged him to try acting because he was shy. It was a smart move. Once he did act, he said it made him very happy. When he first heard the audience applaud, he was so happy he did not want it to end. And given his success it may not.
