# Cho Seung-woo

Cho Seung-woo (Korean: 조승우; born March 28, 1980) is a South Korean actor and singer. He is best known for his leading roles in the films The Classic (2003), Marathon (2005), Tazza: The High Rollers (2006), and Inside Men (2015), as well as in the stage musicals Jekyll & Hyde, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Man of La Mancha. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas The King's Doctor (2012), God's Gift: 14 Days (2014), Stranger (2017–2020), Life (2018), Sisyphus: The Myth (2021) and Divorce Attorney Shin (2023).

## Career
### 2000–2004: Acting debut

Cho Seung-woo grew up in a musical family: his father Cho Kyung-soo [ko] is a singer, and his older sister Cho Seo-yeon [ko] acts in musical theatre. Cho himself also dreamed of becoming a musical actor from an early age, however in 1999 while a student at Dankook University he was persuaded to join auditions for Im Kwon-taek's film Chunhyang, and he ended up winning the part from among a field of 1,000 actors. Chunhyang would screen as the first Korean film in competition at Cannes, although domestically it failed to attract much of an audience.
Cho did go on to appear in musicals after his film debut, acting in local productions Subway Line 1 and The Last Empress. Soon he was drawn back into the film industry, however, with a key supporting role in Wanee & Junah (2001), a villainous turn in H (2002), plus a leading role in Who Are U? (2002). In 2003, Cho acted in Kwak Jae-yong's romance The Classic opposite Son Ye-jin, receiving good reviews for his sincere acting. His popularity continued to grow, and in 2004 he appeared in Im Kwon-taek's 99th film Low Life.

### 2005: Breakthrough with Marathon and Jekyll & Hyde

Cho's breakthrough would come in early 2005 with the smash hit Marathon, where he played an autistic young man who only finds release in running. The film sold over 5 million tickets, and aged 26, Cho won several awards for his performance including Best Actor at the 2005 Grand Bell Awards, Best Actor at 2005 Baeksang Arts Awards in film category, as well as Best Actor in the foreign film category at China's Hundred Flowers Awards. Nonetheless, he continued to pursue his career in musicals, with critically acclaimed appearances in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Jekyll and Hyde. His success at pursuing both film and musicals make him an unusual case among contemporary actors.

### 2006–2009: Continued success

Cho starred in Love Phobia (2006) opposite then-girlfriend Kang Hye-jung; both were praised for their acting, but the melodrama wasn't a commercial success. He then headlined Tazza: The High Rollers with Kim Hye-soo, the 2006 film adaptation of Huh Young-man's same-titled manhwa, which went on to become one of the biggest Korean blockbuster hits of all time. He followed that with Go Go 70s, about a rock and roll band during the height of the Park Chung Hee military regime; and The Sword with No Name, in which he played a fictional royal guard in love with Empress Myeongseong (Soo Ae).

