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Park Yong-woo (; born March 16, 1971) is a South Korean actor.


Early life

Park Yong-woo's father was an engineering professor and his mother was a music teacher. As a child he was shy and expressed himself poorly. Instead, he nurtured his imagination. When he first chose to become an actor, Park felt hampered by the fact that he didn't have any childhood or family trauma to draw from, but later realized that a vivid imagination was the key to his acting process because it didn't require him to show his "naked face."


Career


Supporting actor

Park failed the college entrance exams twice before he was accepted to the prestigious Theater and Film department at
Chung-Ang University Chung-Ang University (CAU; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. The university operates two campuses: main campus located in Dongjak District, Seoul, and an additional campus in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. CAU consists of 1 ...
in 1991. He failed twice more when he joined MBC's actor's auditions, then finally passed in 1995. Park spent a decade playing minor and
supporting role A supporting character is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline, but is important to the plot/protagonist, and appears or is mentioned in the story enough to be more than just a minor character or a cameo a ...
s on television and film, notably in '' Shiri'' (1999), '' Ditto'' (2000) and ''
Age of Warriors ''Age of Warriors'' () is a South Korean historical television series. It aired on KBS1 from February 8, 2003, to August 15, 2004, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:45 ( KST) for 158 episodes. It's KBS' third histocal series set in Goryeo after ' ...
'' (2003). He later said those ten years of experience enabled him to have greater freedom and control with his acting, and that he believes a person is not just born a good actor, but rather good acting requires much preparation and work, with some luck thrown in. Park said, "I guess every actor dreams of playing a
main character A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
and I'm not an exception. But for me, it is more important to become a good actor regardless of how big my roles are."


2005-2006: Career breakthrough

In 2005, Park drew critical notice with his much-praised portrayal of the influential son of a paper mill owner in
Kim Dae-seung Kim Dae-seung (; born June 18, 1967) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Career After graduating from Chung-Ang University with a degree in Film Studies, Kim Dae-seung first honed his filmmaking skills as a protege of legendary Kor ...
's
period Period may refer to: Common uses * Period (punctuation) * Era, a length or span of time *Menstruation, commonly referred to as a "period" Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (o ...
thriller '' Blood Rain'' (2005). He won Best Supporting Actor honors at the
Chunsa Film Art Awards The Chunsa Film Art Awards (also known as the Icheon Chunsa Film Festival) have been presented in South Korea since the founding of the prize by the Korea Film Directors' Society in 1990. The awards take their name from the pen name of the earl ...
and the
Korean Film Awards The Korean Film Awards was a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the broadcasting network MBC from 2002 to 2010. History Originally named the MBC Film Awards, the ceremony was first established in 2002. It was renamed the Korean Film Awa ...
, as well as nominations at the
Grand Bell Awards The Grand Bell Awards (), also known as the Daejong Film Awards, is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea. The Grand Bell Awards retains prestige as the oldest co ...
and
Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards () is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by ''Sports Chosun'' (a sister brand of the ''Chosun Ilbo'') for excellence in film in South Korea. The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popula ...
. But his career breakthrough would come in his first leading role, in
dark Darkness is the condition resulting from a lack of illumination, or an absence of visible light. Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low luminance because the hue-sensitive photoreceptor cells on the retina are ...
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
'' My Scary Girl'' (2006) opposite Choi Kang-hee. Titled "Sweet, Bloodthirsty Lover" in Korean, Park played a timid college lecturer in his late 20s who finally finds his first girlfriend, only he begins to suspect that she may be a
serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
. With a relatively low budget and lead actors who were not particularly famous at the time, Son Jae-gon's debut film was a
sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit refers to a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have ...
and became the tenth top-selling domestic film of the year with 2,286,745 tickets sold. After its release, witty dialogue from the film were continuously quoted and
parodied A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satirical or ironic imitation. Often its subject is an original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, etc), but a parody can also b ...
, and their performances made Park and Choi stars.


