Kim Joo-hun

Kim Joo-hun (Korean: 김주헌; Hanja: 金柱憲; born March 1, 1980) is a South Korean theater, television and film actor. He debuted in 2007 in play Gangster Number 1. He was a member of Alleyway Theater Company from 2009 until 2014. He is best known for his roles in the television series Encounter (2018), Dr. Romantic 2 (2020), It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020), Now, We Are Breaking Up (2021), Big Mouth (2022), and Castaway Diva (2023).
Kim was born on March 1, 1980, in Pohang, Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. He has an older sister. Initially, he pursued a major in sculpture at Hongik University College of Fine Arts. However, after completing his military service, his aspirations shifted towards acting, leading him to enroll in the acting department. Kim continued his education at the Seoul Institute of the Arts where he successfully earned a bachelor's degree in Theater and Film. Throughout his studies, he developed a stronger affinity for film classes, participating in only a handful of theater productions.
In 2007, Kim made his debut in the play Gangster No.1. The play delved into the story of a gangster's rise to power. It shed light on an era marked by intense competition and materialistic pursuits. The play was performed at Theater Tree and Water of Daehak-ro Art Theater, running from August 8 until September 30.
In 2008, Kim acted in the independent short black and white film A Matter of Principle [Ko]. It advanced to the finals of the Mise-en-Scène Short Film Festival and was screened at Yongsan CGV from June 26 to July 2, 2008.
While performing in a college play, Kim and fellow actor Shim Jae-hyun caught the attention of Professor Park Geun-hyung, a renowned professor of Seoul Institute of the Arts and the leader of Alleyway Theater Company. Professor Park invited them to one of his own play. This led to Kim being cast in the Korean production of Marat/Sade (2009) by playwright Peter Weiss, produced by the Seoul Theater Company and directed by Park Geun-hyung himself. As a result, Kim joined the Alleyway Theater Company as a member.
In 2013, as part of the 10th Anniversary Festival of Alleyway Theater Company, Kim delivered a remarkable portrayal of poet Yi Sang in the Korean two-hander play Raising the Sun in the Sky, written by playwright Kwon Tae and directed by Lee Eun-joon. This performance had a profound impact on Kim's theater career, earning him the Best Actor award at the 11th Two-hander Theater Festival. Subsequently, he took on a minor role in the feature film Way Back Home (2013), followed by The Con Artists (2014).
After leaving the Alleyway Theater Company in 2014, Kim took a hiatus from theater acting, during which he worked as a construction laborer to make ends meet. In 2015, Kim signed an exclusive contract with Urban Entertaintment. He accepted minor roles in various films, and subsequently appeared in Tazza: The Hidden Card (2015), Planck Constant (2015), The Accidental Detective (2015), A Violent Prosecutor (2016), and a box office film Train to Busan (2016). He also made his television debut with minor roles in the OCN drama series Squad 38.
In the spring of 2017, Kim made his return to Daehak-ro by portraying Håkon Håkonsson, King-elect of Norway, in the premiere of a Korean adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play The Pretenders, titled The Claimants of the Throne. Directed by Kim Gwang-bo and written by Ko Yeon-ok, who had previously collaborated on a project, the performance took place at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts M Theater.
Later that year, in the fall of 2017, Kim took on the role of French Diplomat Rene Gallimard in the third Korean adaptation of David Henry Hwang’s play M. Butterfly, as part of The Best Plays Festival's repertoire. Directed by Kim Dong-yeon, the play ran from September to December at the Art One Theater Hall 1.
Kim rose to prominence as an actor after his role as Ahn Jae-geun, a whistleblower at Seomyoung Foods, in the tvN drama Argon (2017), where he was praised for his captivating performance. He then went on to star in the KBS Drama Special 2018. He appeared in one-act drama Too Bright for Romance, where he played the role of the renowned theater critic Kim Hyung-seok. Directed by Yoo Young-eun, this drama special was the fourth installment of the KBS Drama Special 2018, which aired on October 5, 2018. It was based on Kim Geum-hee's novel of the same name, which had won the grand prize at the 7th Young Artist Award in 2016.
Kim collaborated with director Yoo Young-eun once again in seventh installment of KBS Drama Special 2018, titled "Dreamers". Kim portrayed a character who manages the dream world and has control over those who escape reality into their dreams. His detailed and skillful acting made a strong impression and increased viewer immersion in the drama, showcasing his talents as an experienced theater actor. This drama aired on October 25, 2018. Kim was cast in both drama because director Yoo Young-eun had seen one of his theater performances. Prior to the drama airing, Kim signed an exclusive contract with S.A.L.T. Entertainment [ko] on October 23, 2018.
Kim gained wider recognition after starring in the 2018 tvN drama series Encounter, where he portrays Lee Dae-chan, the easy-going and cheerful owner of Chan's Golbaengi, a small restaurant. He showcases his own character well when acting with actors Song Hye-kyo, Park Bo-gum, Pyo Ji-hoon, and Kwak Sun-young. His love line with Kwak Sun-young also an attractive sub-plot, as it intertwines due to a fateful meeting. Kim's performance in Encounter marked a turning point in his career, as he gained wider recognition and established himself as a talented television actor.