### 2010–present: Comeback

After completing his mandatory military service, Cho made his comeback in the 2010 production of Jekyll and Hyde. The musical was especially meaningful to Cho since the actor rose to stardom when the show premiered in Korea in 2004. Cho's much-anticipated return to the stage was marked with controversy following reports that his salary would be the highest for any musical theatre actor in Korean history. While producers feared that demands for similarly high fees could follow (which could eventually put them out of business), others said that the fee was justified, based on the hope that Cho would help spark a renaissance in a once-vibrant but now-stagnant musical theatre industry. And true enough, when tickets went on sale, the demand was so high that the online reservation server broke down after 15 minutes, with all of the performances in which Cho was scheduled to appear already sold out.
His 2011 sports movie Perfect Game revisited one of the most exciting matches in Korean baseball history, between Choi Dong-won of the Lotte Giants and Sun Dong-yeol of the Haitai Tigers in the summer of 1987, which ended in a tie after being extended 15 innings; the rivalry between the two was further heated up by regionalism at the time with Choi representing the Gyeongsang Province and Sun, the Jeolla Province. Cho starred as Choi opposite Yang Dong-geun as Sun. That same year, Cho also took on the lead role in the musical Zorro.
After lead actor Ju Ji-hoon quit due to vocal chord problems, Cho joined the 2012 stage production of Doctor Zhivago just two weeks ahead of opening, turning the musical into a hit. He and Ryu Deok-hwan then played conjoined twins in actress Ku Hye-sun's sophomore directorial effort The Peach Tree.
Cho made his small screen debut in 2012 with The King's Doctor, a period drama based on a true story about a Joseon-era low-class veterinarian specializing in the treatment of horses who rises to become the royal physician. Cho won the highest award ("Daesang," or Grand Prize) at the MBC Drama Awards for his performance in The King's Doctor, then returned to the stage in 2013 in Hedwig, reprising one of his most memorable musical roles.
Cho continued working in television. He portrayed the poet Yi Sang in Crow's-Eye View, a single-episode anthology as part of MBC's Drama Festival. Cho then starred in the 2014 time travel thriller God's Gift: 14 Days, playing a private investigator who helps a mother (Lee Bo-young) save her child.
Cho reprised one of his most beloved roles in Jekyll and Hyde for the musical's 10th anniversary in late 2014, and the 18,700 tickets sold out in just 10 minutes. Because of his ticket power, he was chosen as among the top 30 most influential people in Korean popular culture in 2006, and for four consecutive years in 2010 to 2014.
Cho next plays a heroic prosecutor who uncovers bribery in the halls of power in Inside Men, a 2015 film adaptation of Yoon Tae-ho's webtoon The Insiders. Inside Men was a box office success with more than 7 million admissions, becoming Cho's highest-grossing film.
In his interview in July 2016, Cho said that after completion of his performance for the musical Sweeney Todd, he decided to take a three-year hiatus from musical to focus on film.
In 2017, Cho starred in tvN's mystery thriller drama Stranger, playing a prosecutor who lacks empathetic abilities. The series was a hit and gained favorable reviews for its tight plot, gripping sequences and strong performances. Cho's performance in the Stranger also won him an Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actor in TV category.
In 2018, Cho starred in the period film Feng Shui, the third installment of the "divining art trilogy" by Han Jae-rim. He also starred in JTBC's medical drama Life.
In 2020, Cho revived his role in Stranger Season 2 as Hwang Simok.
In 2023, Cho played the titular role in the musical The Phantom of the Opera in Busan, Seoul and Daegu, alternating the part with Choi Jae-rim, Julian Jootaek Kim, and Jeon Dong-seok.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Chunhyang | Lee Mong-ryong | |
| 2001 | Ahmijimong | Ahn Ji-hoon | Web film |
| 2001 | Wanee & Junah | Lee Young-min | |
| 2002 | Who Are U? | Ji Hyung-tae | |
| 2002 | YMCA Baseball Team | Young coachman | Cameo |
| 2002 | H | Shin Hyun | |
| 2003 | The Classic | Oh Joon-ha | |
| 2004 | Low Life | Choi Tae-woong | |
| 2005 | Marathon | Yoon Cho-won | |
| 2006 | Love Phobia | Cha Jo-kang | |
| 2006 | Tazza: The High Rollers | Kim Gon(Go-ni) | |
| 2008 | Go Go 70s | Im Sang-kyu | |
| 2009 | The Sword with No Name | Mu-myung(Yo-han) | |
| 2011 | Perfect Game | Choi Dong-won | |
| 2012 | The Peach Tree | Choi Sang-hyun | |
| 2015 | Assassination | Kim Won-bong | Cameo |
| 2015 | Inside Men | Woo Jang-hoon | |
| 2018 | Feng Shui | Park Jae-sang | |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2012 | The King's Doctor | Baek Gwang-hyun | |
| 2013 | Drama Festival – "Lee Sang That Lee Sang" | Lee Sang | Single drama |
| 2014 | God's Gift: 14 Days | Ki Dong-chan | |
| 2017 | Stranger | Hwang Shi-mok | Season 1–2 |
| 2018 | Life | Koo Seung-hyo | |
| 2021 | Sisyphus: The Myth | Han Tae-sul | |
| 2023 | Divorce Attorney Shin | Shin Sung-han | |

### Music video appearances

| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
| 2005 | "Another Side of Memory" | Boohwal | YouTube |
| 2005 | "Prayer to Overcome Sadness" | Boohwal | YouTube |

