# Ahn Jae-wook

Ahn Jae-wook (Korean: 안재욱; born October 30, 1971) is a South Korean actor and singer.

## Career

Ahn Jae-wook spent most of his childhood in his hometown, the district of Donam-dong in Seoul, before graduating from Seoul Institute of the Arts, where he majored in theater. After graduating in 1994, Ahn made his acting debut in Song of a Blind Bird, which was based on a real-life story, followed by supporting roles in several 1995–96 television series such as Hotel and Their Embrace. In 1997 he and costar Choi Jin-sil shot to stardom in the highly popular trendy drama Star in My Heart, which reached ratings of over 49%. It not only ignited trends in hairstyle, fashion and products featured in the series, Ahn also became a Korean Wave star, extending his popularity to China, Japan and Southeast Asian countries.
Star in My Heart likewise kick-started Ahn's music career. Forever, which was featured in the series' ending during the concert of his character Kang Min, sold over 700,000 copies, and became the title song of his debut album. He continued to compose and sing over the years, holding numerous concerts in Japan and China, and releasing albums such as Memories and Reds in Ahn Jae-wook.
In 1998, he played lead roles in three films – Rub Love with Lee Ji-eun, Tie a Yellow Ribbon with Kim Hye-soo, and First Kiss with Choi Ji-woo—but did not meet with box office success despite his popularity at the time. He also starred in Garden of Heaven with Lee Eun-ju in 2003, and the Korea-Japan telecinema project Triangle in 2009.
Instead, Ahn focused on the small screen, appearing in over 10 television series from the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s. Among these were Goodbye My Love with Kim Hee-sun, Oh Pil-seung and Bong Soon-young (also known as Oh Feel Young) with Chae Rim, and I Love You (also known as Saranghae) with Seo Ji-hye.
As he entered his forties and his matinee idol status gave way to younger actors, Ahn returned to his stage roots. He played Daniel in Jack the Ripper (a Korean adaptation of the Czech musical Jack Rozparovač [cs]) from 2009 to 2011, then reprised the role in the musical's run in Tokyo, Japan in 2012.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of broadcaster MBC, Ahn headlined Lights and Shadows in 2011. The sprawling drama, which spotlights Korean show business against the backdrop of history in the 1960s to the 1980s, was number one in its timeslot for 20 consecutive weeks.
Ahn then played the title role in the 2012 Korean staging of Rudolf, a musical about the 1889 Mayerling Incident involving the Crown Prince of Austria.
In February 2013 Ahn underwent brain surgery in the U.S. for a subarachnoid hemorrhage. After resting for a year, Ahn returned to work in April 2014 via the musical Le Roi Soleil. He celebrated his 20th anniversary in entertainment by holding a concert titled One Fine Day in October 2014.
In September 2017, It was confirmed that Ahn will be a fixed cast member in Netflix's variety show Busted!. Ahn's involvement in a drunk driving incident in February 2019 caused him to be omitted in the promotions of Busted's second season - including removal from the opening credits and promotional posters, as well as to skip the already-scheduled musical "Hero".

## Personal life

Ahn married musical theatre actress Choi Hyun-joo on June 1, 2015. The couple met in 2014 when they were cast as lovers in the stage musical Rudolf. The couple have a daughter and a son.

