After being catapulted to stardom with Netflix’s zombie apocalypse hit show, All of Us Are Dead, Yoon Chan-Young has chalked up another major achievement in his life by becoming the first Korean ambassador for Coach.
The appointment was announced in March along with the debut of his first campaign where he showcased the Coach Spring 2022 denim signature ready-to-wear and Hitch backpack in a series of striking visuals. To get under the skin of his new identity of Coach ambassador, we caught up with Yoon Chan-young.
Let’s talk about your background, just in case people are reading about you for the first time. We know that you first captured our hearts in All Of Us Are Dead but tell us the real you, how did you arrive at acting?
Hi. I’m actor Yoon Chan Young. I’m a Korean actor, 21 years old. I love acting and I’m really interested in fashion.
Do you remember the first time you saw yourself on TV?
The first time I appeared on TV was when I played a role of a passerby. It was a really short scene, but it was amazing to see myself on TV and I felt really good about myself. It was a special moment for me, and I became more interested in acting and acting seemed more fun after that experience. I think the first time is always special.
How did you start your acting career? Were you ever into acting as a child?
I always enjoyed entertaining others and making them laugh. I saw actors on TV who made people laugh and I thought that it would be really worthwhile and fun to be an actor. So that’s how I started acting.
I attended an arts high school, and I was really motivated when I saw students at my school work hard in acting. I would run lines with my friends, or I would go into a training room alone and practice my lines by looking into the mirror. I still practice acting like play, enjoying my time, and trying out different things.
What did you learn from the experience of All Of Us Are Dead?
All Of Us Are Dead enabled me to think deeply about love. Although the love was not fully requited, I was able to learn about the difference communicating to another person with love can make and about the affectionate feeling one can have for another.
Is there a memory that makes you completely happy?
It was my birthday recently and the memory of my past birthday is really special for me. I didn’t expect much, but I received so many congratulations and could feel the warmth and love that people have for me.
I was so grateful and felt I’ve lived a good life, and that perhaps I may be a better person than I had always thought myself to be. I was thankful and thought to myself that I should work hard to show a better performance as an actor.
Define your sense of style.
I prefer comfortable and cute clothes. Rather than wearing tight clothes, I enjoy wearing a loose, overfit style. But at the same time, I also like to dress up on certain days. I like trying out various fashion styles.
How excited are you about your new Coach ambassadorship?
Coach is a truly global brand with a deep history and heritage, and I am so excited to be working with such a brand. When I first received the proposal, I was thrilled and proud. I hope I can make a positive impact and be well received by the people who love Coach.
Do you feel an expectation to be active on social media?
I believe that social media is a space that I can use to express myself—the person I am, my true authentic self—this is what I want to express. I also want to share photos of myself dressed up, and really use that space to express myself as much as I can.
When I’m playing a role, I’m expressing what kind of person the character I play is. Within the social media space, I want to express what kind of person I am, in a really versatile manner.
What might you do differently about the way your life has turned out?
Another dream I had when I was young was becoming a soccer player. It’s one of my dreams that I continued to have until quite recently. Of course, my life as an actor is tremendously fun and great but I think that a life as a soccer player would have been really fulfilling as well because I love the game so much.
Right now, I’m enjoying my life as an actor and I’m really satisfied with my life doing what I love to do, but if I am given an opportunity to live another life, I would like to try being a professional soccer player.
Lastly, who else in the cast of All Of Us Are Dead are you most fond of?
I celebrated my birthday with the cast of All Of Us Are Dead. I had called them on the morning of my birthday, and everyone came over to my house. Luckily, everyone was available that day with no other official schedule. I was really thankful. They came over and made seaweed soup (*translator’s note: seaweed soup is a dish that Koreans traditionally eat on their birthday) and we cooked food together.
It was really great because we were able to spend time together. Each and every member of the cast of All Of Us Are Dead is genuinely warm and good. They are like friends that I made at school—the friends I made when I attended middle and high school and now in college. I like all of them so much, I can’t choose one.
A portion of this story was adapted from Men’s Folio Malaysia. Once you’re done with this story about Yoon Chan-young as Coach’s new ambassador for Korea, click here to catch up with our May 2022 issue!
RELATED ARTICLES
The AI-fication Of Facial Treatments