## Stage
### Musical theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Theater | Date | Notes |
| 2000 | Blood Brothers | Beggar(Narrator) | Hagjeon Blue Small Theater | August 29 – December 31 | |
| 2001 | The Last Empress | Gojong | Seoul Arts Center | January 12 – July 7 | |
| 2001 | Subway Line 1 | Newsboy | Hagjeon Green Small Theater | April 27 – June 17 | |
| 2002 | The Sorrows of Young Werther | Werther | Sejong Center for the Performing Arts | 2002.02.08–2002.03.24 | |
| 2003 | Carmen | Don José | Universal Arts Center | 2003.07.11–2003.07.27 | |
| 2004–2005 | Jekyll & Hyde | Jekyll/Hyde | COEX Auditorium | 2004.07.25–2004.08.21 2004.12.24—2005.02.14 | |
| 2005 | Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Hedwig/Tommy | Daehangno Live Theater | 2005.04.12–2005.06.26 | |
| 2006 | Jekyll & Hyde | Jekyll/Hyde | Seoul Arts Center National Theater of Korea | 2006.01.25–2006.08.13 | |
| 2006 | Subway Line 1 | Salesperson | Hagjeon Green Small Theater | 2006.03.28 | Cameo |
| 2007 | Rent | Roger Davis | Daehangno Seensee Musical Theater | 2007.01.07–2007.02.14 | |
| 2007 | Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Hedwig/Tommy | Daehangno Theater SH | 2007.03.30~2007.05.13 | |
| 2007 | Man of La Mancha | Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote | LG Art Center | 2007.08.03–2007.09.01 | |
| 2007 | Pump Boys and Dinettes | Delivery man | Daehangno Art Cente | 2007.09.15 | Cameo |
| 2010–2011 | Jekyll & Hyde | Jekyll/Hyde | Charlotte Theater | 2010.11.30–2011.05.07 | |
| 2011 | Subway Line 1 | Singer | Hagjeon Blue Small Theater | 03.10, 03.13, 03.14 | Cameo |
| 2011 | Blood Brothers | Beggar(Narrator) | Hagjeon Blue Small Theater | 03.10, 03.13, 03.14 | Cameo |
| 2011–2012 | Zorro | Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro | Samsung Electronics Hall | 2011.11.04–2012.01.15 | |
| 2012 | Doctor Zhivago | Yuri Zhivago | Charlotte Theater | 2012.02.14–2012.06.03 | |
| 2013 | Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Hedwig/Tommy | Baekam Art Hall | 2013.06.08–2013.09.08 | |
| 2013–2014 | Man of La Mancha | Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote | Chungmu Art Hall | 2013.11.20–2014.02.09 | |
| 2014 | Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Hedwig/Tommy | Baekam Art Hall | 2014.05.13–2014.10.19 | 10th Anniversary |
| 2014–2015 | Jekyll & Hyde | Jekyll/Hyde | Samsung Electronics Hall | 2014.11.21–2015.06.14 | 10th Anniversary |
| 2015 | Man of La Mancha | Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote | D Cube Art Center | 2015.07.30–2015.11.01 | 10th Anniversary |
| 2015–2016 | Werther | Werther | Seoul Arts Center | 2015.11.10–2016.01.10 | 15th Anniversary |
| 2016 | Hedwig: New Makeup | Hedwig/Tommy | Hongik University Daehangno Art Center | 2016.03.01–2016.04.24 | |
| 2016 | Sweeney Todd | Sweeney Todd | Charlotte Theater | 2016.06.21–2016.10.03 | |
| 2018–2019 | Jekyll & Hyde | Jekyll/Hyde | Charlotte Theater | 2018.11.13–2019.05.18 | |
| 2019–2020 | Sweeney Todd | Sweeney Todd | Charlotte Theater | 2019.10.02–2020.01.26 | |
| 2021 | Man of La Mancha | Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote | Charlotte Theater Chungmu Arts Center | 2021.02.03–2021.05.15 | 15th Anniversary |
| 2021 | Hedwig and the Angry Inch | Hedwig/Tommy | Chungmu Arts Center | 2021.07.30–2021.10.31 | |
| 2023 | The Phantom of the Opera | The Phantom | Dream Theater Charlotte Theatre | 2023.03.25–2023.11.17 | |

### Musical Concerts

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2004 | Musical Story Show with Lee Seok-joon | Ep. 10 / Ep. 16 |
| 2004 | Autumn Night Concert | KT&G Family Concert with The Seoul Shinmun |
| 2005 | Hedwig and the Angry Inch Concert | |
| 2007 | Musical Story Show with Lee Seok-joon | Ep. 100 |
| 2008 | HEDWIG 10th Anniversary! Hedwig Concert with John Cameron Mitchell and Oh Man-seok | Cameo |
| 2008 | Musical Concert, I Am Nam Sam: 30th Anniversary of Nam Kyung-eup [ko]'s Musical Life | Cameo |
| 2009 | Korean National Police University Annual Concert For Public | |
| 2010 | Summer Night Concert | |

### Stage Play

| Year | Title | Role | Theater | Date | Notes |
| 2024 | Hamlet | Hamlet | CJ Towol Theater | October 18 – November 17 | |