## Filmography
### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Traveler in Heaven | | |
| 1994 | Song of a Blind Bird | Kang Young Woo | |
| 1994–1997 | Partner | Oh Min Soo | |
| 1995 | Make A Song | | |
| 1995 | Hotel | Yeong Pal | |
| 1995 | Love and War | | |
| 1996 | Their Embrace | Ji Yun Woo | |
| 1996 | Salted Mackerel | Sang Woo | |
| 1997 | Star in My Heart | Kang Min Hee | |
| 1997–1998 | Revenge and Passion | Kang Joon Ho | |
| 1998–1999 | Sunflower | Dr. Jang Hyun Woo | |
| 1999 | Goodbye My Love | Chang Min Soo | |
| 2000 | Bad Friends | Kim Kang Seok | |
| 2000–2001 | Mothers and Sisters | Kong Su Chul | |
| 2003 | The Fairy and The Swindler | Jung Jae Kyung | |
| 2004 | Match Made in Heaven | Kim Suk Koo | |
| 2004 | Oh Feel Young | Oh Pil Seung | |
| 2006 | Mr. Goodbye | Yoon Hyun Suh | |
| 2008 | I Love You | Suk Chul Soo | |
| 2011–2012 | Lights and Shadows | Kang Ki Tae | |
| 2012 | Faith | Eun Soo's ex-boyfriend | ep 1 cameo |
| 2016 | Five Enough | Lee Sang Tae | |
| 2021 | Mouse | Han Seo-joon | |
| 2022 | The Driver | Ha Tae-joon | |
| 2022 | The Empire | Na Geun-woo | |
| 2023 | Not Others | Jin-hong | |
| 2025 | For Eagle Brothers | Han Dong-seok | |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1998 | Rub Love | Jo Han |
| 1998 | Tie a Yellow Ribbon | Joon Hyuk |
| 1998 | First Kiss | Han Kyeong Hyeon |
| 2003 | Garden of Heaven | Choi Oh Sung |
| 2009 | Triangle | Ryu Sang Woo |

### Variety show

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2017 | Pot Stand | Host | |
| 2018–2019 | Busted! | Cast member | Season 1–2 |
| 2023 | Oh Eun-young Game | judge | |

## Theater

* 1995: Baby
* 1996: 한평 반짜리 혁명
* 1997: Butterflies Are Free
* 1998: Guys and Dolls
* 2009: Jack the Ripper
* 2010: Jack the Ripper
* 2010: Rock of Ages
* 2011: Jack the Ripper
* 2012: Jack the Ripper
* 2012–2013: Rudolf
* 2014: Le Roi Soleil
* 2014–2015: Rudolf
* 2022–2023: Dracula as Dracula
* 2023: Harlan County as John

## Radio program

* 2007–2008: Mr. Radio (KBS Cool FM)

