# Ryu Seung-ryong

Ryu Seung-ryong (Korean: 류승룡; born November 29, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Ryu began his acting career in theater, subsequently becoming one of the most versatile supporting actors in Korean film and television. He gained recognition by starring in the films War of the Arrows (2011), All About My Wife (2012), Masquerade (2012), Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2013), and The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014), with the latter being the highest-grossing film in South Korea. For his performance in Miracle in Cell No. 7, Ryu won the Grand Prize at the 49th Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2019, he headlined the comedy film Extreme Job, which is currently the second highest-grossing film of all time in South Korea. Ryu is the first Korean to star in four movies that have drawn over 10 million viewers each.
In television, his notable works include Painter of the Wind (2008), Personal Taste (2010), Kingdom (2019–2020), and Moving (2023). He is currently an adjunct professor in the department of acting arts at Seoul Arts College.

## Early life and education

Ryu Seung-ryong was born on November 29, 1970 in Seoul. He spent part of his childhood in his father's hometown at Seocheon County, South Chungcheong Province. He became interested in acting after watching the play Faust, starring Kim Jin-tae, during his third year of middle school. His parents, despite financial difficulties, made an effort to show him a few good performances each year. He then enrolled at Pungsaeng High School [ko]. Initially, he faced some bullying due to his rebellious nature, but found solace in the school's drama club. His experience in drama training reinforced his ambition to become an actor. In 1986, he made his acting debut in a musical. Despite his active involvement in theater, he also excelled academically, serving as the class president, ranking third in his class, and consistently placing in the top 50 students in the school.
He later enrolled in the Theatre Department at the Seoul Institute of the Arts in 1990. During his time there, he studied alongside classmates such as Ahn Jae-wook, Jung Jae-young, Lee Hae-young, Hwang Jung-min, and Im Won-hee. Ryu's graduation project work called Road where He played the main character. Ryu's graduation project, titled "Road," featured him as the main character. His classmates Hwang Jung-min, Jung Jae-young, Im Won-hee, and Jang Jin, who was one year his senior in college, also took part in the project. The play was created by Professor Kang Man-hong, known for the avant-garde production "Kka." Ryu successfully completed his studies and obtained a bachelor's degree in Theatre.

## Career
### 1998–2003: Early career as a theater and musical actor, non-verbal performance Nanta

After graduating, Ryu joined the Dongrang Theater Company. He did ensemble acting in several large-scale musicals. Ryu worked various part-time jobs to make a living and gain life experiences, including delivering pig's feet, interior decorating, carrying cabbage at Garak Market, and car washing. He would bring paper kites to Jeju Island, have newlyweds write wishes on them and fly them, then charge 30,000 won to take a Polaroid photo as the kite flew away. This method allowed him to make around 3 million won per day. With Yoo Hae-jin, he also worked part-time at a bidet assembly factory in Jocheon.
The first turning point in his life came in 1997 in New York, USA. He and Yoo Hae-jin shaved their head to perform the avant-garde play Duta (The Road to Gudo) by Professor Kang Man-hong at the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York. They had to pay for their tickets and accommodation. The performances they saw in New York were happening shows like Stomp, Blue Man Group, and Tube. He wondered why South Korea didn't have such performances and why all their plays seemed to aim at giving didactic lessons.
In October 1997, Ryu watched the premiere of the non-verbal performance Nanta at Hoam Art Hall. The show was produced by PMC Production under co-CEOs Song Seung-hwan and Lee Kwang-ho. At that time, auditions to select the first members of Nanta were being held. Impressed by the performance, Ryu auditioned and became a substitute member. Eventually, he became a core member of Nanta in 1998. He met founding members Kim Moon-soo and Kim Won-hae, who had joined the group in previous years, and later Jang Hyuk-jin joined as well. These actors formed the core of Nanta, practicing and performing across Korea and the world. The show gained immense popularity and holds the record for the longest-running open run performance in Korea.
After participating in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999, Nanta toured over 20 countries around the world, including Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, and North America, and has recorded an audience occupancy rate of over 90% to date. It continues to attract 70% of foreign tourists and was gaining great popularity.
Nanta was the first performance in Korea to introduce the concept of a dedicated theater. PMC Production opened a 300-seat theater in Gangbuk in Jeong-dong in 2000, followed by another 300-seat theater in Gangnam in Cheongdam-dong in 2002. By 2003, PMC were operating seven theaters.
In 2002, they made their debut in New York, USA, with a performance on Broadway and an appearance on NBC's Today Show in 2002, predating Psy. Ryu's dedication to Nanta for five years stemmed from his unique mix of ambition and detachment. "I had dreams of performing on Broadway. Nanta is a top-tier show, akin to how actors aspire to work in Hollywood. I eventually left because I felt like a mute without any lines."
After leaving Nanta, Ryu returned to work with director Jang Jin. Prior, due to Nanta, Ryu declined a script from Director Jang Jin for a play called Heotang. They reunited for the play "Welcome to Dongmakgol," performed at the LG Art Center in December 2002. Despite feeling that he had only regained about 70% of his original linguistic sensitivity after appearing in that play, his acting skills shone through.

