'I'm not trying to be humble': How low does 'Face Genius' Cha Eun-woo rate his looks?

He may look perfect in the eyes of some, but Cha Eun-woo doesn't rate his own looks highly.

In an interview with South Korean news publication News1 for Prime Video's fantasy action series Island, Cha Eun-woo opined that his looks are just so-so.

When asked to give a score to his own looks in Island, the 25-year-old actor gave a modest score out of a 100: "50 points?"

Eun-woo plays Priest Yohan in Island, who works alongside Van (Kim Nam-gil) and Won Mi-ho (Lee Da-hee) as they try their best to prevent an evil from emerging out of Jeju Island.

Yohan, the youngest exorcist at the Vatican, is dressed with hip vibes. On top of being a fan of K-pop, Yohan also wears earrings and dons a headset with his priestly robes. Part 1 of the series was released in December 2022 while part 2 will debut on Friday (Feb 24).

Speaking of the way his character is dressed in the show, Eun-woo said: "Yohan wants to express himself with his own flair… I like [the way he dresses] because it's a style that I've not tried before."

But even if he's dressed in a way that he's not too familiar with, 50 is not a score you'd expect of someone termed "Face Genius" in South Korea for his stunningly-good looks.

Explaining himself, Eun-woo said: "I'm not trying to be humble on purpose, even if you were to compliment me all I'd say is 'thank you'.

"I think it's been ingrained in me because of how my mum raised me since young," he added with a smile. 

'It's amazing that I've come this far'

Eun-woo also took the opportunity to reflect on the journey he's had, both as an actor for 10 years and as a singer for eight, almost seven of which was spent with K-pop boy band Astro.

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"Looking back, it's amazing that I've come this far and I'm grateful for it," he told News1.

And he's also expanding his skillset with his first solo photography exhibition Archive, which will run from Feb 13 to 26 in the Seouliteum Gallery in Seongdong, Seoul.

"I went on vacation for the first time after my debut and wanted to take pretty pictures and share them with people… It's still on display, so please look at it!" Eun-woo laughed.

"I like to show people a new side of myself, so I want to keep trying out new activities in the future."

Part 2 of Island debuts on Prime Video Feb 24. 

ALSO READ: E-Junkies: Island cast Kim Nam-gil, Lee Da-hee, Cha Eun-woo, Sung Joon on their after-work bonding

khooyihang@asiaone.com