Nam Myeong-ryeol

Nam Myeong-ryeol (Korean: 남명렬, born May 14, 1959) is a highly regarded South Korean actor in the fields of film, theater, and television. He embarked on his stage career in 1978 and has since made notable appearances in various Korean theatrical productions, films, and TV shows.
Nam has established himself as a prominent figure in the South Korean theater industry and has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. In 2014, he was honored with the acting award at the 50th Dong-A Theater Awards for his outstanding performance in the play "Alibi Chronicles." Additionally, in the 2020 South Korean Culture Day, Nam was granted a presidential commendation in the Korean Culture and Arts Award by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
In 2022, Nam Myung-ryeol, renowned for his involvement in over 140 plays spanning over 30 years, was selected as the recipient of the 32nd Lee Hae-rang Theater Award, a significant recognition in the Korean theater landscape. Among his most memorable works in his acting career are "Mask of Fire - Form of Power," "Birds Calling My Name," "Journey with Edipus," and "Alibi Chronicles." He is widely regarded as strong pillar that firmly protects the theater world.
Nam Myeong-ryeol was born on May 14, 1959, in Daejeon as the second child among four siblings. He has an older sister, as well as a younger brother and sister. He grew up in Daejeon and graduated from Daejeon Elementary School, Dongmyeong Middle School, and Bomun High School. His acceptance into the Agricultural Department at Chungnam National University was solely determined by his academic performance. During his freshman year at university in 1978, Nam had his first experience of watching a play. It was a theater class performance called 'Hwando and Reese' at his university. Intrigued by the production, he joined the theater team shortly thereafter, driven by a simple curiosity and the belief that it would be an enjoyable endeavor.
He perform in February of the following year. It was a 4th grade graduation performance. During his fourth year of university, Nam adapted Lee Mun-yeol's 'Son of a Man' and submitted it to the National University Theater Festival. He portrayed the main character, Min Yo-seop, and the play achieved a notable level of quality for a Korean production. Renowned judges, such as Yoo Min-young and the late Cha Beom-seok, attended the regional screening of the College Theater Festival. The performance gained attention and was even broadcast on MBC in Daejeon. A local theater company filmed and edited the graduation performance to create a special program for broadcast.
Right after graduating from college in 1985, Nam appeared in playwright Jeong Ha-yeon's play Water Bird, Water Bird at Dongin Theater in Daejeon. In the same year in spring, he applied to Ildong Pharmaceutical and was hired in the sales department. He spent five years working in Daejeon and his final year was in Seoul. During his time in Daejeon, he also worked in a theater company two years after become sales. He even created an 'actor study group' with his friends and later founded his own theater company called 'Geumgang', where he served as its representative for two years.
In 1991, Nam quit his job as a salesperson at a pharmaceutical company after working for six years. Nam admitted that his decision was quite reckless because he was married with two kids. He didn't quit his sales job to do theater, but he searched for something fun, and the conclusion he arrived at was theater.
His first play as a full-time actor was a reprisal of his role in 'Son of Man' in 1991. In 1992, he was cast as a guest performer in a theater company other than his own, in an experimental play called 'Mask of Fire' that portrayed the immorality and futility of power. At the time, the head of the theater company and director, Chae Yoon-il, knew each other well and asked Nam if he would be interested in performing the play in Seoul. Despite not being able to offer any guarantees or cover lodging costs, Chae Yoon-il liked Nam's work and hoped to work with him in Seoul. Nam saw this as an opportunity to advance his career and eagerly accepted. He moved permanently to Seoul when he turned 35 in Korean age, and his debut in Seoul with 'Mask of Fire' was a turning point for him.
Encountering the next work 'Birds Cry Calling My Name' marked a pivotal moment for Nam to pursue his artistic career in Seoul.
In 1995 Nam did Kim A-ra's play Journey with Oedipus. Nam portrayed the character Jocasta, who was the mother of Oedipus and later became his wife. This role helped him establish himself as a theater actor in Daehangno and brought him fame. It was the first play for which he received a fan letter, which he fondly remembers with a smile. Nam mentioned that this work made him aware of the infinite possibilities of theater.
In 1996, Nam performed with Park Ji-il in play Sad Song of Sorrow. This work dramatised Jeong Chan's Dongin Literary Award-winning novel.
Park Ji-il is a young man from the airborne unit who works as a theatre actor in Poland, 'Park Un-hyung', and Nam Myung-ryeol appears as a reporter and novelist 'Yoo Sung-gyun' who arrived in Poland to interview musician Henrik Kuretsky.
In 1997, Nam made his debut in Chungmuro with minor roles in 'Ji Sang Manga' and 'One Eight Eight Arms'. The following year, he had a small role in director Im Sang-soo's debut film 'Girls' Dinner', and also his first supporting role in director Kang Je-gyu's 'Shiri' (1998). In recent years, he has been more prominent in the film industry. He played a supporting role in 'The Whistleblower' (2014), and in 2016, he took on his first lead role in the low-budget independent film 'My House', which was invited to the 17th Jeonju International Film Festival's Cinemascape Division. Over the past year, he has appeared in significant supporting roles in 'The King', 'Silence', 'Memorial Night', and this year's 'The Detective: Returns'. He has also been more active in dramas lately. Despite being a well-known actor in the theater world, he seems to be focusing on supporting roles in movies without any sense of despair. Based on his recent performances, it appears that he is content with his current trajectory.
It took several years for him to gain recognition as an actor. The early 2000s were a particularly unstable time for him. Financial difficulties and the mental stress of wondering whether he would be able to perform on stage added to his anxiety. Despite the challenges, he persevered and continued to make choices as an actor, knowing that there was always the possibility of losing his relevance in the industry.
In 2012, he played the role of Thomas Stockman, a doctor who fights against collective egoism in Daejeon Arts Center's play Enemy of the People.
In 2013, he won the acting award at the 50th Dong-A Theater Awards for his play 'Alibi Chronicles'.
He is participating as a writer for 'Flower Shop', a newsletter published by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture's Seoul Theater Center, where theater performers leave short reviews on plays. Since 2017, he has also been a member of the jury for the theater section of the 'Edaily Culture Awards'.