Yoo Ji-tae

Yoo Ji-tae
Born (1976-04-13) April 13, 1976
Seoul, South Korea
Education

Chung-Ang University Graduate School of Advanced Imaging Science, Multimedia & Film

Catholic University of Korea Graduate School of Social Work
Occupation Actor, film director
Years active 1998–present
Agent Namoo Actors
Spouse(s) Kim Hyo-jin (m. 2011)
Children 1
Website http://www.yoomovie.com/
Korean name
Hangul 유지태
Hanja 劉智泰
Revised Romanization Yu Ji-tae
McCune–Reischauer Yu Jit‘ae

Yoo Ji-tae (born April 13, 1976) is a South Korean actor and director. After a stint as a fashion model, Yoo launched his acting career in 1998 then rose to fame through the films Attack the Gas Station (1999) and Ditto (2000). In the succeeding years, he gained acting recognition by working with acclaimed directors such as Hur Jin-ho in One Fine Spring Day (2001), Park Chan-wook in Oldboy (2003), and Hong Sang-soo in Woman is the Future of Man (2004). Yoo began directing short films in 2003, which were well received in the film festival circuit. His feature directorial debut Mai Ratima was released in 2013.

Career

Yoo Ji-tae began his career as a fashion model, and he walked the runway for the Seoul Fashion Artist Association collections in 1995. Then in 2000, with a series of hit films and widely seen TV appearances, Yoo was more constantly in the limelight than any other actor, and in a very short time, rose to become a major actor in Korean film.[1]

His first brush with fame came in the role of "Paint" in his second feature, the 1999 hit Attack the Gas Station. His sensitive and artistic image in this film and the warm character he displayed as a guest on TV talk shows helped to propel him to stardom. With the surprise success of his third film Ditto in spring 2000, Yoo's star status was secured. He also appeared in the successful firefighting film Libera Me. In this early part of his career, he was known particularly for the wild colors that he would dye his hair (white in Attack the Gas Station, blue in Ditto, blonde in Libera Me).[1]

In 2001, however, he dyed his hair black and took on a more subdued, serious role in Hur Jin-ho's One Fine Spring Day. Although it wasn't a big hit with audiences, his performance in this film opened many critics' eyes and drew widespread praise, while officially launching the second stage of his career.[1]

For the next two years, Yoo didn't appear in any new films, because Natural City took an unusually long time to progress from shooting to a commercial release. He then appeared in three works in 2003: Natural City (which bombed, despite its big budget and special effects), the horror/suspense film Into the Mirror, and Park Chan-wook's acclaimed Oldboy. Yoo's memorable role in the latter film as a wealthy eccentric fixated on revenge would make his face well known to international audiences.[1]

As Yoo's career established itself he began to appear in many high-profile projects, such as in well-known arthouse director Hong Sang-soo's Woman is the Future of Man (which, like Oldboy, screened at Cannes in 2004); Yim Pil-sung's big-budget Antarctic Journal, shot in New Zealand; and the action/noir Running Wild with Kwon Sang-woo.[1][2] He also established his own production company Yoo Movie in 2005.

As soon as he finished shooting the 2007 period film Hwang Jin-yi about a Joseon-era gisaeng, Yoo chose to act in the play Come to the Ghost House. A graduate of Dankook University with a major in Theater and Film, he also established a theater to put on one play a year. Almost all the money for the theatrical productions comes from his own wallet. "I work on stage because it's there that I find the challenge and the stimulus an actor needs through continuous creative work," he said.[3]

In 2009 he lent his voice as narrator for the track "I’m Sorry" (미안해) in K-pop singer Jinju's album Pearlfect.[4]

Yoo then returned to the melodrama genre, starring in his first TV drama Star's Lover opposite Choi Ji-woo,[5][6] as well as a couple of romance-themed films, notably Secret Love which reunited him with Oldboy costar Yoon Jin-seo.[7] Afterwards he played another villain in the real-time suspense thriller Midnight FM.[8][9]

After getting his master's degree in 2008 from Chung-Ang University's Graduate School of Advanced Imaging Science, Multimedia & Film, in recent years Yoo has focused more on his passion for directing. To him, "Making films is like taking drugs. Actors feel a pleasure when they deliver well but directors feel they have poured out everything they have in the sole fact that they have completed a movie. It's impossible to compare the pleasure you get from it."[10] He has helmed a number of award-winning short films that have screened in festivals around the world.[11] In addition to directing his fourth short film Invitation, Yoo wrote the script and plays the main character alongside leading lady Uhm Ji-won.[12]

