( CNN ) -- South Korean pop star Rain , who stars in `` Ninja Assassin , '' releasing nationwide on Wednesday , has all the trimmings of an international superstar in the making . His talent , good looks and charming swagger have captured the devotion of the Asian continent , where tickets to his concerts evaporate in minutes . He was hailed as one of People magazine 's most beautiful two years ago , and , despite being relatively unknown to most Americans , beat Stephen Colbert in a Time magazine online poll of most influential people in 2007 . Yet Rain 's climb from unknown backup dancer to a member of Asia 's A-list was n't easy : His lack of Western features caused many music labels to look right past him and getting his footing in the United States has been particularly difficult . Despite having six albums under his belt and selling out a two-day Madison Square Garden tour in 2006 , Rain 's `` Justin Timberlake meets Usher '' brand of bubble-gum pop never saturated pop charts here as it did in the East . But Rain is n't one to accept defeat . `` The more criticism I get , the more it gives me a stronger urge to win . So I try harder , '' he told CNN 's Talk Asia . `` The more times I was turned down , the more I believed I was getting closer to making it . A lot of people in Korea say that failure is the mother of success , so I believed that more times I failed , the more likely I was to succeed , '' he said . The 27-year-old tested Hollywood waters with last year 's `` Speed Racer , '' but the action film , which he now calls a `` warming up period , '' failed to give him cross-over recognition . Now , Rain has a second shot at swimming in the American mainstream with another Wachowski produced film , the cut 'em and gut 'em `` Ninja Assassin , '' where the pop star does most of his own stunts . `` I put my heart and soul into this movie , '' he said . Rain trained hard for months to get ready for the movie 's slick violence . `` For about a year , I could n't eat properly , I was working out from 7 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon , '' he said . `` I went through a lot of pain in my efforts to get 100 percent close to the character that I was playing . '' To get the opportunity to finally become an American household name , though , it 's worth it . After all , Rain is n't the type of guy who shies away from a challenge . `` What I want to do now is start from the bottom again and build up a name in the U.S. , '' Rain said . `` I experienced firsthand what it means to be poor , what it means to go hungry , and that I think may be the reason , the root cause of why I 'm able to work so hard even these days , '' he said . `` I 'm hoping people expect a lot from this movie , because I think they will not be disappointed . ''
Korean singer Rain is a huge hit in East , but has struggled to find large success in the U.S . He starred in 2007 `` Ninja Assassin '' , '' and has the lead role in `` Ninja Assassin '' Stephen Colbert said he is n't afraid of the hard work it 'll take to make him a star in the U.S . He says he had to go through intense training for `` Speed Racer