Leading roles

Park spent the next several years acting in various genres. He played a kindly handyman with a crush on a piano teacher in '' For Horowitz'' (2006), a world-weary cop investigating the murders of orphaned girls in ''The World of Silence'' (2006), a detective who sacrifices his ethics to pay for his wife's medical bills in '' Beautiful Sunday'' (2007), one husband of two partner-swapping married couples in ''Love Now'' (2007), and a suave con artist out to steal treasure in ''
Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...
'' (2008). At the press conference of
Kim Han-min Kim Han-min (born November 5, 1969) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He directed the feature films ''Paradise Murdered'' (2007), ''Handphone (film), Handphone'' (2009), ''War of the Arrows'' (2011), and ''The Admiral: Roaring Cur ...
's 2009 thriller '' Handphone'', Park said he hoped viewers wouldn't interpret the two characters as simply good and evil, but as real people with understandable motivations within the context of their situations.


2010: Return to television

2010 marked Park's return to television for the first time in six years in the period
medical drama A medical drama is a Television film, television movie or film in which events center upon a hospital, clinic, doctor's office, a paramedic, or any other medical topic or environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic progra ...
'' Jejungwon'', about the establishment of Gwanghyewon (later renamed Jejungwon) in 1885, the nation's first "modern" Western hospital which historical records show treated sick people regardless of their economic status despite the hierarchical society of the era. Loosely based on a real-life person, the protagonist Park played is born a poor butcher's son and becomes
Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
's first surgeon and an independence fighter. Park said he didn't hesitate to take the role, describing his character as someone who "doesn't stop trying to achieve his goals and starts thinking not only about saving people's lives but also his country. Although he seems somewhat unsophisticated, for ordinary people he is a humane and caring doctor, and I tried to portray those qualities so that viewers would empathize with him." He added that he liked the social message imparted by the drama which resonates in the present day, and that he felt his character's story reflects his own journey toward becoming an actor.


2011-present

In the mystery suspense film '' Children...'' (2011), Park played a documentary filmmaker who delves into the unsolved Frog Boys case. Initially driven by ambition and opportunism, he later becomes sincerely attached to it. Multicultural comedy ''
Papa Papa is a word used in many languages as an affectionate term for father. Papa or PAPA may refer to: Geography and geology * Papa, Samoa, a village on the island of Savai'i * Papa, Scotland, various islands * Pápa, a town in Hungary *Papa rock ...
'' followed in 2012, in which his character is an entertainment manager who becomes an adoptive father to six children in the United States, and encourages the eldest daughter to join an audition program. In drama series '' My Lover, Madame Butterfly'', Park played the white knight to a divorced, has-been actress. He next appeared in
Song Il-gon Song Il-gon (born January 1, 1971) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter known for his internationally award-winning early short films, and later feature films such as '' Spider Forest'' (2004) and '' Feathers in the Wind'' (2005). Lon ...
's ''Forest of Time'' (2012), which blurs the boundary between documentary and narrative filmmaking, as Park and Japanese actress Rina Takagi spend ten days searching for the reportedly 7,200-year-old
Jōmon Sugi is a large ''Cryptomeria'' tree (yakusugi) located on Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Japan. It is the oldest and largest among the old-growth cryptomeria trees on the island, and is estimated to be between 2,170 and 7,200 years o ...
, a
cryptomeria ''Cryptomeria'' (literally "hidden parts") is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae. It includes only one species, ''Cryptomeria japonica'' ( syn. ''Cupressus japonica'' L.f.). It is considered to be endemic to Japan, ...
tree in the renowned forest of
Yakushima is one of the Ōsumi Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, in area, has a population of 13,178. It is accessible by hydrofoil ferry, car ferry, or by air to Yakushima Airport. Administratively, the island consists of the town ...
, a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
that inspired the
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli and serves as honorary chairman. Throughout his career, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Anime, Japanese ani ...
animated film ''
Princess Mononoke is a 1997 Japanese animated historical drama, historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Set in the Muromachi period of Japanese history, the film follows Ashitaka, a young Emishi prince who journeys west to cure his curs ...
''. In 2014, he played a genius sculptor who suffers from a progressive muscular paralysis after the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
in '' Late Spring''. Park said in a 2007 interview, "Although I am not completely devoted to acting, it may look that way because I am not lucky enough to be able to enjoy my life fully. Although I usually get bored doing something for a long time, acting makes me feel alive and changes me; even though it entails pain. I want to be an extraordinary actor while being an ordinary person." In 2018, he stars in the medical exorcism drama ''Priest''.


