Aaron Yoo: how bombing at Shakespeare has led to a career filled with "to be or not to be" moments

For Aaron Yoo it took a heavy dose of humiliation before he realized the actor's life was for him. Born in Texas, Yoo headed to the University of Pennsylvania to pursue writing, but a summer Shakespeare workshop changed everything. "I completely bombed onstage," he recalls. "I was like, 'I might be really bad at this.'"

Nevertheless, armed with the conviction that only defiance can bring, Yoo packed up for New York City to try it as a starving artist. After a few lean years spent temping and doing other odd jobs, his Off-Broadway theater work finally yielded some commercial and television work, culminating with a supporting part in this past spring's surprise hit thriller Disturbia.

This month the 27-year-old Yoo co-stars in Rocket Science. A highly offbeat teen comedy from the director of Spellbound (2003), the film chronicles the travails of a high school student named Hal (Reece Thompson) who has an unfortunate stutter and reluctantly agrees to join the debate team. As one of Hal's only friends, Heston, Yoo provides much of the film's comic relief. "My character was like a bunny on speed," he says.

Next up for the actor is the casino-takedown film 21, opposite Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth. Despite the high-rolling, Yoo still hasn't given up on the Bard. "Doing Shakespeare in the Park has always been a dream," he says. "Everyone else says Hamlet, but I want to play Romeo."

Carolyn Murnick is a New York City-based writer.

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