### 2004–2018: Screen debut and became part of Jang Jin's muses

Ryu then made his film debut in Jang Jin's film Someone Special (2004) as a bank robber. He then acted in Jang Jin's environmental short film Has the Rain Stopped? In this film, he appeared as a slow-speaking farmer from Jeolla province with a sagging belly, delivering a reliable performance as a father who, though disdainful of his son's first love, still embraced him.
He then appeared as a rival as prosecutor Seong-jun, a colleague of Choi Yoon-gi (Cha Seung-won) in Jang Jin's film Murder, Take One [ko] (2005). Although he did not have a scene entirely his own, his low voice and smooth manner of speaking left a distinct impression.
Another Jang Jin's short film Someone Grateful [ko] screened at 2005 Jeonju Film Festival, showcased him as a mature actor. In this film, he played a contractual torture technician, portraying a middle-aged worker permeated with fatigue, unable to receive proper overtime pay despite working overnight shifts. His potential as actor were noticed in this his third film with director Jang Jin's short film.
In September 2005, he was rehearsing for the play Death of a Salesman, directed by Jang Jin.
In 2006, he appeared in Jang Jin's Righteous Ties.
Ryu then appeared in a series of director Jang's films, including 'Good Morning President' (2009), and 'Quiz Show' (2010), making a solid impression on Chungmuro. And then, he became the 'main star of Chungmuro' by successfully producing 'The Bow of Arrows' (2011), 'All About My Wife' (2012), and 'Gwanghae: The Man Who Became King' (2012).
He has since become one of the most versatile and dependable character actors in Korea. A sampling of the various roles he has played over the years: a mentally handicapped father in Miracle in Cell No. 7, the royal adviser Heo Gyun in Masquerade, an officer of the North Korean People's Army in The Front Line, a hard-nosed general of the Qing Dynasty in War of the Arrows, a ladies' man in All About My Wife, a gambling husband who fears his wife in The Quiz Show Scandal, a refined gay man in Personal Taste, a vengeful gangster in Secret, a reporter on the trail of a story in The Recipe, and the titular figure in The Piper.

### 2019–Present: Second career heyday

In 2017, Ryu was cast in Kim Eun-hee's Netflix period zombie thriller Kingdom. In the series, Ryu plays the role of Lord Cho Hak-ju (seasons 1–2), the Chief State Councilor of Joseon who is the head of the Haewon Cho clan and Lee Chang's political rival. He is the father of Queen Consort Cho and Cho Beom-il, and the uncle of Cho Beom-pal. A cold, ruthless leader, he is desperate to secure his power over the throne through Queen Cho's unborn child who he seeks to make heir to the throne in place of Lee Chang. The series premiered on January 25, 2019.
In 2019, Ryu starred in the comedy film Extreme Job which became the 2nd highest-grossing film of all time in South Korea.
Ryu was contacted by director Park In-je, with whom he had previously collaborated on season 2 of the Netflix series Kingdom, to join the series Moving. This action-packed fantasy sci-fi television series is written by Kang Full and co-directed by Park In-je and Park Yoon-seo. The show features an ensemble cast including Ryu Seung-ryong, Han Hyo-joo, Zo In-sung, Cha Tae-hyun, Ryoo Seung-bum, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Jung-ha, Go Youn-jung, and Kim Do-hoon. Based on Kang's webtoon of the same name, the series is a supernatural drama that follows three high school students and their parents as they discover their superpowers. In the series, Ryu plays the role of Jang Ju-won, Hui-soo's father who runs a fried chicken shop. He possesses healing abilities and superhuman strength, although he is still susceptible to pain. Jang Ju-won is a former gangster and ex-ANSP agent with the code name Guryongpo, who used to be Doo-sik's partner during their time in the ANSP.
It was released from August 9, to September 20, 2023. After seven days of availability, it became the most watched Korean original series on Disney+ globally and Hulu in the United States, based on hours streamed.
Ryu is back with the Netflix series Chicken Nugget alongside Ahn Jae-hong. In the series, Ryu plays the role of Choi Seon-man, the president of More Than Machines. The plot involves Choi's daughter, Min-ah (Kim Yoo-jung), turning into a chicken nugget, and Choi's quest to turn his daughter back into a human.

