Becoming a known face

Canadian entertainer hopes to take the Korean scene by storm

This is the first in a series featuring foreign entertainers rising in popularity in the Korean entertainment world. ― Ed.


Jesse Day has always had two goals since he came to Korea from Canada in October 2009: to become a recognizable face, and to build a successful career in Korean entertainment.

“One of the main reasons I’m really into doing entertainment stuff is because the people that I look up to, that inspire me, that make me super happy when I see them on TV or hear their songs or see them on film, I want to be able to give that feeling to viewers,” he said.

He studied acting in Canada and first visited Korea in 2006 after making lots of friends in the Korean community back home. After that trip, he decided he wanted to move to Korea and work in the country’s entertainment business.

And in the three years since he first moved here, the bright and cheerful 29-year-old has certainly worked hard for his goal. He started out on a children’s show on EBS with fellow expat Isaac Durst after being in Korea for six months.

He said Durst taught him the acting skills he uses now on his shows.

From there he’s done promotional videos for Samsung and LG; rapped in Korean with speed rapper Outsider on Star King; auditioned for “Korea’s Got Talent” and “K-pop Star”; appeared in dramas “King of Fashion,” “Playful Kiss” and “The Big One”; won third place on KBS’ “Chungguk Norejarang” and more.

Day currently keeps a hectic schedule juggling work on two travel shows, one a weekly corner on Arirang TV’s Korea Today called “Destination Korea” and the other a regular spot on KBS2’s “Go Go Korea!” He said travels all over the country three to four days a week.

One of his biggest obstacles, he said, was adjusting to the Korean style of working, which is fast and often has him finding out about auditions or jobs only a day or two before they take place.

“It’s often very quick. There’s not a lot of time. You often get called two days before a job and get told you have a job,” he said. “So, I have to learn to be prepared in advance. … I had to learn to always be ready.”

Day said it’s tiresome, but the best part is seeing the finished project, which he sees as the reward for all the hard work. When he’s not working, he’s resting up or preparing for his next job ― and studying Korean, which he taught himself through websites and books.

“For me, being on shoot in good condition, speaking Korean is super important. I have to be able to. If I’m out of it, like haven’t slept much, it’s really hard to speak proper Korean, and think quickly about what I’m going to say next in Korean,” he said.

Being busy is what he wants right now ― to work hard and a lot and get closer to his goal.

“That was my goal, to be working as much as possible. I think one thing leads to another, and my end goal is to be a recognizable face like Robert Holley in Korea. I think it’s going to take that time being put in, as much as I can, as much as possible.”

He said what keeps him motivated is thought of how he’s going to appear on TV. He said that even he’s really tired, he really gets his energy up and does his absolute best.

If you ask Day what is one of his favorite moments in working in entertainment, he would say meeting pop star BoA when he auditioned for ”K-pop Star.“ He said BoA is his idol and he went on the show in the hopes that he would get the chance to perform in front of her.

He ended up being edited out of the show, but was happy regardless.

“It wasn’t a big deal to me, I didn’t even think I’d make it that far. One of the reasons I came to Korea was in the hopes of meeting BoA someday ― to be able to meet her, and not only meet her, but to rap in front of her and tell her how much she means to me,” he said.

BoA reacted well, he recalled and was really happy. It was an exciting moment for him, on top of getting his own show and appearing on ”Star King“ with Outsider.

Day said that he hopes to have another regular show in Korean, preferably something where he can use comedy since that is his acting style.

“In everyday life, I’m always smiling and happy and active anyway. And laughing, so it’s kind of natural and that carries over,” he said.

He hopes to work with famous Korean comedians like Noh Hung-chul or going on a show like “Overnight Trip.” And he is taking his time, working towards his goal over the years.

“I’m not in a hurry. I’m not rushing it. I’m going to be here for the long run. If it takes me five more years to become a recognizable face and to have the opportunity to be on shows like that, that’s fine with me,” he said.

To keep up with Jesse Day, follow him on Twitter at @jesseday_kr.

By Emma Kalka (ekalka@heraldcorp.com)