By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Nuran Sami from Egypt

Living in a different region for more than a holiday season can be challenging, let alone carrying out a talent-demanding job and actually taking part in the community where positive competitiveness sharpens the saying: "be creative or go extinct." Add to that the responsibility of representing your ethnicity in a relatively homogeneous society.

Breaking through such a new and sophisticated dimension was not unexpected from American actor Daniel Joey Albright. Thanks to the professional actor's resilience, hard work and intelligence in his field, he became a popular face among viewers and prestigious brands, like Hyundai and Samsung, alike. He acted in dramas like She Was Pretty (그녀는 예뻤다), The K2 and movies like A Taxi Driver (택시운전사). Albright has also worked alongside Sistar's Dasom and actresses like Moon Hee Kyung, Ha Seung-ri and Chae Soo-bin, as well as actors like Sung Hoon and Thomas Kretschmann.

Though a private person, Albright welcomed my request for an interview in order to inspire others whether an aspiring actor or anyone with a dream but dealing with hardships. "Because it is focused on future actors, I feel a certain obligation to share my experience in life and in the acting industry." The devoted actor shares his journey, motivation and internal source of skillfulness and intellect in acting with Korea.net.

- Please tell us your story and how it all started with Korea.
This is a sad story in the beginning. I had a mixed family with eight step and half siblings. My family was financially struggling, and I had a quadriplegic brother who needed 24-hour care, so we were homeschooled off and on to match his doctor’s appointments. It was never a burden because we loved him unconditionally. He passed when I was 17. After that hard time, I had to rethink what I wanted to do in my life. I had always had a passion for cooking and would cook for the family often. After graduating high school early at 16, I was supposed to go to culinary school but my parents backed out in helping me; a promise they had made if I graduated early. I found a job in a restaurant and worked while taking Japanese classes in a community college. After my dad's passing, I needed to get out of America.
I decided to go to Korea (from Sydney) and find a cooking job, but I could only speak English and Japanese so it was hard for me to get a job. I was in Korea for a year and then my mom, a breast cancer survivor, passed when I was 21 due to heart failure. I was in a hard place but my girlfriend stayed by my side. When I got back on my feet, I entered Korea University’s Korean Language Program for nine months then found an amazing restaurant willing to sponsor me with a visa. I worked there for a while but found I was burnt out and lost my passion. So, I decided to enter as a fulltime student. I hit rock bottom several times and became self-destructive, even in my last year of university when I lost both grandmas and an aunt. But each time, I found my support system helped me and I found acting to be therapeutic. I love my life and I used to be bitter about my past but, looking back on it now, I am happy to have had it. It made me the person I am today and it has taught me to always cherish the life I have, the people around me, to enjoy the little things and try to push towards my dreams because life is too short.

- When did you realize you had a passion for acting?
When I was a student at Korea University, a program called Running Man came to the school. They were looking for students to participate in a traditional ddakji (딱지) game tournament. Lee Kwang-soo chose me out of a crowd, and I participated. I loved every moment in front of the camera but I didn’t like the recognition. I realized very quickly that I wanted to act, not fame. I love the thrill of being on set and playing new characters. With acting there is no end to studying, self-development and pushing yourself to new heights; this is where my excitement and passion drive me to get better.

- Which one of your works did you enjoy shooting the most and why?
Hold Me Tight (손 꼭 잡고, 지는 석양을 바라보자), A Taxi Driver, Mr. Sunshine (미스터 션샤인), Default (국가부도의 날) and Strongest Deliveryman (최강 배달꾼) are the works I've enjoyed the most. They've allowed me to improve in different ways as an actor. Between having to speak lines in Korean, to playing an ex-boyfriend or a reporter, to being a character from the past, they were all challenging in their own ways and helped me push my limits as an actor. To be honest, every shoot I've ever done has allowed me to grow as an actor.

- What is the best outcome you have had so far from your experience in Korea?
I was on set with the same director and writer for two different dramas and then I walked into an audition and they remembered me. It was an amazing experience because the dramas were filmed some time ago, but they had still remembered my hard work and passion from day 1 for each drama we were on set together.

- Congratulations on your graduation from Korea University in 2016! What did you study, and was the Korean language ever a barrier throughout your academic path?
Korea University was amazing. My first major was Japanese Language and Literature which was taught mainly in Korean and Japanese. At the time my Korean was limited as well as my Japanese. But thanks to the support of amazing teachers and fellow students, I was able to graduate. My second major was Mass Media and Communications. That really sparked my passion in media, film and acting. Everyone there was passionate to create! I learned a lot and it was difficult but amazing.

- How do you keep your professional knowledge in your field growing?
I study on my own on my days off. I don’t like days off because I want to improve. I have such a passion that makes me want to constantly get better, and I love what I do on both the good and bad days. When I have to go on vacation, I prefer to go to a place where I can take acting classes rather than laying on a beach somewhere. This drive isn’t something you can teach, but something that's naturally there.

- Please tell us about your acting award which you obtained at the end of 2017.
It was amazing receiving this award. I didn’t expect it because I didn’t even know my name had been submitted for it. An agency nominated me for it and it worked out that I was chosen. I am grateful for it for sure!

- Where can we see you in a recent work?
I appeared in the drama Mr. Sunshine and will be appearing in the movie Default with minor speaking roles. The movie will be released in November.

- What are your goals and ambitions?
My goal is to get better at acting. I want to continue to challenge myself, try new characters, and learn new things. My final goal is to be an international actor working in Korea and the United States.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.