In 2012, Yoo directed his first feature film Mai Ratima, based on a synopsis he wrote 15 years ago in college.[13] It portrays the unlikely love affair of a Korean man in his 30s living on the bottom rung of society and a mail-order bride from Thailand in her 20s.[14][15][16] Shooting began in Gyeonggi Province on January 26, 2012,[17][18] and it premiered at the Busan International Film Festival on October 5, 2012.[19] Yoo said he plans to continue producing or directing movies based on strong social issues as he is interested in the plight of the less privileged.[20][21] Mai Ratima won the Jury Prize at the 2013 Deauville Asian Film Festival.[22][23][24]

He then co-starred with Kōichi Satō and Vincent Gallo in Junji Sakamoto's 2013 suspense thriller Human Trust.[25]

For the biopic The Tenor - Lirico Spinto, Yoo practiced singing for four hours everyday for more than a year, and took private English and Japanese lessons to portray Bae Jae-chul, an internationally acclaimed tenor who loses his voice to thyroid cancer.[26][27] Afterwards, he starred in another TV series Healer, written by Song Ji-na.[28]

Personal life

Yoo was raised by a single parent. "My mother, who worked as a nurse for a long time, wants to run a hospital for the elderly someday. I want to financially help her realize her dream, and then establish an orphanage," said Yoo.[29] He is friends with comedian Kim Joon-ho

Currently a student at the Catholic University of Korea Graduate School of Social Work, Yoo is very active in philanthropic efforts. He joins charity photo shoots and auctions,[30][31] has helped set up a kindergarten in Nepal,[32] has donated to Haiti earthquake relief,[33] has donated funds for building schools in Myanmar, has joined a charity photo shoot to benefit victims of facial burns,[31] has volunteered in a campaign to deliver free lunches to underprivileged people,[34] has promoted the adoption of abandoned dogs, and has campaigned against domestic violence towards migrant wives.[35] His advocacies are World Vision, Compassion Korea, DAIL Community, Social Welfare Society Inc., YWCA of Korea,[36] Nanum House of Sharing and Korean Association of Cinematheques.[37]

Yoo first met actress Kim Hyo-jin in 2003 when they were models for a clothing brand, and the two became friends after continuously meeting in photo shoots. Their romantic relationship began in 2006, and they were among the very few Korean star couples who openly admitted their dating status.[38] They announced their engagement in August 2011,[39][40][41][42][43] and subsequently released pre-wedding photos.[44][45] Their minimalist invitation was made from environmentally friendly paper and had the number 1,825 written on it, the exact amount of the days the two have spent together as a couple.[46][47] They were married at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on December 2, 2011.[48][49][50] The wedding date marked the couple's fifth anniversary together and was booked by Yoo one year in advance despite landing on a Friday – an unusual day for a wedding.[47] The ceremony was officiated by the president of World Vision Korea; Yoo and Kim are the organization's honorary ambassadors,[51] and they donated a portion of their monetary wedding gifts to World Vision to help build a primary and middle school in Myanmar.[52][53][54] Their first child, a son, was born on July 5, 2014.[55]