## Discography

| Album information | Track listing |
| Forever 1st album Released: April 24, 1997 | Track listing Prologue Forever 아침 고은 햇살 Don't go baby 어둠 그리고 그림자 방황 널 보낸 지금 Main The Piano Solo Forever (Bonus Track) |
| Memories 2nd album Released: April 17, 1998 | Track listing 이별 (Good Bye) 기댈 수 없는 세상 (Unreliable World) 天愛擊兒 (천애지아) (Memories) 가 (Go) Only You Tears 그런게 아냐 (It's Not Like That) 기약 (Promise) 지금은 냉전중 (In Cold War) 덫 (A Trap) |
| Yesterday 3rd album Released: November 1, 1999 | Track listing Goodbye Yesterday Please don't go away 인연 (Fate) 너 없는 내일 (Tomorrow Without You) 부탁 (Favor) Baddest Illusion 나의 너에게 (Me To You) Yesterday (Instrumental) |
| Reds in Ahn Jae-wook 4th album Released: March 17, 2003 | Track listing Dear... Pain Friend 시작 (Start) 벽 (Wall) 수호천사 (Guardian Angel) Blessing 배신 (Betrayal) 넌 또다른 나 (Me Other Than You) 모래시계 (Sand Glass) 떠나지마 (Don't Leave) Never Ever 변명 (Alias) 자유 (Freedom) |
| 사랑,이별 그리고... Track from Garden of Heaven OST Released: April 8, 2003 | Track listing 14. 사랑,이별 그리고... – Ahn Jae-wook |
| Sounds Like You 5th album Released: November 11, 2005 | Track listing Scene No. 1 ‘They...’ 혼잣말 두루루 (타이틀곡) 너를 사랑하던 말해줘 Scene No. 2 ‘Time that we spent’ 못잊어 반지 사랑은 아프다 Her Smile(Instrumental) 뒷모습 세상을 가진 것처럼... 바람 너를 닮아서 |
| 사랑의 향기는 설레임을 타고 온다 Track from All That Love Released: March 2, 2006 | Track listing 12. 사랑의 향기는 설레임을 타고 온다 – Lim Hyun-jung feat. Ahn Jae-wook |
| 그녀에게 EP Released: April 1, 2008 | Track listing 이별인건지 (Radio Ver.) 안녕 그녀는 이별인건지 (Original Ver.) 안녕 (MR) |
| Best Album Compilation album Released: December 18, 2008 | Track listing 혼잣말 두루루 나에게 너만큼 Yesterday Only You 언제나 너의 곁에서 상처 내가 사는 이유 친구 멋대로 맘대로 Good Bye 너를 닮아서 이별인건지 안녕 Forever |
| 사랑에 살다 EP Released: August 5, 2009 | Track listing 사랑이 사랑을 Breeze 화해 사랑을 보내고 Make Me Smile 사랑이 사랑을 (MR) 사랑을 보내고 (MR) |
| 청춘 Track from 다섯남자의 다섯번째 이야기 Released: January 13, 2010 | Track listing 01. 청춘 – Tin Tin Five feat. Ahn Jae-wook |
| Jack the Ripper Cast recording Released: August 9, 2010 | Track listing 07. 어쩌면 – Sonya, Ahn Jae-wook 12. 멈출 수 없어 – Ahn Jae-wook 17. 내가 바로 잭 – Shin Sung-woo, Ahn Jae-wook 23. 내가 바로 잭 – Choi Min-cheol, Ahn Jae-wook |
| At This Moment EP Released: March 28, 2012 | Track listing Best Friend 아직도 꿈꾸는 나를 그녀석 미워도 미워도 |
| 하늘아 제발 / 바람 Tracks from Lights and Shadows OST Released: July 6, 2012 | Track listing 03. 하늘아 제발 (Heaven, Please) – Ahn Jae-wook 09. 바람 (Wind) – Ahn Jae-wook |
| 너라는 하늘 Single Released: November 13, 2012 | Track listing 01. 너라는 하늘 (Saw the Sky) |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1994 | 13th MBC Drama Awards | Best New Actor | | Won |
| 1996 | 8th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor in TV | Love and War | Won |
| 1996 | 15th MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, actor | Love and War | Won |
| 1997 | KBS Song Festival | Top 10 Singers | — | Won |
| 1997 | KBS Song Festival | Best New Singer | — | Won |
| 1997 | 16th MBC Drama Awards | Best Couple Award with Choi Jin-sil | Star in My Heart | Won |
| 1997 | 16th MBC Drama Awards | Popularity Award | Star in My Heart | Won |
| 1998 | 19th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actor | Tie a Yellow Ribbon | Won |
| 2000 | 19th MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, actor | Bad Friends | Won |
| 2000 | 19th MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, actor | Mothers and Sisters | Won |
| 2001 | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Today's Young Artist Award | — | Won |
| 2004 | 18th KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, actor | Oh Feel Young | Won |
| 2004 | 18th KBS Drama Awards | Best Couple Award with Park Sun-young | Oh Feel Young | Won |
| 2004 | Grimae Awards | Best Actor | Oh Feel Young | Won |
| 2007 | 6th KBS Entertainment Awards | Best Radio DJ | Mr. Radio | Won |
| 2010 | Seoul Art and Culture Awards | World Star Award | — | Won |
| 2016 | 5th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | Five Enough | Won |
| 2016 | 30th KBS Drama Awards | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Five Enough | Nominated |
| 2016 | 30th KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, actor | Five Enough | Nominated |
| 2016 | 30th KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | Five Enough | Won |