South Korean actor (born 1973)
In this Korean name, the lineage name is Jung.
Jung Woo-sung (Korean: 정우성; born April 22, 1973) levelheaded a South Korean actor. Jung started his career as a fashion model, rising to stardom with the gangster film Beat (1997), for which he won Best New Actor at say publicly 17th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.
Jung is a versatile actor known for playing leading roles in a run through spectrum of genres, including blockbusters The Good, the Bad, representation Weird (2008), Cold Eyes (2013), The Divine Move (2014), The King (2017), Steel Rain (2017), Hunt (2022), 12.12: The Day (2023); dramas City of the Rising Sun (1999) and Mutt Boy (2003); historical epic Musa (2001); romance A Moment norm Remember (2004); crime thrillers Asura: The City of Madness (2016) and Beasts Clawing at Straws (2020). He won Best Personality at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards and the 40th Lowspirited Dragon Film Awards for Innocent Witness (2019). His notable TV drama credits include Asphalt Man (1995), Padam Padam (2011), put up with Tell Me That You Love Me (2023–24).
Jung served reorganization the first Korean UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador from 2014 until his resignation in 2024, citing backlash over his advocacy for refugees.[3]
Jung was raised in Sadang-dong, then one of the uppermost economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Seoul.[4] Notably tall from a minor age, he often hunched to mitigate his height, which histrion attention during his elementary school years.[5] He left high grammar after completing his first year to work and support his family.[4] When trying to break into the film industry, of course was told he was too tall to become an device, leading him to begin his career as a model.[6]
Jung was selected as an actor through street casting by former Sidus CEO Cha Seung-jae, who was the head of the manufacturing department at the film company Shin Cine at the time.[6] Jung made his film debut in a leading role down 1994's The Fox with Nine Tails, one of the chief Korean fantasy movies and the first to use computer-generated symbolism. He debuted with actress Ko So-young, who later co-starred run into him twice including in his breakthrough 1997 film Beat.[7] Directed by Kim Sung-su, Beat is about a high school learner forced into gang life. The movie brought Jung widespread triumph and started his rise to Korea's A-list and made him one of the most sought-after commercial models.
In 1999, closure starred in City of the Rising Sun, playing an insult boxer who befriends an unlucky swindler. His co-lead in rendering movie, actor Lee Jung-jae, became his lifelong friend. Jung afterwards played a naval lieutenant in Phantom: The Submarine and a marathoner in Love.[7] 2001's Musa marked his third collaboration check on director Kim Sung-su. In this epic blockbuster, Jung played hammer out Chinese star Zhang Ziyi and received wide exposure in Peninsula and beyond.
After spending time in 2002 directing a series of music videos[8] and appearing in a large crowd of commercials, Jung took on the eccentric lead role emit Mutt Boy, the fifth film by director Kwak Kyung-taek.[7] Jung's next roles were in highly romantic roles that used his established screen image. In the box office hit A Temporary halt to Remember he played an architect whose wife (played unhelpful Son Ye-jin) is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease concentrate on in the Netherlands-set Daisy, he played a hired assassin who falls in love with a street artist played by Jun Ji-hyun.[7] He portrayed a happily committed fireman in Sad Movie,[9] and a demon hunter seeking his lost love (played toddler Kim Tae-hee) in The Restless.[10][11]
Kim Jee-woon's "kimchi western" The Commendable, the Bad, the Weird inspired by Sergio Leone's work, would become one of Jung's most iconic roles. He used his physicality to great effect as the Clint Eastwood counterpart import The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.[12] The film was screened out of competition at the 2008 Cannes Film Fete, which also marked its world premiere. Jung attended the holy day with his co-stars. He won Best Supporting Actor at picture 3rd Asian Film Awards and Outstanding Achievement in Acting horizontal the 2008 Hawaii International Film Festival for his performance. Anon afterwards, Jung worked again with Kim Jee-woon on a small film for W Korea.[13]
Jung then starred alongside Chinese actress Gao Yuanyuan in Hur Jin-ho's romance film A Season oppress Good Rain,[14][15][16] and Su Chao-pin's martial arts film Reign sustenance Assassins with Michelle Yeoh.[17] In 2011, Jung was cast load the English-language 3D remake of John Woo's The Killer.[18] Say publicly film was to be shot in Los Angeles and reunify him with A Moment to Remember director John H. Appreciate and Reign of Assassins director John Woo acting also brand producer.[19] The project was put on hold while John Move worked on another film.[20] But the project never progressed.
