Eric Nam

Eric Nam’s Path From K-Pop Stages to the World of Animation

Long before landing one of animation’s most anticipated roles, Eric Nam built a career that crossed continents and industries. Born November 17, 1988, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Korean immigrant parents, Nam graduated from Boston College in 2011 with a degree in International Studies. He briefly worked as a business analyst at Deloitte in New York before a YouTube cover video changed everything – MBC invited him to Seoul to compete on Star Audition: Birth of a Great Star 2, where he finished in the top five. By early 2013, he had officially debuted as a K-pop artist with his first mini-album CLOUD 9.

Over the following decade, Nam became one of the most globally recognized artists to emerge from South Korea. He co-hosted Arirang TV’s After School Club, hosted Saturday Night Live Korea, and served as an Honorary Ambassador at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Along the way, GQ Korea named him Man of the Year, Forbes included him on its 30 Under 30 Asia list, and TIME honored him with a 2023 Impact Award for his mental health advocacy work. He co-founded DIVE Studios, a leading K-pop media and creative agency serving international markets, and completed a 78-show world tour across five continents in 2023 and 2024.

Voice Work: The Loud House and the Avatar Universe

Nam’s first foray into voice acting came with a guest role as Yoon Kwan in Nickelodeon’s The Loud House in 2016. A decade later, he landed the defining voice role of his animation career: Aang in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, the Avatar Studios animated film set to premiere on Paramount+ on July 25, 2026. The project marks a continuation of the beloved Nickelodeon series, picking up the story 13 years after the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai. Nam voices an adult Aang navigating a new threat alongside familiar friends, joined by a cast that includes Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, and Taika Waititi. The film – directed by Lauren Montgomery, who worked on the original series – wrapped production in early 2026 after a series of theatrical release delays ultimately led Paramount to move it to streaming.

Music, Acting, and What Comes Next

Nam has expanded steadily into screen acting alongside his animation work. His feature debut came with Transplant (2024), a Korean-American film by writer-director Jason Park that made the festival circuit, including the Chicago International Film Festival. A K-pop movie, now retitled K-Pop: The Debut, is scheduled for a February 2027 theatrical release. On the music side, he released the single “Miss Me More” in June 2026 ahead of his forthcoming album Confessions of a Lonely Heart. Fluent in English, Korean, and Spanish, Nam continues to operate across markets in ways few artists manage – building a career that connects Atlanta, Seoul, and the animated worlds beyond both.