By Honorary Reporter Eftychia Dovletoglou from Greece

Photos = Jason Nelson

Actor Jason Nelson has appeared in Korean movies, dramas and commercials.

Jason Nelson is an American actor in Korea who made his entertainment debut in 2016 on the talk show "SBS Morning Wide." 

He has since appeared on a host of Korean TV shows, movies and dramas, including his most famous role, American missionary Joseph W. Stenson, on the Netflix drama "Mr. Sunshine." The role held special meaning for Nelson, who first came to Korea as a Mormon missionary. 

The actor has appeared in five Korean movies -- "Bounty Hunters," "The Merciless," "Real," "The Outlaws" and "Mr. Zoo: the Missing VIP." He was also on the TV shows "SNL Korea" and "Surprise Mystery TV" and the K-dramas "My Fair Lady," "Oh, the Mysterious," "Return of Bok Dan Ji," "Man to Man," "Welcome to Waikiki," "Hold Me Tight" and "Born Again."

The following are excerpts from an interview with Nelson.

Why did you decide to go to Korea?
I decided to do a mission trip for two years after graduating from high school, and my church suggested Korea, so that's how I first came here. I stayed from 2007-09. In 2015, I returned for a visit, and a friend whom I met in 2007 became more than a friend. I ended up staying in Korea and marrying her. We started a life together, and even had a baby 1 1/2 years later and bought an apartment. I kept finding fun acting jobs so I stayed.

How did you adapt to life in Korea?
I never had a hard time adapting to anything here. The food is great and the people are nice. Learning about the subway system and how to drive in Korea, doing online shopping on Korean websites or learning the culture -- almost everything was the opposite of what I was used to back in the States. But learning and taking in a culture are fun aspects of living abroad and life in general.

Has learning Hangeul been easy or hard for you?
The language is the hardest part. Learning Hangeul means learning how to read. Anybody can learn to read the Korean language in an hour or two, but knowing the words and grammar takes years to perfect. When I was a missionary, I'd study every morning words, sentences and grammar for an hour or so, then practice what I learned throughout the day while talking to everybody I saw. I thought I was good at Korean when I returned in 2015, but was humbled by how much I didn't know. I need to be more studious but I'm a terrible student.

Describe your pursuit of an acting career in Korea.
When I was a missionary, I saw a couple of foreigners on TV and thought it was so cool. I thought that Korea is small enough so that if I become somewhat successful, a lot of people would know who I am; if only I could be on TV. When I returned, the market for foreign talent on TV was a little saturated. 

While living in the States, a lot of foreigners decided to move to Korea thanks to K-pop and K-dramas, specifically Psy and "Gangnam Style" in 2012. This made my dream a little harder because of the competition. Now because of BTS and the (teaching) opportunities in Korea, there are even more foreigners coming here. To be a full-time actor in Korea is a little difficult; fun and worthwhile but difficult. It’s hard to find work if you don’t know the language and culture, but luckily, I've learned a little bit of both.

Jason Nelson appeared in the hit Netflix K-drama "Mr. Sunshine" ironically as an American missionary in Korea, a role he played in real life.

Your most memorable role was in "Mr. Sunshine." How was working in that drama?
Shooting "Mr. Sunshine" will always be one of my favorite memories in Korea. It took a year to shoot, I was on the set maybe once or twice a month, and I never had a bad experience, I got to travel around the country and meet great people. It was amazing. The staff worked hard and everyone was relaxed. I would do it again.

What is your dream role and which actor do you want to work most with?
My dream is to play the main character of a movie in which everybody thinks I'm the villain and I have to prove my innocence. And I don't care who I work with, Korea has so many talented actors.

enny0611@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.