Recently, 2PM's Thai member Nickhun was featured in Arena Home magazine. But who knows that even he's cheerful, handsome, kind and has everything, he still has burdens. You'll know what I'm talking about after reading his interview with Arena Homme below.
DIORAMA
Handsome and cool, but kind too. Yet Nichkhun also has his burdens.
Interviewer: People seem to only talk about your appearance.
Nichkhun: Haha. I can't really complain, but I do want to show a different side of me. As a singer, and especially as an idol, I can only show a premeditated image. I want to prove that there's more to me. So I'm trying acting, as through acting I can try to portray different characters.
Interviewer: Being an idol must get frustrating. There must be things you have to keep quiet about.
Nichkhun: It's true, but as an idol you have to watch what you say carefully. I have to be careful of my actions more too, as sometimes I can't not get irritated. I want to show a natural side of me, an honest side, but those sort of situations are understandable. I can't complain.
Interviewer: When annoyed, you must know how best to dissipate that feeling too.
Nichkhun: Yes, but I'm not the type to keep it inside. I think of it is work, as something that I have to bear. Actually, I worry about the future a lot. As I'm still young and people are interested in me, I want to work hard now and play later. That's what I think.
Interviewer: What does Nichkhun's "utopia" look like?
Nichkhun: It mostly involves family. If you want to get married and have kids you need money, so I want to earn lots of money so my family can live comfortably. I want to make them happy. When I think about that, my mood brightens and even when I'm working I feel happy.
Interviewer: Why does music not feature much in your interviews?
Nichkhun: Actually when I was young my dream wasn't to be a singer. I was so "shy" that I couldn't even speak in front of people, so of course singing was totally out of the question. But I ended up in 2PM. At the beginning, I was worse than everybody else. Because I was so embarrassed about that I worked really hard and the more I learnt, the more confident I grew.
Interviewer: So what sort of music do you usually listen to?
Nichkhun: I don't really listen to hip hop. I mostly listen to romantic ballads; lately I've been listening to a lot of Michael Bublé. His voice is really "sweet". I also really like jazz, songs like "The Way You Look Tonight". In terms of dance music…someone like Justin Timberlake? I like listening to relaxing music.
Interviewer: So, how come all the girls like Nichkhun?
Nichkhun: I can't really say. Hahaha. This is a bit silly but could it be just because of my appearance? Its not because I can speak Korean well, or that I'm really interesting on TV shows…but actually I'm more confident in my sincere personality than my appearance. I'll do anything for people that I'm close to.
Interviewer: Are you the "all-in" type?
Nichkhun: Yes. If I fall in love, I fall deeply.
Interviewer: That can be dangerous.
Nichkhun: Actually I'm the same with work, too. I'm surprisingly serious when I'm working.
Interviewer: Really? When you're on TV you seem so cute?
Nichkhun: There's a bit of a difference [between the real Nichkhun and the Nichkhun we see on TV]. When you're on TV, you have to talk a lot, but I still can't speak Korean very fast. Its especially difficult when I'm on TV. I start gesticulating with my body without realizing. Its like a kind of body language. So that's why I sometimes look cute. And people want idols to look cute. Occasionally MC's make me wink and pretend to be cute, but I don't really do that sort of thing. I don't really like being cute; I'd rather show a cool, manly image. But because my Korean is still poor I can't do anything but express myself on TV shows in a cute way.
Interviewer: You're already 25 years old [in Korean age], which is only 3 years before the reserve army cut-off age. When do you feel the most manly?
Nichkhun: When I'm exercising. I play sports seriously. When I was on "We Got Married", I also only showed my sweet side. That was a shame. If I had shown my competitive and serious side, people would have looked at me differently.
Interviewer: True. You're so kind, it's hard to imagine a twisted version of you. That sort of character can become wearisome.
Nichkhun: Thus its more dangerous. I have to be more vigilant of what I do and what I say, but on the other hand I express myself like Taecyeon. At the beginning I couldn't say much so I was really quiet; compared to the other members, I seemed kinder. But changing your character in one go is hard. I want to change it gradually, bit by bit. With acting, you can show a different side of yourself.
