Western Celebrities that are Over-Celebrated in Korea

Ooo La La

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Like most countries without a tremendously robust film industry, South Korea loves Hollywood. Few film markets around the world can compete with the sheer scale, budget, and talent pool of that little special place in California. So with no surprise, Koreans follow all the latest blockbusters with the same vigor and dedication as Americans.

But what’s quite interesting are the types of actors and actresses that the Korean public tends to latch onto. With each new popular figure, it becomes clear that public tastes vary wildly based on context. What ends up happening is that Koreans project their personal ideals on western celebrities as well and the ultimate choice of the ideal is quite different than what an average American might imagine.

Here are just a few (male) figures that actually surprised me as I had to do double-takes of who they even were by just hearing the name.

The ‘Whitewashed’ Korean Ideal

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The first two are cookie-cutter examples of the Korean-centric western ideal. Both of these men have the exact qualities that Korean culture adores - tall, long/lanky, small head, and big features.

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Hiddleston plays Loki in the Avengers/Thor series which is quite popular in Korea. The Marvel franchise was heavily advertised and toured through the country and with no surprise, Hiddleston (or “Hiddle-y” as a Korean nickname) had the full spotlight.

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Dane DeHaan, an American, is probably most recently known as the main character of “A Cure for Wellness.” I had never even heard his name before but his looks in combination of his very easily pronounced last name stuck in the Korean collective mind.

The Korean Culture Lover

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Hugh Jackman is a bit of a different story, less popular for only his looks and more for his charisma and actions. His debut to Korea was when he co-starred with half-Korean actor Daniel Henney in one of the Wolverine movies. He was absolutely charming throughout his talkshow tour and when it was revealed that he dressed his children in traditional Korean garb, or ‘hanbok’, the country fell in love.

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The Awesomeness

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The last is an enormous departure the few above and one of my personal favorites. Jack Black is now a household name in Korea for one simple reason. He appeared 2 years ago on an episode of “Infinity Challenge,” one of the most popular “gag” comedy/talk shows and produced this gem of a segment -

Then he went on to showcase his incredible impromptu musical talent. He would listen to a Korean song that he’s never heard before and act it out -

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One thing that really ties these fine fellows together in the Korean imagination are their easily pronounceable names. Simple syllables help people put a simple name to the handsome face. It’s no surprise that Matthew McConaugh-who? isn’t nearly as recognizable.

Anyway, thought I’d share this little oddity about Korean tastes. Let me know what you think. Does your culture also pick and choose particular global characters for a reason?