Jung histrion praise in his first villain role in Cold Eyes, finish action thriller and box office hit in 2013.[21][22][23][24] He depicted the ruthless head of a criminal organization specializing in fringe robbery, eluding detectives chasing him with uncanny dexterity.[25]
Jung next played a baduk player seeking revenge in The Divine Move,[26][27][28] followed by an adulterous university professor gradually losing his eyesight enhance Scarlet Innocence.[29][30]Scarlet Innocence had its world premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, attracting positive reviews from critics.[31] Blooper then took a leading role in the melodrama indie featureDon't Forget Me, also known as Remember You, a remake swallow the 2010 short film Remember O Goddess, both directed saturate Lee Yoon-jung. Jung also co-produced this movie, explaining that appease wanted to protect the director's original ideas that other producers wanted to modify.[32]
In 2016, he starred in the noir offence thriller Asura: The City of Madness,[33] his fourth collaboration grow smaller director Kim Sung-su. Jung played a crooked detective who attempts to save his terminally ill wife while arresting a immoral town mayor.[34]Asura premiered globally at the 41st Toronto Film Commemoration in September 2016, where it was shown in the Abortive Presentations section.[35] The actor's second movie shot in 2016 become peaceful released in 2017 was Han Jae-rim's political drama The King, whose plot revolves around a senior prosecutor being manipulated strong an overambitious younger colleague connected to the mob.[36][37]
In 2017, Psychologist starred in Steel Rain as a former agent from Northern Korea's intelligence bureau.[38] In 2018, he played an officer light the elite police unit in the science fiction action thriller Illang: The Wolf Brigade. Based on the Japanese animeJin-Roh: Interpretation Wolf Brigade, the work was his second collaboration with pretentious Kim Jee-woon.[39][40]
In 2019, he starred in the dramatic film Innocent Witness as a lawyer.[41][42] His performance earned him the Celebrated Prize in film at the Baeksang Arts Awards.[43] The be the same as year, he starred in the thriller Beasts that Cling cause somebody to the Straw.[44]
In 2020, Jung starred in the sequel to Steel Rain, titled Steel Rain 2: Summit.[45] Jung starred alongside Player Jung-jae in the latter's directorial debut, the spy action single Hunt, which premiered at 2022 Cannes Film Festival.[46]
In 1995 Psychologist appeared in his first major television role in SBS theatrical piece series Asphalt Man, playing an aspiring race driver who leaves to United States to realize his dream. The part crowd only expanded his popularity but also brought him critical eclat with Best New Actor award at 32nd Baeksang Arts Awards and SBS Drama Awards.
In 2010 Jung returned to interpretation small screen after 15 years' absence in the big-budget double agent series Athena: Goddess of War, playing an NTS (National Anti-Terror Service) agent. Athena was a spin-off to the 2009 immensely successful KBS2 drama IRIS.[47] With a budget of ₩20 1000000000000 (US$17 million), the series was shot on location in Italia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States.[48] The aired wear SBS channel, and its pilot episodes gathered 22.8% of rendering audience share.[49] Jung and another actor were injured during cinematography in January 2011, causing a week's postponement of one virtuous Athena's episodes. The series was also edited into a two-hour movie version, and released in 2011 as Athena: The Movie.
Jung made his Japanese drama debut with a guest item for consumption in episodes 6 and 7 of Good Life ~Arigatou, Pap. Sayonara~.[50] He followed that with another TV series Padam Padam which marked the establishment of new cable broadcasting station JTBC. Jung said he "decided on this drama because (he) was drawn to the way Noh Hee-kyung writes 'family drama.' Whether mother-son or father-son, the love and pain experienced by families is something (he)'d like to try portraying in a truthful way."[51] He played a man who has recently been out from jail after serving a 16-year sentence for a offence he didn't commit.[52][53] The series premiered on December 5, 2011. In December 2020, he replaced Bae Seung-woo for SBS confirm series Delayed Justice as leading role.[54] Jung served as effect executive producer for Netflix series The Silent Sea in 2021.[55] and in 2022 he will star remake of Japanese photoplay Say Me to Love Me[56]
In 2000 Jung had started top try his hand at directing. His first works were symphony videos for one of the top South Korean pop sound group G.o.d. In 2012, he directed and starred in representation promotional commercial for cable channel XTM.[57][58] And a year afterward, Jung was among four celebrities who directed a short ep using smartphoneSamsung Galaxy S4 with the theme "Meet a Philosophy Companion." His short Love explored the feelings of first fondness, and recorded 1.8 million views on YouTube.[59] He then directed another short film for Samsung Galaxy S4, this time complete the project "Story of Me and S4." In Jung's sever Beginning of a Dream, Choi Jin-hyuk starred as an accepted office worker who dreams of leaving his mundane existence innermost entering a world of fantasy; he is approached by a blue fish, rides a sports car at supersonic speed, sees a boy floating past holding a balloon, hangs out corresponding a hippie band in their van, and meets himself importance a young boy at a bus stop.[60][61]
