“The biggest competition is myself. I am not looking to follow others or pull them down. I’m planning to test my own boundaries.”
“The more criticism I get, the more it gives me a stronger urge to win. So I try harder.”
“Endless effort, endless humility, endless modesty.”
“In Korea, when I started, there wasn’t a trend where people chose to be both actors and singers. I was the first to do both. It was a great deal hard work, but I got a lot of support and love from my audience. And for me to receive the same treatment overseas, I felt that I was also very lucky.”
“I was told that when I’m dancing, I give off the feeling of a rainy day.”
“I like junk food, French fries, hamburgers – I love it.”
“When I was young, ‘Scarface’ was my favorite film. Al Pacino is my hero. I want to work with him.”
“The more times I was turned down, the more I believed I was getting closer to making it. A lot of people in Korea say that failure is the mother of success, so I believed that more times I failed, the more likely I was to succeed.”
“I dedicated my 20s, my passion and energy to the name ‘Rain.’ I always did my best, and I thought if I did, it would eventually show, and even if it didn’t turn out well, I wouldn’t have any regrets.”
“From when I was young, I wanted to be an action hero. I always dreamed about being an action star. So finally, I made it.”
“I was very innocent and shielded as a child, so I didn’t know a lot about music or dancing. When I was in Primary Six, no one would participate in a talent show, so I decided to go on. When the audience applauded me, I felt euphoric, and I started dancing right after that!”
“I loved ninjas when I was younger.”
“I’ve always wanted to be a singer and an actor. I will continue to concentrate on both because I love both.”
“Although I still have a long way to go, I would like to become the pride of Asia. When another Asian artist enters the U.S. market, I would like him to think, ‘There was an artist called Rain who succeeded in the U.S. market.’ This is my dream.”
“I learned that instead of relying on and imitating American music, there is a better chance for an Asian artist to succeed if he or she follows his or her own culture.”
“Having fans wherever I go gives me an energy, and it is the source of my power.”
“I love Al Pacino.”
“I’d love to continue my career in Hollywood – I’d love to do another action film, or a romantic comedy, or horror. I love horror films.”
“I learned how to dance every move of ‘Billie Jean.’”
“I want to read a lot of comic books. I want to watch movies. I want to rest.”
“I don’t get my inspiration from a specific source. It’s more like if you listen to a good tune, it gives me inspiration to write a better tune.”
“I experienced firsthand what it means to be poor, what it means to go hungry, and that, I think, may be the reason, the root cause of why I’m able to work so hard, even these days.”
“I want to challenge myself to see where my limit is and experiment with a lot of different films. A lot of artists from Asia focus too much on their Asian background. I don’t want to let go of my background, but to be a success in the U.S., which is my goal, I realize I need to surround myself with American filmmakers and producers.”
“I love ‘Enter the Dragon,’ and I love Japanese movies. I love Jackie Chan movies; they are my heroes.”
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