Cha Tae-hyun's song hit #1 on charts — and he originally wanted to be a director, not an actor

Cha Tae-hyun's #1 song, and the career Lee Seo-jin says has zero failures

Cha Tae-hyun showed up as the second "my star" guest on SBS 무엇이든 해줄지니-비서진 (hereafter 비서진), broadcast on the 4th. Co-host Lee Seo-jin started listing off his résumé right away.

"Dramas and movies all did well. Your song hit 1st place. Radio did well too," Lee said. Then: "You're unique in Korea."

The chart milestone was just one line item. Lee Seo-jin had already pointed out that Cha Tae-hyun is "the only person these days doing movies, dramas, and singing." His variety show and radio DJ work also clicked. "You succeeded at everything. You have no failures."

Director first, actor third

Cha Tae-hyun didn't buy the idea that he'd wandered into music as an actor. His real dream in high school was to become a PD. Singer ranked second. Actor came third.

"So I thought if I made a movie, starred in it, and sang the OST, I could do it all," he said. He did direct the drama 최고의 한방, and debuted as a first-generation Super Talent contestant before the #1 song ever happened.

Born into broadcasting

His father, Cha Jae-wan (차재완), worked as a sound effects director at a broadcasting company. His mother, Choi Su-min (최수민), is an actress and voice actress—she voiced Yeong-shim in the cartoon 영심이 and Na Ae-ri in 달려라 하니. The two met as senior and junior voice actors at Dongyang Broadcasting (TBC) and got married.

"My dream in high school was to be a PD. My father was a sound effects director at a broadcasting station and my mother is a voice actress. So I grew up at a broadcasting station," Cha said.

Lee Seo-jin smiled. "That's right. Didn't I say it? You're unique in Korea."