## Other ventures
### Endorsements

Following the success of "All About My Wife," Ryu Seung-ryong became a sought-after endorser for brands like Samsung Life Insurance, Kumon Learning Center, and SK Telecom. His endorsement deals were finalized just before the release of "Miracle in Cell No. 7," and the timing of the commercials airing alongside the film's screening was beneficial for the advertisers. Samsung Life Insurance noted an increase in advertising interest after the movie reached 10 million views. SK Telecom experienced a surge in sales after airing the commercial, making it the top-selling new product in March. The 1 minute and 30-second YouTube version of the commercial was nearing 1 million views.
Following the success of 2014 historical film The Admiral: Roaring Currents, Ryu Seung-ryong starred in The Baedal Minjok advertisement with the slogan 'What kind of nation are we'. As a leading actor, he won multiple advertising awards this year. His commercials ranged from cinematic broadcast ads to clever outdoor campaigns, strategically placed in relevant locations.
Chicken franchise BBQ 's Paris Chicken is gaining huge popularity, with sales increasing by 500% thanks to the popularity of Ryu Seung-ryong's CF. Ryu Seung-ryong was recognized as the Advertising Model of the Year at the 2014 Korea Advertising Awards.
In April 2024, Home Chicken SASE (CEO Kim Gwang-seon) announced that it has selected actor Ryu Seung-ryong as its new brand model and was launching a campaign.

### Philanthropy

In 2015, Ryu donated 10 million won to support the independent film The Claws of the Five Generals, an adaptation of an award-winning play. The film's production costs were raised through citizen participation, and it is currently in production. Ryu, known for his interest in performances and independent cinema, decided to contribute to the project after learning about it.
On September 3, 2020, Ryu and Park Jin-hee lent their talents to a climate crisis campaign for Greenpeace. They both narrated the organization's TV commercial.

