The chance of a lead role in a promising soap opera or movie is unquestionably a golden opportunity for actors to demonstrate their potential. Thus Kim Ah-joong and Cha In-pyo must have felt awful for declining such offers on account of their hair.
After her success in the movie "200 Pounds Beauty", Kim gladly accepted the lead role of Ko Eun-chan in "Coffee Prince", a popular drama that boasts an audience rating of 30 percent -- until she realized that Ko was a cross-dressing young woman. This meant that Kim's long, shiny hair had to be cut. Kim's manager, Kim Eun-joo said, "Unfortunately, as a shampoo model, Kim is forbidden to get a haircut at any time under the shampoo contract". Cha In-pyo also missed his chance to perform in "May 18", the box office success about the Gwangju uprising. Already acquainted with both the film's director and distributor after his part in "Mokpo, Gangster's Paradise", Cha seemed perfect for "May 18". However, he was promptly replaced, when the director decided his curly hair was not fit for the role of a strict teacher. Yoon Eun-hye and Son Byeong-ho snatched up the respective roles.