‘Because of you, I exist,’ says Korean star Ahn Hyo-seop to his fans
Love keeps me happy,” said boyish new Bench global ambassador Ahn Hyo-seop during the Korean star’s introduction to the media. Before any speculation arises as to his love life, the handsome actor said this in the context of how he feels during his ongoing fan meets. He was referring to the reciprocal love between him and his fans, called Pauljjaks. The fan-meet tour is called “Here and Now,” and has arrived in Manila. The concept behind it is that “one can only be happy in the present, the here and now.”
We witnessed this happiness firsthand when we attended Hyo-seop’s fan meeting at the Arena the next day. “It’s my first time in the Philippines, and seeing everyone greeting me warmly makes me happy.”
He had a look of joy, but sometimes disbelief (or was it shyness?), when numerous fans would scream.
The Business Proposal actor spoke with careful thought behind his words, whether it was in front of the press, or during our one-on-one interview. As to being a Bench global ambassador, he is “honored to be part of a brand with a rich and deep history. I also like comfortable clothes and I wear Bench at home and when I go out.”
In our interview at the Grand Hyatt, he commented further, “Bench promotes diversity and I grew up in Canada in a multi-cultural community. It allowed me to be one of its ambassadors. This idea suits me well.”
Right now, amid his busy schedule, his preferred tunes are songs that are calming and not too loud. He likes classical music, including compositions by Chopin. During his fan event, he showed his personal playlist and it included songs by Jason Mraz, Coldplay, Beyoncé, but emphasized that calmer music was still his style.
Knowing this, it is not surprising that an ideal day for him is just as calm. “A perfect day for me is to wake up, have breakfast, go for a walk, have lunch, go again for another walk, play with my cat, meet up with friends, have a snack, then sleep.” By the way, his pet cat is named Ba-ul, which comes from/sounds like Paul, Hyo-seop’s English name.
Since it’s his first time in the Philippines, he would like to get to know the country by walking around. He is not into tourist spots. He believes that this is the best way to truly get the atmosphere of a place. Who knows, you might bump into him while he is here. He also plans to try adobo.
Currently, Hyo-seop is starring in A Time Called You, a time-travel drama on Netflix that is catching the attention of many. There’s an episode where popular actor and idol Rowoon makes a cameo. It was an intriguing appearance. I asked about it. It was Hyo-seop’s idea to cast Rowoon, and he was relieved that the director liked him, too.
“There are many forms of love. There is love between the opposite sex, and there is friendship. The episode with Rowoon is about the love of friendship.”
As to what Hyo-seop would like to do next, he would like to finally star in a movie. When it comes to acting, though, he believes roles should suit the age of the actor. So, he is currently acting in roles that are right for his age. He says that he cannot act as a student anymore and is still too young for action movies.
In Business Proposal, there was good chemistry between the cast members. What made the chemistry so good? “We were all the same age, and we all helped each other out. We also got along and kidded around.”
At Hyo-seop’s fan event, Pauljjaks packed the Mall of Asia Arena to watch the multi-talented star show different sides of himself. The show began with a song, and the velvety and powerful voice of Hyo-seop was on full display. Luckily, he sang a few more. Ahn has a musical background, as he can also play the piano and violin. In a photo flashback, a young Hyo-seop, was shown carrying a violin case as he was in his school’s orchestra.
Interesting portions of the program included moments when he shared information on his life. “I grew up in Canada and led a quiet life. I tried not to be a headache to my parents. My routine would be school, library, home.” Then he breaks into English: “To be honest, I was kind of a nerd.” By the way, though Ahn Hyo-seop speaks fluent English, he mostly spoke in Korean and used a translator. He would only inject English phrases and sentences occasionally. When he did, the crowd would go wild.
A lot of fan service was given by the singer/actor in the Pauljjak Mission part of the show. He got some lucky fans to take photos with him onscreen and in person, he did a runway strut, and even reenacted some of the memorable scenes in his dramas.
Being the musically inclined person that he is, Hyo-seop even showed off his dance skills by hip-hop dancing to Taeyang’s hit tune Vibe, complete with the exact choreography. As an encore to his program, he finally gave the fans what they wanted, which was to play the piano and sing. So, the evening literally ended on a high note.
The Here and Now fan meeting was really dedicated to his fans. He has no shortage of warmth towards them. “There is a lot of love right here now,” Hyo-seop said. “I want to thank you for always supporting me.”
He even wrote the Pauljjaks a note expressing his gratitude: “All the love you’ve shown me, I want to return it with love, too. Because of you, I exist. Thank you for allowing me to exist.”