## Personal life

Ryu's wife is from Kwon clan, has two sons, Ryu Kang and Ryu Geon. In 2014, they appeared in MBC entertainment program Sunday Night - Where Are We Going, Dad. Their family is Christian. They read the Bible together every evening.
Ryu is very good at skills such as bloodletting, wooden sword, swimming, and singing. He is also skilled in woodworking and can even make simple furniture.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | Someone Special | Robber 1 | Bit part |
| 2005 | Murder, Take One | Sung-joon | |
| 2006 | If You Were Me 2 | Kim Joo-joong | Short film |
| 2006 | Righteous Ties | Jung Soon-tan | |
| 2006 | Cruel Winter Blues | Lee Min-jae | |
| 2007 | Beyond the Years | Yong-taek | |
| 2007 | Hwang Jin-yi | Hee-yeol | |
| 2007 | Eleventh Mom | Jae-soo's father | |
| 2007 | My Love | Jeong-seok | |
| 2009 | My Girlfriend Is an Agent | Won-seok | |
| 2009 | Possessed | Detective Tae-hwan | |
| 2009 | Good Morning President | North Korean emissary | Cameo |
| 2009 | Secret | "Jackal" | |
| 2010 | Bestseller | Park Young-joon | |
| 2010 | Blades of Blood | Nobleman Jung | |
| 2010 | The Quiz Show Scandal | Kim Sang-do | |
| 2010 | The Recipe | Choi Yoo-jin | |
| 2011 | Battlefield Heroes | Yeon Nam-geon | |
| 2011 | Children... | Hwang Woo-hyuk | |
| 2011 | The Front Line | Hyeon Jeong-yoon | |
| 2011 | War of the Arrows | Jyuushinta | |
| 2012 | All About My Wife | Jang Sung-ki | |
| 2012 | Masquerade | Heo Gyun | |
| 2013 | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Lee Yong-gu | |
| 2014 | The Target | Baek Yeo-hoon | |
| 2014 | The Admiral: Roaring Currents | Kurushima Michifusa | |
| 2015 | The Piper | Woo-ryong | |
| 2015 | The Sound of a Flower | Shin Jae-hyo | |
| 2018 | Psychokinesis | Suk-hun | |
| 2018 | Seven Years of Night | Hyun-soo | |
| 2019 | Extreme Job | Squad Chief Go | |
| 2021 | What Happened to Mr. Cha? | Himself | Cameo |
| 2021 | The Book of Fish | Doctor | Cameo |
| 2021 | Perhaps Love | Kim Hyun | |
| 2022 | Life Is Beautiful | Kang Jin-bong | |
| 2022 | 20th Century Girl | Woon-ho's father | Voice cameo |
| 2024 | Amazon Bullseye | Cho Jin-bong | |
| TBA | Portrait of a Family | Jung-goo | |
| TBA | Jung's Ranch | Man-soo | |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1998 | Shadows of an Old Love | Sinawe | |
| 2000 | Foolish Love | | |
| 2005 | Diamond Tears [ko] | | |
| 2007 | Chosun Police 1 [ko] | Kang Seung-jo | |
| 2008 | Mystery X-Files | | |
| 2008 | U-Turn | Yong | |
| 2008 | Painter of the Wind | Kim Jo-nyeon | |
| 2009 | IRIS | Leader of IRIS mercenaries | |
| 2010 | Personal Taste | Choi Do-bin | |
| 2014 | My Love from the Star | Heo Gyun | Cameo (Episode 19) |
| 2021 | Jirisan | Narrator | Cameo (Episode 1) |
| 2023 | The Good Bad Mother | a tailor | Cameo (Episode 13) |

### Web series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2019–2020 | Kingdom | Lord Cho Hak-ju | Season 1–2 |
| 2023 | Moving | Jang Joo-won | |
| 2024 | Chicken Nugget | Choi Seon-man | |
| 2025 | Low Life | TBA | |

### Music video appearances

| Year | Song Title | Artist |
| 2004 | "Close Your Eyes Quietly" | Jaewook Jeong |
| 2005 | "Are you happy?" | Kim Jang-hoon |
| 2005 | "Snowman" | Gabi NJ |
| 2009 | "Sign" | Brown Eyed Girls |
| 2021 | "Keep your head up" (네가 아는 너) | Lee Dong-hwi |

## Stage
### Musical

Musical play performances :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Theater | Date | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Theater | Date | Ref. |
| | Jang Bogo | 장보고 | Jang Bogo | | | |
| 1998 | Nanta | 난타 | Head Chef | Dongsung Art Center Dongsung Hall | March 26 to May 3 | |
| 1999 | Nanta | 난타 | Head Chef | Myeongdong Jeongdong Theater (foundation) | May 10 | |
| 1999 | Nanta | 난타 | Head Chef | Edinburgh Festival Fringe | August 15 to September 4 | |
| 2000 | 12th Geochang International Theatre Festival: Nanta | (제12회) 거창국제연극제; 난타 | Head Chef | Suseungdae Outdoor Theater | August 4 | |
| 2000–2006 | Nanta | 난타 | Head Chef | PMC Nanta Theater | Open Run (2000–2006) | |

### Theater

Teater play performances of Ryu :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Venue | Date | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Venue | Date | Ref. |
| 1998 | The Reason She is Beautiful | 그 여자가 아름다운 이유 | | Donrang Theater Ensemble | June 3 to 15 | |
| 2002 | Welcome to Dongmakgol | 웰컴 투 동막골 | Villager | LG Arts Center in Yeoksam-dong | December 14 to 29 | |
| 2004 | Taxi Driver | 택시 드리벌 | Taxi passenger | Arts Center Small Theater | Jul 16 to Aug 29 | |
| 2006 | Death of a Salesman | 세일즈맨의 죽음 | | Namsan Drama Center | September 29 to October 14 | |
| 2007–2008 | Clumsy People | 서툰 사람들 - 장진이 만든 코믹소란극 | Jang Deok-bae | Dongsung Art Centre Small Theatre | Dec 7 to Mar 16 | |

