The American current events magazine Newsweek, in it's January 25th issue, named 27 year old Korean-American Rick Yune as one of eight new faces to watch in the film and entertainment world, citing his supporting role in the movie "Snow Falling On Cedars." Directed by Scott Hicks, the film is about a small community living on an island in the American Northwest and is based on David Guterson's novel by the same title.
Yune was riding in an elevator when he was 'discovered' by a model agent, and within a year became the first Asian-American to model for Polo and Versace. Last year, during a public internet online discussion Yune said that he wanted to work in film because "film is a mirror of human nature, and I wanted to learn through working as a film actor." He continued that "when people stop me in the airport and ask for my autograph, I still don't know whether to say 'thank you' or to decline and tell them that mine isn't worth having."
Newsweek reported that while Yune was growing up in Washington D.C., he was the only Asian-American in his mostly black neighborhood and grew up feeling a bit like an outsider in all he did.
(From New York, Lee Chul-min, chulmin@chosun.com)