Filmography

As actor

As director

Variety/Reality show appearance

Theater

Other activities

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Actors and Actresses of Korean Cinema: Yoo Ji-tae". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  2. ↑ "야수 (Running Wild) Press Screening Report". Twitch Film. 4 January 2006.
  3. ↑ "Screen Star Yoo Ji-tae Finds Creative Challenge in Theater". The Chosun Ilbo. 9 April 2007.
  4. ↑ "진주 새 앨범 'Pearlfect', 유지태 내레이션 참여" [Yoo Ji-tae goes kpop (kinda)]. Asia Economy (in Korean). 19 November 2008.
  5. ↑ Oh, Jean (1 December 2008). "Mega drama duo signals hot winter". The Korea Herald.
  6. ↑ Han, Sang-hee (2 December 2008). "Celebrity's Sweetheart Knocks on Viewers Hearts". The Korea Times.
  7. ↑ Sung, So-young (26 February 2010). "Korea’s forbidden lovers of film return". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  8. ↑ Han, Sun-hee (10 August 2010). "MIDNIGHT FM, A Speedy Real Time Thriller". Korean Cinema Today.
  9. ↑ "Soo Ae: ‘I Felt Relieved After Filming Scenes Heaping Insults’". KBS Global. 20 September 2010.
  10. ↑ Lee, Ji-hye (7 April 2010). "Yoo Ji-tae's Movie Picks". 10Asia.
  11. ↑ Yoo Ji Tae Collection 2010. YesAsia. 27 July 2010.
  12. ↑ Lee, Hae-joo (29 May 2009). "Yoo Ji-tae's Invitation gets a premiere". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  13. ↑ Hwang, Sung-un (21 June 2013). "Actor-director Yoo Ji-tae's Song Picks". 10Asia. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013.
  14. ↑ Ji, Yong-jin (5 October 2012). "The Reality We Must Face Now: YOO Ji-tae, Director of Mai Ratima". Korean Cinema Today.
  15. ↑ Sunwoo, Carla (7 June 2013). "Mai Ratima tackles the challenges of a multicultural Korea". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  16. ↑ Ji, Yong-jin (19 June 2013). "Director YOO Ji-tae and Actor BAE Soo-bin of MAI RATIMA: Cooperation Between Friendly Colleagues". Korean Cinema Today.
  17. ↑ "Oldboy Villain Yoo Ji-tae to Direct First Feature". The Chosun Ilbo. 9 November 2011.
  18. ↑ Kim, Jessica (30 January 2012). "Yoo Ji-tae first feature cranks in". 10Asia.
  19. ↑ Jeon, Chanil. "Mai Ratima". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  20. ↑ "Yoo Ji-tae Shines Light on Mail-Order Brides at Helm of First Feature". The Chosun Ilbo. 15 October 2012.
  21. ↑ Park, Eun-jee (16 November 2012). "Korean actors find satisfaction off-camera". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  22. ↑ Lee, Claire (10 March 2013). "Yoo Ji-tae wins Jury Prize at Deauville Asian Film Fest". The Korea Herald.
  23. ↑ "Actor-Turned-Director Yoo Ji-tae Wins Jury Prize in Deauville". The Chosun Ilbo. 11 March 2013.
  24. ↑ Conran, Pierce (12 March 2013). "MAI RATIMA Awarded Jury Prize at Deauville Asian Film Festival". Korean Film Council.
  25. ↑ Schmidlin, Charlie (12 July 2013). "Vincent Gallo Joins Japanese Thriller 'Human Trust' Co-Starring Kôichi Satô & 'Oldboy' Star Yu Ji-Tae". Indiewire.
  26. ↑ Baek, Byung-yeul (30 November 2014). "Singing miracle". The Korea Times.
  27. ↑ Jin, Eun-soo (26 December 2014). "The Tenor puts Yoo Ji-tae under pressure". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  28. ↑ Kim, Hye-in (16 September 2014). "Photos from the first script reading rehearsal for Healer unleashed". StarN News.
  29. ↑ "Yoo Ji-tae: "My Dream is to Establish an Orphanage"". KBS Global. 2 May 2005.
  30. ↑ "Celebrities Donate Treasured Items to Charity Auction". The Chosun Ilbo. 5 January 2011.
  31. 1 2 "Celebrities Join Together To Raise Money For Facial Burn Victims". KBS World. 9 February 2012.
  32. ↑ 유지태, 오는 10월 네팔에 유치원 세운다 [Yoo Ji-tae sets up a kindergarten]. Sports Seoul (in Korean). 29 May 2009.
  33. ↑ Lee, Hyo-won (1 January 2010). "Yoo Ji-tae Couple Donate 20 Million Won to Haiti". The Korea Times.
  34. ↑ "Yoo Ji-tae Donates to Help Build Schools in Myanmar". The Chosun Ilbo. 22 April 2011.
  35. ↑ Ki Sun-min, Kang Na-hyun (15 August 2012). "‘Social-tainers’ are talking about the issues". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  36. ↑ Sunwoo, Carla (September 13, 2012). "Yoo Ji-tae ambassador of the YMCA". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  37. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  38. ↑ 술술토크: (13) 가식없는 김효진의 매력 속으로... [Interview: Into Kim Hyo-jin's down-to-earth charm]. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 19 November 2008.