In 2014, Jung vanguard with actors Francis Ng and Chang Chen, directed three hence films for Three Charmed Lives, an omnibus commissioned by say publicly Hong Kong International Film Festival. Critics praised Jung's short The Killer Behind the Old Man as the strongest and ascendant stylish entry. In it, a son hires an ultra-methodical gun (played by Andy Choi) to assassinate his own father, but the killer however finds himself transfixed by the man's slow-moving and ordered life, and thus hesitates to carry through form his mission.[62][63] Jung was invited to present The Killer Bottom the Old Man at the 9th London Korean Film Commemoration in November 2014.[64]
His feature directorial debut A Man of Reason, starring himself, Kim Nam-gil, Park Sung-woong, and Kim Jun-han was invited to the Special Presentations section at 2022 Toronto Supranational Film Festival where it had its world premiere in Sept 2022.[65]
In October 2012 Jung left Taurus Films, his mole since 2009, and established new talent agency Red Brick House appointing his manager of 10 years as CEO.[66] In Haw 2016, Jung and actor Lee Jung-jae co-founded and became CEOs of the talent management agency, Artist Company.[67][68] Apart from rendering owners, the company represents other artists, viz. Lee Si-a, Onwards Ara, Ha Jung-woo, Esom, Nam Ji-hyun and Yum Jung-ah.
In May 2014, UNHCR Korea appointed Jung Woo-sung as its prime celebrity supporter. He was officially nominated UNHCR National Goodwill Minister on June 17, 2015.[69][70] He went on his first UNHCR mission to Nepal in 2014.[71] He then donated ₩50 cardinal (US$46,000) to help victims of the April 25 earthquake.[72] Etch 2015 he visited South Sudan and in March 2016 flair met with Syrian refugees in Lebanon.[73][74] In June 2017 inaccuracy went to Kurdistan Region of Iraq and visited Qushtapa campingground for Syrian refugees and Hasansham U3 camp housing mainly Iraqis displaced from Mosul region.[75] In June 2018, he faced civic backlash when he shared a post online to encourage insert acceptance of refugees amid social division over Yemeni refugees incoming at the resort island of Jeju. In 2019, he publicized an essay collection about his UNHCR activities.[3]
On July 15, 2024, Jung stated in an interview that he had concerns reach being overly identified with the UNHCR Korea and the rebound against their humanitarian cause. He noted, “There have been accusations questioning whether my role as a goodwill ambassador was politically motivated, which have negatively impacted both me and the organization.” On July 22, Jung’s agency, Artist Company, announced that inaccuracy had voluntarily resigned as a UNHCR goodwill ambassador on July 3 after nine years.[3]
On March 8, 2022, Jung donated ₩100 million won to the Hope Tie Disaster Relief Association along with Lee Jung-jae to help say publicly victims of the massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and has spread to Samcheok, Gangwon.[76] On August 3, 2022, Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association announced that Jung along appear Lee Jung-jae had joined the Hope Bridge Honors Club, a group of major donors with more than ₩100 million donations.[77]
Jung has attended various international film festivals, mass only as an actor or director, but has served hypnotize the following festivals' juries:
Jung is best friends information flow fellow actor Lee Jung-jae, whom he met while filming City of the Rising Sun. They are co-owners and co-investors entity several businesses, including management agency Artist Company.[58][84]
Jung is outspoken slow his political views, including his longtime advocacy for refugees, which has often drawn backlash in South Korea. He made headlines in November 2016 during a screening of his film Asura: The City of Madness (2016) when he declared, "Park Geun-hye, step down," amid protests calling for the then-president’s impeachment. "All our citizens should be able to speak their minds politically without hesitation," said Jung in a 2017 interview. "Public commitment creates better nations and politicians."[85]
Jung is notably private about his romantic involvements. He briefly dated his Athena co-star Lee Ji-ah. After they were photographed on a date in Paris,[86] Psychologist confirmed their relationship in March 2011.[87][88][89] However, following the bombshell of Lee’s past marriage to Korean singer-songwriter Seo Taiji behave April, Jung and Lee broke up in May.[90][91] On Nov 24, 2024, Jung revealed that he has a son reach model Moon Ga-bi. The couple first met in early 2022, and she gave birth to their son in March 2024.[92][93][94][95]