”I only ate one pack of nuts a day”... Who is the actor who lost weight from 86kg to 64kg and became a ”popular actor”?

Choo Young Woo, who recently joined the ranks of popular actors, revealed the reason why he lost over 20kg in order to make his debut.
On the 18th, tvN variety show "Yoo Quiz ON THE
Choo Young Woo, who appeared on "BLOCK," candidly confessed about the rigorous efforts he made to become an actor. He said, "I went to a prep school to become an actor, but everyone there was so cool.
"I was really the worst. I had no special skills, no individual skills, and I cried a lot," he said. "I felt like I was living in a dance hall," he said.
"I was a student who would come to the theater late and go home late. I did a lot of practice in the parking lot," he explained. Choo Young Woo also said that he worked hard on his diet. He said, "I ate a pack of nuts all day.
"I ate one and then didn't eat anything," he said, "I practiced from the time I woke up until just before I went to sleep. I used to weigh 86kg, but I've now dropped to 64kg."
After all this effort, Choo Young Woo was accepted into Sejong University on his first try. However, he was unaware that the deadline for paying the registration fee had passed.
"I became close with all my classmates and went to see performances with my professors, but I couldn't get into the school," he said. "The world was falling apart, and I couldn't get into the school.
"It was a goal that I had been working towards for a year, but it just vanished like a bubble, and I lost all will to live," he said.
The following year, Woo was accepted into Sejong University, Korea National University of Arts, and Seoul Arts University, winning the triple crown of prestigious acting schools and finally enrolling in Korea National University of Arts.
However, the process after that was not smooth either. He will be appearing at the Olympic Games held in South Korea from 2021 to 2022.
I auditioned for almost all the schools, but I never got in. I auditioned for over 100 schools, but I always thought, "Is this really Korea National University of Arts?" and "I need to practice my facial expressions more."
"It seems like she has to work harder," "She really can't act. She needs to work harder," and other harsh criticism was pouring in. At the time, the works that were rejected were all popular.
Choo Young Woo recalled, "My father told me, 'If you don't become an actor, you have to work because our family isn't a wealthy family. But you can still get a qualification.'
"I got angry and told him I would act until I died. I didn't care if I never made money."
Since then, Choo Young Woo has been very strong-willed and has been gaining popularity with each work he has appeared in, such as "The Legend of Mrs. Ok," "Trauma Code," and "The Plaza."
He has become a very popular actor. In particular, he was recognized for his acting skills when he won the Best New Actor Award in the Broadcasting category at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards in 2025.
I was told to become someone who fades away rather than an actor who keeps getting better, but I will work even harder until the day I wake up in the morning and go to the set as an actor," he said, making him a hot topic.
Meanwhile, Choo Young Woo has chosen tvN's new Monday-Tuesday TV series "The Shrine Maiden and Hikoboshi" as his next project. The series is a one-off drama about a boy who is destined to die and the "MZ Shrine Maiden" who tries to prevent it.
It is a "first love rescue romance" between 8-year-olds. It will start airing in Korea on the 23rd of this month at 8:50 pm.