Yoo Ah-in

Yoo Ah-in (born Eom Hong-sik^[2] on October 6, 1986) is a South Korean actor. He rose to fame in television series Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010), and became best known for his leading roles in coming-of-age film Punch (2011), melodrama Secret Love Affair (2014), action blockbuster Veteran (2015) and period drama film The Throne (2015).^[3]

Career

Eom Hong-sik was born in Daegu and dropped out of high school to pursue acting.^[4] Using the stage name Yoo Ah-in, he made his acting debut in the teen series Sharp 1 in 2003. Various roles on film and television followed, from a lost teenager in low-budget indie Boys of Tomorrow, the lonely warrior in Chil-woo the Mighty, to the energetic patissier aspirant in Antique,^[5] and a cheeky assistant in He Who Can't Marry.

Yoo's breakout role came in popular 2010 period drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]} This was followed by his first big-screen leading role in the coming-of-age film Punch, a critical and box-office success in 2011.^{[14][15][16][17][18]} His costar, veteran actor Kim Yoon-seok predicted that "In the next 10 years, he will be one of the biggest names in Korean cinema."^[4]

But Yoo's next project Fashion King was poorly received by audiences, particularly its controversial ending.^{[19][20][21][22]}

Considered one of the most outspoken and politically minded Korean actors of his generation, Yoo drew media attention in late 2012 when he tweeted a strongly worded criticism against the withdrawal of Ahn Cheol-soo from the presidential race.^[23][24] Yoo's unconventional image was strengthened by his willingness to make his social, artistic and philosophical interests public, and he is also the director of a "complex creative space" called Studio Concrete in Hannam-dong, Seoul, which he created with a group of seven artists of various media.^[3]

Cast as King Sukjong in the 2013 period drama Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love, a revisionist take on infamous royal concubine Jang Hui-bin,^[25] Yoo called the role one of the biggest challenges of his career and he garnered favorable press reviews for his mature, charismatic and versatile portrayal.^[4]

He then played the titular character in the film Tough as Iron, about a Busan pier worker who takes care of his mother afflicted with dementia and kidney disease.^[26] Yoo and Tough as Iron costar Jung Yu-mi later collaborated again as voice actors in the animated film The Satellite Girl and Milk Cow.^[27]

In 2014, he appeared in a quirky supporting role in Lee Han's Thread of Lies (this was Lee's second film adaptation of a Kim Ryeo-ryeong novel after Punch). Cable melodrama Secret Love Affair followed, in which Yoo played a piano prodigy who falls for a married, much older woman.^[28]

Two top-grossing films starred Yoo in 2015.^[3] He played an amoral young millionaire who faces off with a detective in Ryoo Seung-wan's crime thriller/comedy Veteran, and as the tragic Crown Prince Sado in Lee Joon-ik's period drama The Throne.^{[29][30][31][32][33][34]} Yoo was then cast as ambitious prince Yi Bang-won in the drama series Six Flying Dragons.^[35][36]

Filmography

Film

Television series

Music video appearances

Endorsements

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yoo Ah-In.

• Yoo Ah-in on Twitter
• Yoo Ah-in on Instagram
• Yoo Ah-in on Cyworld
• Yoo Ah-in Fan Cafe at Daum
• Yoo Ah-in at HanCinema
• Yoo Ah-in at the Korean Movie Database
• Yoo Ah-in at the Internet Movie Database