New Faces - interview with the stars of So Not Worth It.

Interview by SongYun Han (@songyunah35)
Main article photograph by Mono Jun (@mono.jun)

So Not Worth It is a Korean sitcom created and produced by Netflix that premiered on July 18, 2021. It currently has one season consisting of twelve episodes, with fans eagerly anticipating the possible announcement of a release date for season two. The story centres around the lives of college students residing in a dormitory together in Seoul. Contrasting with more stereotypical Korean college dramas, "So Not Worth It" offers a multicultural twist that have made the show the surprise hit of 2021. It also helps raise questions about the role of foreign entertainers in Korean media.

Diverse representation has long been something typically lacking on Korean screens. While the occasional foreigner shows up in a drama once in a while, they are unfortunately usually either at the risk of becoming type-casted or fitting into roles that rely directly on their appearance as foreigners.

Three of the main cast are played by Carson Allen (as Carson), Terris Brown (as Terris) and Joakim Sorensen (as Hans). Allen and Brown are American, and Sorensen is from Sweden. They share a diverse background that is underrepresented in Korean media's portrayals of foreigners.

Are there any specific experiences or moments that drove you to pursue a career within Korean entertainment? 

Brown: As a child, I really enjoyed participating in choir and doing musicals in school, so I think I was always interested in doing entertainment work. While I never expected to be able to do this in a foreign country, after doing an internship at a Korean Teaching company here and filming some YouTube videos with them, I figured I'd never know if I could unless I tried. I started to look for whatever opportunities I could find, and once I started, I never stopped.

Sorensen: I've liked Korean entertainment since the very first show I saw; "Family Outing (패밀리가 떴다)". I was lucky enough to get a chance to try working in entertainment while living here. After trying it once, I was hooked and then wanted nothing more than to pursue entertainment work, and it has become a passion. The feeling of being able to make people laugh is very addicting, and it is what keeps me going.

Allen: I think that because I spent all of my teenage years here in Korea, it really influenced me to want to act in Korean dramas and movies. I remember the very first Korean drama I ever watched on tv was "Boys Over Flowers". I remember it being such a huge hit, and everyone at my school watched it and talked about it non-stop. Growing up watching all these dramas made me subconsciously imagine myself in them and what kind of characters I could maybe play. So thinking back on this now, it just makes it that much more unreal that I am currently doing just that! 


Who do you consider to be your acting role model? 

B: I have many actors I look up to, but I've been recently super obsessed with Viola Davis. I think she really embodies every role she does. I'm just in awe every time I see her perform. Here in Korea, I think my favourite actor is Song Kang-ho. I always forget that I'm watching someone play a role when I watch him act. I probably would cry if I ever had the opportunity to work with either of these two legends, but it never hurts to dream!

S: There are so many excellent actors in Korea, but I really like Lee Byung-hun, not only because he's a great actor, but also because I've heard that he works really hard. This speaks to me because I don't really have any talent to speak of, so I have to attain everything through tough grind and hard work. He can really get me motivated during hard times.

A: I have so many role models it's hard for me to only pick one! If I have to choose, recently I've been hugely inspired by the phenomenal actress Youn Yuh-jung. She inspires me to never stop acting no matter how old I get and that I can achieve anything at any point and time in my life and so it's never "too late". She really is my role model when it comes to how I see myself in the future, still pursuing my love and passion for acting no matter what my age is.   

How do you feel that being a "foreign actor" has influenced your entertainment career? 

B: This is a tricky question. On the one hand, I feel like it's harder to receive recognition as a foreign actor here in Korea because Korea is predominantly a one culture society. Besides variety shows and talk shows, foreigners haven't had many prominent roles in Korean media. Acting in a foreign language is tough, so it's very hard to get the opportunity and pursue a career like this full-time as an ex-pat. I think the concept of actual foreign actors is still sort of fresh here in Korea, so having a weird accent or intonation can take away from the performance for some audience members. However, I do think this is slowly changing. There are many foreigners now living in Korea, and a lot of us are working hard to practice Korean. Acting helps amplify our voices so more people can see our stories. On the other hand, many foreigners are now looking up to us because we are helping to pave the way for future foreign actors in Korea. It feels like a lot of pressure at times, but it has given me the strength to keep going and try even harder. 

S: Sometimes, I get the impression that people think it is easy to work in entertainment as a foreigner. This has made me want to prove myself by working hard and proving that I don't think I have an advantage or take anything for granted. It has helped to keep me motivated.

