If you are a K-Drama fan, chances are, you have seen Noreen Joyce Guerra at one point. The Filipina expatriate has starred in 93 drama series, six movies, 15 commercials, and five TV hosting stints in South Korea.
Based in Korea for seven years, Joyce functions full-time as a manager in a Korean financial institution. She majored in marketing and earned her BS Business Administration degree from the University of the Philippines-Visayas and her MBA from Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea.
At 30, Joyce squeezes acting into her office life. Despite getting projects one after the other, she still considers acting a hobby. After all, it seems as if serendipity led Joyce to her K-drama entry.
“I started working as a part-timer for events as a translator, production staff member, and assistant stage director. From there, I met a lot of people from the industry who encouraged me to try working for on-cam gigs,” Joyce shared.
Her first TV appearance was in the 2018 K-Drama series The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, starring Seo In-guk. Joyce recalled how her handler asked her to proceed to the location at a specific time and bring appropriate clothes for a scene. “It started so fast, like I signed a contract today and was sent to filming the next day!” she exclaimed.
While she has zero background in acting, Joyce’s fluency in Korean worked to her advantage. To describe her grasp of the foreign language, she said, “I have a certification for proficiency in Korean and got the native or highest level. I studied at the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines for 72 hours before heading to Korea.”
Aside from speaking Korean, Joyce has something that makes her fit for K-Drama. When asked to reveal what it is based on feedback, the actress said with a bit of hesitation, “My appearance? I can camouflage. Haha. I can blend as a Korean, 99 percent of my roles in K-Drama, and pass off as a foreigner or a South East Asian character.” In her earlier interviews, Joyce mentioned that directors and producers often pointed out that she has a small face, a known beauty standard in Korea.
“I never really thought that I would do this kind of work knowing my very introverted personality,” Joyce said, revealing that becoming an actress did not cross her mind in the past. These days, the initially reluctant actress is constantly looking for acting gigs. “I have an official agency, but I normally do my things independently. I find gigs for myself, go to auditions myself, and go to filming myself. For auditions, I normally get contacted by my networks if there is a role that fits my profile,” she said.
With a long list of K-Drama appearances under her belt, Joyce found it hard to single out an experience when asked about her most memorable stint. She answered, “Every drama I’ve been a part of made a mark.” The best part of the job, she laughingly added, is living different lives.
True enough, Joyce has taken on numerous roles since her career took off. To name a few, she was a student in True Beauty, a restaurant-goer in Hospital Playlist 2, an orchestra staff member in Penthouse 3, a student in All of Us are Dead, a tribe member in Arthdal Chronicles, a reporter in Big Mouse, and a broadcast station employee in Our Beloved Summer.
For a self-confessed K-Drama fan, that is a huge deal. Joyce’s top favorites are Dream High and Beauty Inside.
“Getting starstruck is real every time I go to the location,” Joyce gamely exposed herself as she talked about her filming experience abroad. “I still can’t believe that I am doing this and can see them on and off cam. Sometimes, I even get to joke around with them! So far, I’ve worked with all of my celebrity crushes – Moon Ga Young, Seo Hyun Jin, Kim Seon Ho, Lee Jung Suk, and a lot more. Haha.”
Asked to name a celebrity crush she still hopes to work with, Joyce gushed, “So far, I’ve already worked with all of them. Haha. But I would love to be part of Director Bong Joon-ho’s masterpiece one day, even if I will be walking around in the background!” Bong Joon-ho is a South Korean filmmaker who rose to international fame with Parasite, the first Asian winner of a screenplay Oscar.
Joyce let us into what goes on behind the cameras during filming. She said, “Off cam, we [actors] often sleep, play games, or watch videos on our phones. We basically have nothing to do. In terms of bonding with Korean stars, it depends on the environment or production culture.” In detail, Joyce shared that as co-actors, she and her companions are not allowed to ask lead stars for pictures and autographs or upload pictures and videos related to the production before the premiere. She added that they are at risk of getting fined in case of a violation.
While she admitted that most of her acting stints are minor roles, Joyce is still grateful for the appreciation she has been getting from the public. The attention, though, initially needed some getting used to. “It felt strange at first because people are searching for more information about me, but I am thankful, of course,” she opened up. “A few people ask for pictures in malls, airports, or even on the street.”
The life Joyce lives is one I would love to try, even just for a day. However, I found out that it is not as easy as it seems. “My friend would describe me as kayod-kalabaw (hardworking) because I don’t have a resting day or a day off,” Joyce said. “Working a full-time corporate job and filming on weekends would not let you have a day off.” She has her family and friends to draw strength from. “I am grateful to everyone who made me feel that my efforts are not useless, that all the hard work pays off. I am grateful to my family, who supports my craziness and lets me do things for myself and not for others.”
It comes as no surprise that Joyce is maximizing the chances she gets and having the time of her life. She describes this phase with the popular term YOLO (You Only Live Once). She said, “[Life’s] Full of ups and downs, but we’re only young once! So, we have to go, go, go! Haha.”
Given her success abroad, is Joyce also open to giving acting in the Philippines a go? She happily answered, “I would like to try if given a chance. Why not? At least, if that happens, I’ll be able to speak Filipino lines.” Home, as it seems, is still where the *finger heart* is.
Aja, aja, Joyce! Fighting!
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