"I Don't Want to Live Embarrassed" Kim Nam-gil's Sincere Words

[Lee Isul, Entertainment Reporter]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"Running Gil Story is not easy. There are times I want to quit, but then it would be embarrassing (I’d be ashamed)."

When asked why actor Kim Nam-gil continues to run the cultural arts NGO Gil Story, he laughed heartily and answered without hesitation. It was a very 'Kim Nam-gil-like' response.

If someone asks what kind of person Kim Nam-gil is, I would say just have a five-minute conversation with him. His cold impression from his proud appearance and sharp first impression quickly fade once you talk to him and get to know him, and you realize your worries were unfounded.

Though it might not be a fitting expression for Kim Nam-gil, who is approaching his forties, he is also an actor with a very pure heart.

At the end of last year, Kim Nam-gil enjoyed the joy of winning the highest honor, the Grand Prize for acting, at the SBS Drama Awards. During an interview conducted ahead of the release of the film Closet, when congratulated on this, he shyly smiled and waved his hand.

He then said, "It’s actually scary," adding, "When something good happens, I try hard to stay composed. It’s the same when something bad happens. There’s nothing special about it. I always have to keep myself in check and live that way."

This was not a statement made to modestly dress himself up. Because Kim Nam-gil tends to say what he dislikes if he dislikes it, and what he likes if he likes it. His own works are no exception. He faces works and people with an open mind, acknowledging flaws as flaws and mistakes as mistakes.

Photo by Gilstory

In 2013, Kim Nam-gil established the nonprofit private organization Gil Story, sharing the value of giving through public interest activities and cultural arts content creation with over 100 cultural artists. All operating expenses are covered out of his own pocket. When asked if it is difficult to lead a nonprofit organization for seven years, he gave a fairly honest answer.

"There have been offers for corporate sponsorship, but I chose pride over it because it conflicted with my beliefs. Since my health is good, I can work harder and earn money. Running it at my own expense is certainly not easy. There are times I want to quit, but honestly, I can’t because it would be embarrassing. I don’t want to live shamefully (embarrassingly)."

Kim Nam-gil is so down-to-earth that he has never worn even a single luxury brand outfit to an interview. Sitting down in comfortable clothes and casually revealing his true feelings, he showed a new side of himself in February by playing Kyung-hoon, a mysterious man who knows the secret of children disappearing inside the house, in Closet (directed by Kim Kwang-bin).

Also, Kim Nam-gil is currently busy filming Guardian, the directorial debut of his close friend Jung Woo-sung. His challenges are just beginning. Always putting his heart into every work and every moment, the new side he will show in Guardian is already drawing great anticipation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.