5 Things to Know About "Twenty-Five Twenty-One" Star Nam Joo-Hyuk

Published on March 24, 2022 at 3:15 PM

Nam Joo-Hyuk has stolen fans' hearts with his portrayal of Baek Yi-Jin in the hit K-drama, "Twenty Five Twenty One." In the series, Nam takes on the role of a kind and hardworking young man who's struggling to make ends meet due to his family going bankrupt. Just when he begins to lose hope that his situation will get better, he meets a high school fencer named Na Hee-Do (Kim Tae-ri), who teaches him how to dream big again.

Over the course of the series, the two develop feelings for each other. Their love story is told through a series of flashbacks when Hee-Do's daughter, Kim Min-Chae, learns about their relationship by reading her mother's old journal in the present-day.

If you're one of those fans who eagerly awaits new episodes each week, you're probably curious about what the "Twenty Five Twenty One" cast is like behind the scenes. Scroll through the slideshow to learn all about Nam, including his athletic past, dating life, hidden talents, and more.

Nam Wanted To Be a Basketball Player, but Became a Model Instead

According to the South China Morning Post, Nam initially wanted to become a basketball player, but his dreams were cut short after he tore his ligament in middle school. After moving to Seoul, the star got his big break after winning a modeling contest in 2013, which led him to debut as a model under the Korean brand Songzio.

Since then, Nam has walked runways for other Korean brands like Beyond Closet and Push Button, per Metro Style. It's also worth noting in 2014, he won the Male Fashion Model of the Year Award at the CFDK Awards. Currently, Nam is a brand ambassador for Dior and can be seen on the cover of major magazines like Esquire and Marie Claire.

Nam Once Played a Basketball Game Against Stephen Curry and Won

While Nam didn't end up becoming an athlete, he did get to meet his basketball idol Stephen Curry in 2017 when the two participated in a celebrity basketball game on an episode of the Korean variety show, "Infinite Challenge." In the video above, you can see Curry was really impressed by Nam's skills on the court.

During a September 2018 interview with "Radio Star," (per Soompi) Nam revealed he and Curry got to play a one-on-one match, which Nam won, but was ultimately edited out of the show. "Of course, [Curry] was going easy. He didn't know I used to play, so I showed him," the actor said.

Nam Once Dated Model and Actress Lee Sung-Kyung

Nam and Lee Sung-Kyung go way back. They became friends during their early modeling days since they were both once signed under the same agency, YG K-Plus. They modeled alongside each other in several magazine and campaign ads and often attended red carpet events together. In 2016, the pair took their chemistry to the small screen when they appeared in the K-drama "Cheese In The Trap" together. That same year, Nam and Lee also played romantic interests in "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo."

Following years of dating rumors, the stars finally confirmed they were an item in April 2017. However, they announced their split just months later in August. Although rumors circulated in February that Nam and Lee could be back together, neither star has commented on the speculation.

Nam Is a Total Dog Lover

Nam's Instagram is filled with so many cute dog pics. According to Metro Style, the actor owns two adorable poodles named Ga-eul and Gob-soon. He loves them so much that he bought them matching backpacks and coats, and has even taken them with him on photoshoot sets.

Nam Can Secretly Sing

Seriously, what can't Nam do? While appearing on an episode of the Korean talk show "Radio Star" in 2018, the model-turned-actor revealed he can sing, too. Nam performed the song "Yeosu Night Sea" by the Korean indie band Busker Busker. Although he seemed a bit nervous at first to fans, they were impressed by his overall performance and wished he would sing more. Luckily, their dreams came true four years later when Nam and his "Twenty Five Twenty One" co-stars dropped a song together on March 13 titled "With."