Interviewer and Editor: Pooja Vishwanathan (Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India)

From the UK to Korea, Adam Strandt is turning screens into stories that speak for themselves.

Meet Adam Strandt—a British actor and model who has found his spotlight in the heart of Seoul, South Korea. Born in Lincolnshire, England, he has steadily built a diverse career across Korean and Southeast Asian entertainment. His work includes films and dramas such as Hunt (2022), A Birth (2022), the JTBC drama Reflection of You (2021), and tvN’s Bon Appétit, Your Majesty (2025), along with memorable roles in other popular K-dramas and feature films. Beyond the screen, Adam has become a familiar face in fashion and lifestyle campaigns throughout Asia, and his work in commercials has further highlighted his growing presence in the industry.

But his artistry doesn’t end there. In Seoul’s thriving performing arts scene, he brings quick wit and heart to improv theater and live comedy, showing a side of himself that audiences rarely see on screen. He continues to shape a career defined by versatility, creativity, and a natural charisma that resonates with audiences.

Through this interview, we step into his world—where English roots blend with Korean ingenuity and where each role becomes a bridge connecting cultures, stories, and audiences alike.

Before we dive in, could you please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about your background?

Hello, I’m Adam, an actor and model from England, currently based in Seoul. Over the past few years, I’ve been fortunate to work across Korean films, dramas, commercials, and even live performances. My background is a mix of visual arts and performance, and I’ve just followed wherever that curiosity has taken me.

Adam, you’ve built such a fascinating career—from your beginnings in England to now working in Korean films, dramas, commercials, and even improv comedy in Seoul. Speaking of your journey, could you share what first drew you to Korea and how your career as an actor and model began?

Honestly, curiosity. I wanted to experience something new, and Korea felt like this really exciting, creative place to be. Modelling came first, then acting followed quite naturally—one project led to another, and it slowly started to become a career.

You’ve been living and working here for some time now. Considering your cross-cultural experience, how has it shaped you, and what differences between the UK and Korea have stood out the most in your personal and professional life?

It’s definitely made me more adaptable. The UK and Korea do things very differently—life, work, even the pace of production. Korea moves fast, which keeps you on your toes. Living between two cultures makes you more flexible—you start noticing different ways of approaching the same idea. Both perspectives have shaped how I work and how I see the world.

Alongside living here, you have also starred in several well-known K-dramas, such as Curtain Call, Love to Hate You, and the most recent Bon Appétit, Your Majesty. What was it like stepping into this world, and how did this experience differ from your work in films or commercials?

Dramas are interesting because they unfold slowly, so you’re contributing to a much longer emotional arc. Films feel bigger, commercials are super precise, but dramas are somewhere in the middle—there’s rhythm, intimacy, and a different kind of connection with the audience.

You’ve also collaborated with some of the biggest names in the industry, including IU, SEVENTEEN, Jo Yuri, Stray Kids, and more. In these high-production creative worlds, how does your approach to performance change in a music-focused environment?

In music projects, the energy is different. It’s less about character in the traditional sense and more about amplifying atmosphere. You’re supporting a sound or visual world, so performance becomes more stylized. It taught me a lot about presence and adaptability.

It’s a fun shift.

Your portfolio is incredibly diverse—in films, you’ve played roles like a CIA agent in Hunt and a Pentagon translator in Seeking the King, while in dramas, you’ve taken on characters such as a reporter, an immigration officer, a coma patient, or a plane passenger. Thinking about all these experiences, which performance challenged you the most, and what types of roles are you most excited to explore next?

There’s a drama that hasn’t come out yet, but the role involved some water-based scenes and diving training, which was quite intense. But it was a really unique experience, and I hope it looks cool on screen. Going forward, I’d love to do more dialogue-heavy parts—roles that let me explore more depth and emotion, but I do have some projects like this coming soon, so watch this space.

You’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some A-list actors like Gong Yoo, Cha Eun-woo, Lee Jung-jae, and Yoona, to name a few. How has collaborating with such talent influenced your craft, and do you have a favorite moment or memory from these experiences?

Watching great actors at work is like an ongoing masterclass; just observing or being in the scene feels like invaluable learning. But that also extends to most actors I’ve worked with; there’s a really talented community here, and even more independent projects are containing impressive performances. 

Working in both acting and modeling offers a chance to explore different sides of creativity. How does switching between roles and being cross-cast in diverse projects challenge and shape your versatility, and how do you bring personality to each campaign or collaboration?

I think that the two fields balance each other out. Modeling is about creating an immediate impression, while acting allows for deeper exploration. Switching between the two keeps me adaptable. I try to bring a sense of authenticity—finding one small, human detail that connects me to the project, no matter how big or small it is. And it all depends on what the role or project calls for.

Your creativity isn’t limited to acting and modeling. You began with photography in art college, explored stop-frame animation and filmmaking at university, and more recently returned to painting with a focus on abstract expressionism. How does this return to painting and visual art inspire or influence the way you approach your work as an actor and performer?

Unfortunately, I don’t really use my photography and animation background these days, although a key takeaway from that education would have been paying attention to your environment. My eyes are always darting around, trying to take in the world and the people in it. It’s good to be aware of details. As for painting, for me it’s about expression. It reminds me to trust impulse, embrace imperfection, and focus on emotion rather than control.

Performing across cultures naturally brings both language and industry differences. What has been the biggest adjustment for you between working in English and Korean, and how do the two entertainment industries differ in their approach to storytelling and production?

The language shift is an ongoing challenge, of course, but also a gift—it forces you to listen differently. In terms of industry, I’d say Korean productions often have a very immediate energy, while English-language productions tend to allow more space for reflection. Both approaches have their own strengths.

As a foreign actor building a career in Korea, fitting in can sometimes be as much about cultural nuance as it is about talent. How do you feel your work has been received by local audiences and the industry, and what do you think makes you stand out or bring something different to the screen?

I’ve felt a lot of welcome and curiosity from people here. I think what I bring is perspective—an ability to play characters that sit between cultures or add contrast to a scene. It’s not about standing out too much, but about complementing the story in a unique way.

Each set offers something new to learn—whether from the project itself or from the people you work with. Is there a particular drama, film, or even a fellow actor you’ve worked alongside that taught you a lesson or left a lasting impression on you as a performer? 

I’m always very impressed whenever I work with singers and musical performers; they have skill and ability, which, when you see it close up and in action, it’s just incredible. But every set teaches you something different, and one lesson that sticks with me is the importance of patience. Big productions can involve long hours of waiting, but the best actors use that time to stay present and ready. That discipline has been a valuable takeaway.

Beyond the sets and roles, your visibility in Korea keeps growing, and people are starting to recognize you more and more. Have you ever had a funny or memorable moment of being spotted, and how does it feel when audiences show love for the work you do?

I’m not too conspicuous, so it’s pretty easy to spot a 6ft 2 white man with a mustache walking around the streets of Seoul, but whenever people say hi or recognise me, I just presume that I know them but just have a bad memory. A delivery driver was beeping and waving at me recently, and I was trying to think which one of my friends would have started doing that part-time. He DM’d me later, saying he saw me and just wanted to say hi, which was funny.  

Finally, is there a message you’d like to share with your fans and the people who have been following your journey, both in Korea and internationally?

I’d just like to say thank you for watching, supporting, and encouraging me along the way. Every project is a collaboration, and knowing that people connect with the work keeps me motivated to keep growing and exploring new challenges.

Once again, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your precious time and for sharing insights about your journey. Thank you so much. On behalf of the entire team at  Hallyuism, we wish you all the best for your future and lots of love from India! 

We hope you all loved reading this interview as much as we loved conducting it. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.