## Accolades
### Awards and nominations

Sortable table of awards and nominations :
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2007 | 6th Korean Film Awards | Best New Actor | Hwang Jin-yi | Nominated |
| 2008 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Special | Painter of the Wind | Nominated |
| 2010 | 7th Max Movie Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Secret | Nominated |
| 2010 | 31st Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Secret | Nominated |
| 2011 | 20th Buil Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | War of the Arrows | Nominated |
| 2011 | 32nd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | War of the Arrows | Won |
| 2011 | 19th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Film | War of the Arrows | Won |
| 2012 | Seoul Art College | SAC Art Award | Ryu Seung-ryong | Won |
| 2012 | 21st Buil Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | All About My Wife | Nominated |
| 2012 | 49th Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Masquerade | Won |
| 2012 | 49th Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actor | All About My Wife | Nominated |
| 2012 | 33rd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | All About My Wife | Won |
| 2012 | KBS Entertainment Weekly | Best Star of 2012 | Ryu Seung-ryong | Won |
| 2013 | 4th KOFRA Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | All About My Wife | Won |
| 2013 | 49th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Supporting Actor (Film) | All About My Wife | Nominated |
| 2013 | 49th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Nominated |
| 2013 | 49th Baeksang Arts Awards | Grand Prize (Film) | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Won |
| 2013 | 7th Mnet 20's Choice Awards | 20's Movie Star - Male | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Won |
| 2013 | 22nd Buil Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Masquerade | Won |
| 2013 | 50th Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Won |
| 2013 | 34th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Nominated |
| 2013 | 21st Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards | Grand Prize (Film) | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Won |
| 2013 | Korean Film Actors Association | Movie Top Star Award | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Won |
| 2013 | 33rd Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Nominated |
| 2014 | 9th Max Movie Awards | Best Actor | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Nominated |
| 2014 | 2014 Korea Advertising Awards | Best Model Award | Ryu Seung-ryong | Won |
| 2015 | 10th Max Movie Awards | Best Supporting Actor | The Admiral: Roaring Currents | Nominated |
| 2019 | 55th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Extreme Job | Nominated |
| 2019 | 24th Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actor | Extreme Job | Nominated |
| 2019 | 28th Buil Film Awards | Best Actor | Extreme Job | Nominated |
| 2019 | 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | Extreme Job | Nominated |
| 2019 | 8th Korea Best Star Award (Korean Film Actors Association) | Best Actor | Extreme Job | Won |
| 2019 | 19th Director's Cut Awards | Male Actor of the Year | Extreme Job | Nominated |
| 2022 | 21st New York Asian Film Festival | Best from the East Award | Perhaps Love | Won |
| 2022 | 42nd Golden Cinematography Awards | Cinematographers' Choice Popularity Award | Perhaps Love | Won |
| 2022 | 58th Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Life Is Beautiful | Nominated |
| 2023 | Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards | Best Lead Actor | Moving | Won |
| 2023 | 59th Grand Bell Awards | Best Series Actor | Moving | Nominated |
| 2023 | 8th Dong-A.com's PICK | 'Moving' from 'Cell No.7' | Ryu Seung-ryong | Won |
| 2023 | 9th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Moving | Won |
| 2024 | CJ ENM Visionary Awards | 2024 Visionary | Ryu Seung-ryong | Won |
| 2024 | 60th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor – Television | Moving | Nominated |
| 2024 | 60th Baeksang Arts Awards | Most Popular Actor | Ryu Seung-ryong | Nominated |
| 2024 | 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards | Best Actor | Moving | Nominated |

### State honors

Name of country, year given, and name of honor :
| Country | Ceremony | Year | Honor Or Award | Ref. |
| South Korea | Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards | 2012 | Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation | |

### Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement :
| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
| Forbes | 2013 | Korea Power Celebrity 40 | 34th | |
| The Screen | 2019 | 2009–2009 Top Box Office Powerhouse Actors in Korean Movies | 4th | |