Interviewer: What sort of roles do you want to play?
Nichkhun: I kinda want to play a bad guy. Not quite a villain, but like a "bad boy" or a "playboy". It'd be cool if I could do something like Won Bin in "Ahjussi".
Interviewer: I've heard that's kind of tough?
Nichkhun: Haha, it is?
Interviewer: As you're in your mid-twenties, do you find living alone easy?
Nichkhun: Of course its better to be with your family. If I go to Thailand for our schedule, usually my mother comes to see me. I also eat with my family after finishing work too. So it seems like I get to see my family more than the other members. Their parents are in Korea, but it seems like they're not able to come and see them that often. But because I live abroad, when I go back to Thailand my parents come and see me.
Interviewer: You seem more mature compared to the other members. As you've been living independently from a young age, did you mature early on?
Nichkhun: When I was younger, I didn't listen to my parents and caused them a lot of heartache because I didn't do what they told me. But then when I was 12, I went to study abroad in New Zealand. It was a boarding school. As I was living alone overseas, I did a lot of stupid things. But now as I'm getting older I've realised; my parents were always right.
Interviewer: On an average day, how do you relax?
Nichkhun: I play games on my iPad, read books…at the moment I'm reading Paulo Coelho's "Life". It's a great book. It's short but its really good. It makes you think a lot. It's more like exercising than reading.
Interviewer: Are there times when you really feel like an adult?
Nichkhun: Sometimes when I'm working, I go a bit overboard because I'm so serious when I'm alone. But when I think of the staff members, I can't be like that. They are very tired, so its much harder for them. When we're there, if we pull pranks and play around it makes things more difficult for them. We want to finish quickly, and if we do the staff will be able to rest so I try and take it seriously.
Interviewer: Do you feel a responsibility over others?
Nichkhun: At first I used to just think of myself, but now I consider others more. So now I play around a bit more appropriately. We also talk amongst the members about how we have to greet everyone well and finish our work quickly.
Interviewer: You seem like you keep to your own principles.
Nichkhun: Umm…it depends on the situation. But I do have a sense of responsibility. When we're filming advertisements, the directors pay a lot of money to hire us and so we have to be accountable for that. We have to work hard. It's not just about the money; they're trusting in us, so we have to repay them for that.
Interviewer: You're as sincere as I expected. But have you ever lied or done any sneaky behaviour?
Nichkhun: Umm, nowadays not really. But when I was younger I did a lot, as I was living far away from my parents. Actually, there were a lot of instances. Haha. When I was at school, if you couldn't attend that day you had to submit an explanation as to why you weren't there. You had to get the signature of your parents/guardian, but I would sign it and get my friend to submit it.
Interviewer: That doesn't seem too bad.
Nichkhun: Oh, hahaha. There were other things apart from that. But I wasn't really a bad kid. I couldn't really do much as my parents would be disappointed in me.
Interviewer: What are you focusing on nowadays?
Nichkhun: Mainly my health. And also being more professional with my work. As time goes on, your appearance changes. I don't worry about wrinkles; you can't help looking your age. But I hope I never receive any bad press as I get older. In order to keep getting work 10 years down the line, I have to be careful of what I do now.
Interviewer: You're worrying too much; in 10 years time you'll only be 35 years old. You'll probably be in your prime at that time.
Nichkhun: That could be true, but I don't really know how things will pan out. It's important to never get on the wrong side of people. I always want to give people a good impression.
Interviewer: What sort of image do you want to have in the future?
Nichkhun: Umm…I want to have wrinkles like Jude Law, and to be as cool and to have the same gentle image as George Clooney. Or a man who's as kind as my father. A good husband, a good son. I just want to be a good person.
Interviewer: Does that mean you hope to get married within the next 10 years?
Nichkhun: Definitely, of course.
Kor-Eng: Buckme@2pmalways
Scans : danjisoo's blog
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