Before he was an idol, Park Jihoon was a child actor. After Wanna One’s disbandment, he became a soloist and returned to acting.

His latest TV project is the K-drama At a Distance, Spring is Green. It’s about a group of people in their 20s whose lives look beautiful from afar, but are actually cold and harsh up close.

Jihoon plays Yeo Jun, a freshman at Myeongil University. At first glance, he appears to have the perfect life. He’s charming, comes from a wealthy family, and well-liked by his peers. However, there’s another side of his life that he can’t show anyone, not to mention a lot of pain that he keeps bottled up inside.

According to Jihoon, “He’s cheerful when he’s with others, but when he’s at home, he’s quite the opposite. While talking to the director, I shared that Yeo Jun is similar to me in some ways. Although I’m always smiling in front of my fans, I can’t always be smiling. When I’m alone, I do feel a kind of emptiness.”

Jihoon shares that he looks up to two actors: Jo Jin Woong, who’s known for his role in Signal; and Jo Jung Suk from Hospital Playlist.

“They have a way of naturally being their characters,” Jihoon says.

He’s just as good as the actors he admires. Jihoon’s talent, as well as his magnetic screen presence, will serve him well as he builds his name as an actor.