We recently connected with Jun Lancini and have shared our conversation below.

Jun, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve always loved stories, so watching movies growing up was a must. Every time I watched a film, I would imagine myself in the characters’ shoes, trying to empathize with what they were going through. But I was too shy.

Being half Korean and half Italian—but mostly Asian in appearance—I spent my early years feeling less than my Italian peers. I was raised in Italy, and looking different made me feel out of place.

So I would shrink into the background, not wanting to bother anyone. I became a people pleaser, trying not to cause trouble. I dulled my personality and my passions for the sake of survival—for the sake of blending in.

It wasn’t until after high school, when I had to decide what to do with my life without really knowing what I wanted, that my parents suggested I go to Seoul for a year. The idea was to study Korean and take some time to figure things out.

Luckily, I already had an agent—she was a family friend who would visit us every Christmas. My parents mentioned my interest in becoming an actor to her. She found me interesting and offered to represent me, but told me that if I really wanted to pursue acting seriously, I should move to Rome, since that’s where the Italian film industry is. At the time, I wasn’t considering it seriously. I didn’t even know who I was yet.

Still, during my year in Korea, I started an acting class. I’m not going to lie and say it instantly clicked or felt like my life’s calling—but it did spark something in me. A curiosity. A “what if?”

So when I came back from that gap year, I took my first leap into the void and moved to Rome to see what might happen. That was in 2019.

I was lucky because of my unique background I was able to land a couple of small roles in my first year. That gave me a taste of what the actor’s life looked like from the inside, and it motivated me to keep going. But it’s really only in the past year that I’ve come to understand how much I truly want this, and how deeply I want to do it well.

I’d love to go to America too. As soon as possible actually. The kinds of projects I find most inspiring are often found there. But I want to keep working on myself and sharpening my skills, gaining as much experience as possible until that time comes.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m going to take inspiration from a question I read during the previous panel and talk about how I’m approaching my process to answer here, because I think it gives a nice insight and reflects a lot of who I am: an artist in the making.

I’m still in the process of learning my craft, and I believe anyone involved in creative work is, too. Acting is a never-ending journey of self-discovery—that’s the beauty of it.

Not only am I still learning, but I’m also learning how to learn: trying to approach the same subject from different perspectives, questioning where I come from, and trying to be brave enough to make bold choices and “jump off the cliff”.

That being said, I don’t believe in shortcuts, because I trust in a process where time is essential—especially if, as an artist, you want to deliver something that goes beyond the logical yet remains relatable because of its humanity and vulnerability.

So, you can’t speed up the process—but there are definitely things that can slow it down.

In my case, I often find myself overwhelmed by my own ambitions. I want to be able to do more things, have more talents, be more cultured, work harder… and all of this sometimes leads me to feel stuck in a loop where the fear of not succeeding becomes stronger than my willingness to embrace trial and error. Even the simplest tasks start to feel like a mountain I have to climb alone.

Humans are fragile beings, and in today’s society, I feel there’s this constant pressure of expectations, which smothers our humanity and doesn’t leave space for vulnerability.

That’s where artists come in: by sharing their most vulnerable and intimate selves, they offer people something they can connect with an excuse to feel again, to rediscover their own humanity through the artist’s experience, but in their own personal way.

A skilled artist is someone who can deliver a message in a way that is understood. As an actor, I don’t think there’s a fixed set of skills required. Anything can become useful depending on the character and the situation—whether it’s knowing a language or simply drinking a cup of water naturally. Of course, you can’t learn everything, so you just do your best.

I really value humility in people, and I try to pursue that value myself. It puts me in a position of listening, where I can learn from anyone. That helps me tune into my environment and grasp dynamics that often go unnoticed.

As I said, I’m still learning all of this. I’m not even close to where I’d like to be, and I never will be, but I like it that way, because it keeps me moving forward (to quote Sir Matthew McConaughey).

The only obstacle standing in the way is myself.
There are lots of ups and downs, but I’m trying to embrace the darker times as little tassels that help shape who I am (and the same goes for the brighter periods).

It has to be this way, because a monotonous life wouldn’t give me anything artistically.

I feel the need to understand myself on deeper and deeper levels in order to become an actor capable of delivering relatability.

Thankfully, I’m extremely lucky to have people around me who understand and support me through thick and thin, enriching and embellishing everything life gives me.
I hope I wasn’t too redundant with my answer ahah.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

There are a few.

The first one—perhaps a bit cliché—is that I want to make my parents proud. They’ve supported me from day one, even when I couldn’t believe in myself. I want to show them that their support wasn’t in vain. I know they would never think of it that way, but I still feel a deep desire to give back—even just a fraction of what they’ve given me.

The second reason is more personal: I want to feel proud of my accomplishments. I want to do something meaningful—something that truly matters to me and has the power to reach and impact others.

The third might sound a bit materialistic, but it still resonates with me: I want to achieve financial stability—and a little more. I don’t need extreme wealth, but I’d love to be in a position where I can provide for others, give back, and experience the world without constantly worrying about money. I’m passionate about learning from different cultures, and for me, food and travel are essential ways to do that. I want to nourish that part of my life too.

These are the main motivations that come up when I think about what drives me

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

One of the most rewarding feelings I get from being an artist is the deep connection it gives me to my own humanity. It pushes me to grow, to become a better person, and to embrace the instability of life as something natural—and even beautiful.

Art allows me to appreciate life for what it truly is, without sugarcoating it: to see the beauty in the small, often overlooked moments, and to find meaning in things that might seem illogical but somehow resonate deeply. It has a unique power to transform the ordinary into something personal and profoundly special.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alessandralivadiotti.it/profile/jun-lancini/
• Instagram: @junlancini