A: I think being a foreigner in the Korean entertainment business has made it more difficult for me to be seen as a serious working actor. Because I am a foreigner, many people's perspective is that I just do this as a" hobby" or as a "side job". In fact, I have been pursuing my acting career for five years now, investing my all into it. But on the positive side, this has definitely only made me want to work even harder every day to hopefully someday be seen as a professional actor in Korea.


Are there any struggles you have faced, particularly due to being a foreign actor in the Korean entertainment industry?

B: As of yet, there aren't many roles written for foreign actors in Korea besides a few minor and sometimes stereotypical roles. However, as the number of foreigners continues to rise in Korea, more and more roles are being discussed and hopefully being written. Also, trying to find proper representation and visa issues are all things that are difficult for ex-pats. Having to worry about all of that while trying to hone your skills and survive in a foreign country; it's not easy at all.

S: Whether you're a foreigner or not; entertainment is a hard industry. You need to work hard to be able to contend with other people, and having to do that in a language that is not your mother tongue is, of course, hard. On top of that, there are fewer work opportunities, which makes it hard to sustain a living working in just entertainment, so having food on the table is always a struggle, unfortunately. For the moment, it's enough to keep me going and chasing my dream, but reality keeps checking in, so we'll see how long I can make it last.

A: For sure, the lack of opportunities is a struggle I have faced in the Korean entertainment industry, but it is nothing compared to what people of colour have been facing in Hollywood for so many years now, so I don't have much to complain about. Another struggle would, of course, have to be the language. Although I have been living in Korea and learning the language for over ten years now, I still struggle with making sure I deliver my lines perfectly when it's in Korean.   

Any parts of the industry you would like to help improve or change?

B: I only hope that when foreign stories are being represented, that someone from said culture can be consulted to make sure that those representations are accurate. I also hope that more entertainment companies become open to having foreign talent and help train them so that we can make even better content. 

S: I hope that as society becomes more diverse, we'll be able to see a more diverse media and more opportunities with that. I would love to be able to be a part of that change if possible. I'd love to help people that come after me as well.

A: I hope to help create more roles for foreigners in Korean media who speak completely Korean. There are so many foreigners who reside in Korea who speak the language fluently that I only see it fitting for that to be reflected in the media. For many years' foreigners have been shown in dramas and movies speaking low-level Korean. I hope to help change this pattern and show it is possible to have foreigners speaking well in Korean.


You all worked on the Netflix drama "So Not Worth It". It features different foreign actors in lead roles. Do you believe that this show has helped overcome some of the stereotypes and typecasting many entertainers here face? 

B: Yes, I do believe this show was a starting point. Hopefully, many people will see this show and give more foreigners opportunities to have bigger roles. As newbies in the field, I know we were far from perfect, but we are constantly trying our best to improve and hope to show even better material in the future.

S: I feel that the show is definitely a huge step in the right direction. What I love about it is that the focus is never on the fact that we're foreigners. My character Hans isn't strange because he is from Sweden; he is strange because he is Hans. The focus is always on the characters, and I really love that.

A: I hope it did! This is actually what I loved most about 'So Not Worth; it was never emphasized that we were foreigners in the show. I wasn't someone's "foreign" roommate; I was just Sewan's roommate. Nothing about my characteristics were based on the fact that I was an American. It was never played into any of the jokes in the series. I think this was very important; to see foreigners in a show as main characters while not playing "foreigner roles". I hope that more and more of the stereotypical foreigner roles will begin to disappear, and there will be more "normal" role opportunities for foreigners in the future.


And lastly, do you have any upcoming roles or projects that you can tell us about?

B: I have filmed another independent film this year, but I think it will take a while to be released. Unfortunately, a lot of projects have been pushed back recently. I hope things can calm down soon and more productions can get back to work.

S: I sure wish I had, but this is just part of the grind. Now is a time to get better at my craft so the next time an opportunity comes, I can be at my very best. You haven't seen the last of me yet!

A: I have plans to visit the US at the end of this year to get more professional training in acting and stunt choreography. I hope next year I will be ready for whatever audition opportunities that might come. I think it's essential for actors to constantly be working on their craft and never let a lack of work discourage them from training to get better. You never know what role might come your way, so you should always be preparing for everything!

Follow Carson Allen here.
Follow Terris Brown here.
Follow Joakim Sorensen here.