Filmography


Film

*''
Decision to Leave ''Decision to Leave'' () is a 2022 South Korean neo-noir romantic mystery film directed, co-written and produced by Park Chan-wook. The film follows married detective Jang Hae-jun (Park Hae-il), whose investigation of a man's death leads him t ...
'' (2022) *'' Spiritwalker'' (2021) *''
Unforgettable Unforgettable may refer to: Film * ''Unforgettable'' (1996 film), a thriller starring Ray Liotta * ''Unforgettable'' (2014 film), a Bollywood film * ''Unforgettable'' (2016 film), a South Korean film * ''Unforgettable'' (2017 film), an America ...
'' (2016) *'' Late Spring'' (2014) *'' Hwayi: A Monster Boy'' (2013) *''Forest of Time'' (2012) *''
Papa Papa is a word used in many languages as an affectionate term for father. Papa or PAPA may refer to: Geography and geology * Papa, Samoa, a village on the island of Savai'i * Papa, Scotland, various islands * Pápa, a town in Hungary *Papa rock ...
'' (2012) *'' Children...'' (2011) *''
Battlefield Heroes ''Battlefield Heroes'' was a 2009 third-person shooter game initially developed by DICE, further developed by Easy Studios, and published by Electronic Arts for Windows. A free-to-play spinoff of the ''Battlefield'' series, ''Battlefield Hero ...
'' (2011) ( cameo) *'' Handphone'' (2009) *''
Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...
'' (2008) *''Love Now'' (2007) *'' Beautiful Sunday'' (2007) *''The World of Silence'' (2006) *'' For Horowitz'' (2006) *'' My Scary Girl'' (2006) *'' The Art of Seduction'' (2005) *'' Blood Rain'' (2005) *''Mr. Gam's Victory'' (2004) *'' Lovers' Concerto'' (2002) *'' Musa the Warrior'' (2001) *'' Say Yes'' (2001) *'' Ditto'' (2000) *'' Shiri'' (1999) *''Naked Being'' (1998) *''Two Cops 3'' (1998) *'' The Hole'' (1997)


Television series

*'' Tracer'' (Wavve/MBC, 2022) as Oh Young *''
Priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
'' (OCN, 2018) *''Life Tracker Lee Jae-goo'' (SBS, 2015) *'' My Lover, Madame Butterfly'' (SBS, 2012) *'' Jejungwon'' (SBS, 2010) *''Best Mother'' (SBS, 2005) *''Terms of Endearment'' (KBS2, 2004) *''
Age of Warriors ''Age of Warriors'' () is a South Korean historical television series. It aired on KBS1 from February 8, 2003, to August 15, 2004, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:45 ( KST) for 158 episodes. It's KBS' third histocal series set in Goryeo after ' ...
'' (KBS1, 2003) *''Sun-hee and Jin-hee'' (MBC, 2001) *''Crystal'' (SBS, 1999) *''Paper Crane'' (KBS2, 1998) *''Run Barefoot'' (MBC, 1998) *''Myth of a Hero'' (MBC, 1997) *''A Bluebird Has It'' (KBS2, 1997) *''Hometown Legends:'' "Geomryongsoae" (KBS2, 1997) *''MBC Best Theater:'' "My American-style Boyfriend" (MBC, 1997) *''Ganyiyeok'' (MBC, 1996) *''Dangerous Love'' (MBC, 1996) *''MBC Best Theater:'' "Keep Your Letter in the Freezer" (MBC, 1995) *''Apartment'' (MBC, 1995) *''The Fourth Republic'' (MBC, 1995) *''Professor Oh's Family'' (SBS, 1993)


Theater

*''
The Sting ''The Sting'' is a 1973 American caper film. Set in 1936, it involves a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss ( Robert Shaw). The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who had dir ...
'' (
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
, 2001)


Awards


References


External links

*
Park Yong-woo
at Prain TPC * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Park, Yong-woo 1971 births Living people South Korean male film actors South Korean male television actors South Korean male musical theatre actors 21st-century South Korean male actors