  39. ↑ "Yoo Ji-tae, Kim Hyo-jin to wed in Dec.". The Korea Herald. 21 August 2011.
  40. ↑ "Yoo Ji-tae, Kim Hyo-jin Decide to Finally Tie the Knot". The Chosun Ilbo. 22 August 2011.
  41. ↑ Ko, Kyoung-seok (22 August 2011). "Yoo Ji-tae, Kim Hyo-jin to wed Dec 2". 10Asia.
  42. ↑ Chung, Ah-young (22 August 2011). "Yoo, Kim to marry on Dec. 2". The Korea Times.
  43. ↑ "Yoo Ji-tae and Kim Hyo-jin set a date to walk down the aisle". Korea JoongAng Daily. 23 August 2011.
  44. ↑ "유지태-김효진 "내 사람이다vs심장이 먼저 반응" 예비부부 벌써 신혼" [Yoo Ji Tae & fiancée Kim Hyo Jin pose for Harper’s BAZAAR]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). 19 October 2011.
  45. ↑ '결혼' 유지태·김효진, '완벽비주얼' 웨딩화보 [Yoo Ji Tae and Kim Hyo Jin reveal new pre-wedding photos]. Star News (in Korean). 1 December 2011.
  46. ↑ 유지태-김효진 예비부부 ‘착한 청첩장’ 공개 [Yoo Ji Tae & Kim Hyo Jin, simplest of wedding invitations]. Economy Today (in Korean). 29 November 2011.
  47. 1 2 "Yoo and Kim release wedding photos". Korea JoongAng Daily. 1 December 2011.
  48. ↑ "Celebrity Couple Exchange Vows After 5-Year Romance". The Chosun Ilbo. 5 December 2011.
  49. ↑ Choi, Eun-hwa (2 December 2011). "Yoo Ji Tae and Kim Hyo Jin Say They’ll Live Happily". enewsWorld.
  50. ↑ Kim, Byung-kwan (2 December 2011). "Yoo Ji Tae & Kim Hyo Jin Tie the Knot". enewsWorld.
  51. ↑ "Celebrity Couple Using Fame to Support World Vision". The Chosun Ilbo. 19 October 2011.
  52. ↑ Lee, Hye-ji (5 December 2012). "Yoo Ji-tae, Kim Hyo-jin Celebrate 1st Wedding Anniversary in Myanmar". 10Asia.
  53. ↑ "Celebrity Couple Support School in Burma". The Chosun Ilbo. 6 December 2012.
  54. ↑ Sunwoo, Carla (7 December 2012). "Yoo Ji-tae and wife celebrate anniversary with good deed". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  55. ↑ Lee, Sun-min (7 July 2014). "Celebrity couple gives birth to son". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  56. ↑ Pyo Jae-min (October 14, 2016). "[단독] 유지태, '1박2일' 출격..절친 김준호 의리 지켰다". OSEN (in Korean). Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  57. ↑ Kim Soo-jeong (October 24, 2016). "'1박 2일' 첫 출연 유지태·정명훈, 큰 웃음 빵빵". No Cut News (in Korean). Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  58. ↑ Hyun Ji-min (October 31, 2016). "'1박2일' 김준호, 유지태도 움직이는 이 남자의 매력". TenAsia (in Korean). Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  59. ↑ Lee, Yong-sung (31 October 2005). "Film stars attract audience to drama". The Korea Herald.
  60. ↑ "Actor Yoo Ji-tae Invited as Juror for "Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival"". KBS Global. 24 January 2004.
  61. ↑ D'Sa, Nigel (7 June 2007). "YOO Ji-tae on Short Shorts Jury". Korean Film Council.
  62. ↑ "Yoo Ji-tae to Judge at Japanese Short-film Festival". KBS Global. 24 June 2007.
  63. ↑ "4th JIMFF - Award / Jury". Jecheon International Music & Film Festival. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
  64. ↑ "Hur Jin-ho and Yoo Ji-tae Appointed Judges for 2008 JIMFF". KBS Global. 13 August 2008.
  65. ↑ "14th BIFF (2009) - Juries". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
  66. ↑ "Alejandro González Iňárritu and juries share their thoughts on judging films for awards. – Competition Official Press Conference". Tokyo International Film Festival. 22 October 2009.
  67. ↑ Nam, Gyeong-wu (22 June 2011). "Looking Forward to this Winter's DMZ Movie Festival". GNews. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014.
  68. ↑ Lee, Hyo-won (20 September 2011). "DMZ Korean International Documentary Festival Opens Sept. 22". The Hollywood Reporter.
  69. ↑ "DMZ Docs 2011 closes with Tiniest Place top winner". Korean Film Council. 30 September 2011.
  70. ↑ Han, Sang-hee (19 June 2008). "Yoo Ji-tae Receives Japan Short Film Award". The Korea Times.
  71. ↑ "Yoo Ji-tae Awarded at Japan's 'Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia'". KBS Global. 23 June 2008.
  72. ↑ Han, Sang-hee (5 July 2009). "Actor Yoo to Receive Seoul Womens Prize". The Korea Times.
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