## Discography

Soundtracks :
| Year | Song Title | Album | Notes |
| 2001 | "Ah-mi's Dream" | Ahmijimong [ko] OST | |
| 2002 | "Hyung-tae Live" "End" | Who Are U? [ko] OST | |
| 2002 | "H" | H OST | |
| 2008 | "We're Devils" "Mustang Sally" "Soul Man" "I've Been Loving You Too Long (to stop now)" "U Got Me Bad" "The Flame of Youth" "Proud Mary" "Funky Tone" "Land Of A 1000 Dances" "고고춤을 춥시다" "One Of A Kind" "새타령" "Mustang Sally (Twist ver)" | Go Go 70s OST | song by Cho Seung-woo and The Devils |
| 2012 | "The Peach Tree" | The Peach Tree OST | |
| 2015 | "As Flowers Bloom and Fall" | The Throne OST | |
| As featured artist ||||
| Year | Song Title | Album | Notes |
| 2004 | "The Way of the Blessing" "Think about it" | Come to me | Ha Kyung-hye's album |
| 2005 | "A Little Thing for You" | Lyrics | Boohwal's album |
| 2009 | "Standing on The Road" | Lee Young-mi 1st Single | Lee Young-mi's album |
| 2011 | "Standing on The Road" | Love Universe | Lee Young-mi's album |
| 2011 | "A Wonderful Saviour Is Jesus My Lord" | I Am Melody 2 | Various artists |
| Original Cast Recording ||||
| Year | Song Title | Album | Notes |
| 2002 | "어쩌나 이마음" "우리는 (with Chu Sang-mi)" "사랑하고 있다면 (with Choi Min-chul)" "뭐였을까" "무례와 사랑 (with Kim Pub-lae)" "제발 (with Chu Sang-mi)" | The Sorrows of Young Werther cast recording | |
| 2004 | "Lost In the Darkness" "Now there is no choice" "This is the moment" "First Transformation" "Alive" "The way back" | Jekyll & Hyde cast recording | |
| 2005 | "Tear Me Down" "Wig in a Box" "Angry Inch (with Kim Da-hyun, Oh Man-seok, Song Yong-jin)" | Hedwig and the Angry Inch cast recording | |
| 2006 | "Lost In the Darkness" "I must go on (with Lee Hye-kyung)" "Take me as I am (with Lee Hye-kyung)" "Now there is no choice" "This is the moment" "First Transformation" "Alive" "His work and nothing more (with Lee Hye-kyung, Kim Do-hyung, Kim Bong-hwan)" "Alive Rep." "Obsession" "Dangerous Game (with Kim Sun-young)" "The way back" "Sympathy, Tenderness Rep." "Confrontation" "Finale (with Lee Hye-kyung)" "Dangerous Game (with Lee Young-mi)" | Jekyll & Hyde cast recording | |
| 2006 | "Angry Inch (with Song Yong-jin, Kim Soo-yong, Um Ki-joon, Lee Suk-joon, Jo Jung-suk, Kim Da-hyun, Jeon Hye-seon, Ahn Yoo-jin)" "Midnight Radio" | Hedwig and the Angry Inch cast recording | |
| 2007 | "Man of La Mancha (with Lee Hoon-jin)" "Dulcinea" "Golden Helmet of Mambrino (with Lee Hoon-jin)" "The Impossible Dream" "Dulcinea Rep. / The Impossible Dream Rep. / Man of La Mancha Rep. (with Kim Sun-young, Lee Hoon-jin)" | Man of La Mancha cast recording | |
| 2013 | "Tear Me Down" "The Origin of Love" "Sugar Daddy" "Angry Inch" "Wig in a Box" "Wicked Little Town" "Hedwig's Lament" "Exquisite Corpse" "Wicked Little Town Rep." "Midnight Radio" "The Origin of Love (Acoustic ver)" | Hedwig and the Angry Inch cast recording | with Lee Young-mi and Angry Inch Band |
| 2015 | "어쩌나 이마음" "우리는 (with Jeon Mi-do)" "사랑을 전해요 (with Kang Seong-wook)" "두려워 말어" "하룻밤이 천년 (with Jeon Mi-do)" "반가운 나의 사랑 (with Jeon Mi-do, Moon Jong-won)" "발길을 뗄 수 없으면" "뭐였을까" "알 수가 없어 (with Moon Jong-won)" "번갯불에 쏘인 것처럼 (with Jeon Mi-do)" "꽃을 사세요" "오, 카인즈" "구원과 단죄 (with Moon Jong-won)" "다만 지나치지 않게 (with Jeon Mi-do)" "자석산의 전설 Rep. (with Jeon Mi-do)" "발길을 뗄 수 없으면 Rep." | Werther cast recording | |
| 2016 | "In Your Arms Tonight" "Tear Me Down" "The Origin of Love" "Scene: Hansel Meets Luther (East Berlin, 1988)" "Sugar Daddy" "Angry Inch" "Wig in a Box" "Wicked Little Town" "Hedwig's Lament" "Exquisite Corpse" "Wicked Little Town Rep." "Midnight Radio" "The Origin of Love (Acoustic ver)" | Hedwig: New Make Up Live Album | with Seomoon Tak and Angry Inch Band |