In 2019, Kim costarred in Korean adaptation of US series Designated Survivor: 60 Days. His role is the show's counterpart of Jason Atwood, Jung Han-mo, NIS Terrorism Task Force Chief.
In 2020, Kim joined Season 2 of SBS drama series in Romantic Doctor Kim Sa Bu, as Park Min-kook, a professor of general surgery and the new director of Doldam Hospital who think of Kim Sa Bu, starred Han Suk-kyu, as his rival. His solid performance won Best Supporting Actor in 2020 SBS Drama Awards.
In the same year, He also begin to be recognized internationally for his role in tvN and Netflix drama series It's Okay to Not Be Okay. He starred as Lee Sang-in, the CEO of SangsangESang Publishing Company, which publishes Moon-young's children's books. He also starred as lead role in Kim Jee-woon's short film Untact alongside Kim Go-eun. Kim made special appearance in the pilot episode of tvN mini-series Start-Up, as the father of Bae Suzy's character.
Kim took on the role of Cha Eun-seok, an orthopedic surgeon experiencing the effects of Burnout Syndrome, in the KBS drama Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol. While playing the second lead, Kim's performance in the drama was highly praised and earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 2020 KBS Drama Awards.
When Kim was filming a television. drama, he received script of play The Understudy. Kim then played Harry in the South Korean premiere of the play The Understudy, a black comedy that revolves around a fictional, unpublished work by Franz Kafka. The story follows Jake, the understudy for top Hollywood star Bruce, and explores the preparation process with the involvement of Harry, Jake's own understudy, and Roxanne, the stage director. The play was performed at the Jayu Small Theater of the Seoul Arts Center from December 21 to February 27, 2022.
In the same year, Kim went on to portray another second lead character in the SBS mini-series Now, We Are Breaking Up. This marked his second collaboration with Song Hye-kyo. He played the role of Seok Do-hoon, a 40-year-old talented CEO of a PR company. Kim's performance in the drama earned him the Excellence Award for an Actor in a Mini-Series Romance/Comedy Drama at the SBS Drama Awards.
In April 2022, Kim returned to the theater with The Invisible Hand, the second production of The Best Play Festival Season 9th. The Invisible Hand is a financial thriller that unfolds a suspenseful story depicting the process of earning $10 million for oneself. Kim took on the role of Nick Bright, an American investment expert who gets kidnapped by a Pakistani armed group. The play was performed at Art One Theater Hall 2 on April 26 to June 30.
In the second half of 2021, Kim collaborated with Director Oh Chung-hwan for the second time after his special appearance in Start-Up for drama Big Mouse. written by Kim Ha-ram drama Big Mouse, and directed by Oh Chung-hwan and Bae Hyun-jin, started to air in the MBC Friday-Saturday slot in July 2023. Kim left a lasting impact on viewers with his portrayal of Gucheon Mayor Choi Do-ha. The drama concluded on September 17, starting with a viewership rate of 6.2% and reaching its peak viewership of 13.7% in the final episode.
In 2022, Kim made a memorable special appearance in the 15th and 16th episodes of ENA Channel's Extraordinary Attorney Woo as a show of support for director Yoo In-sik. In September 2022, it was reported that Kim is scheduled to reprise his role as Park Min-kook, in Season 3 of SBS drama series Romantic Doctor Kim Sa Bu. In the same month it was announced that Kim was cast in the drama When the Stars Gossip. His role, Park Dong-ah, is a veteran astronaut who has been to the space station three times and is a member of Seoul's Mission Control Center with Eve Kim (played by Gong Hyo-jin). The drama is planned to be aired in 2024.
In the end of 2022, Kim's first feature film Fairy was premiered in panorama section of the 26th Busan International Film Festival. Kim and his costar Ryu Hyun-kyung shot this film in 2021.
In 2023, Kim collaborated with Director Oh Chung-hwan for the third time and writer Park Hye-ryun for the second time in the tvN miniseries Castaway Diva. In the series, he portrayed the character of Lee Seo-joon, Ran-joo's former manager, who is now the CEO of RJ Entertainment.
Kim returned to the theater again. In May 2023, it was revealed that Kim, along with Park Jeong-bok and Kim Bada, had been cast in the roles of the free-spirited wanderer Walker and his father Ned in the play Three Days of Rain. Directed by Oh Man-seok, who previously directed the South Korean premiere in 2017, the play was performed at Dongguk University's Lee Hae-rang Arts Theater from July 25 to October 1.
In 2016, Kim started working in the advertising industry and gained recognition for his role in the Canon Commercial directed by Shin Woo-seok and produced by Dolphiners Films. The advertisement went viral and received the Gold Award at the Seoul Video Advertising Festival. Kim became Shin's muse and continued to work together on various commercial projects. In due course, Shin became known as the "Bong Joon-ho of the advertising industry," and his production company, Dolphiners Films, established itself as a leader in crafting unique, groundbreaking, and unconventional commercials that attract millions of viewers.
Throughout 2018 and the first half of 2019, Kim appeared in advertisements for brands in IT, outdoor sports, food, games, finance, and telecommunication. He showcased his versatility by portraying different roles such as an astronaut, a baseball player, a general and Liu Bei of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Kim became highly sought-after in the advertising industry.
In 2020, Kim was featured in a TV commercial for Shinsinpas Arex 2020 by Shinsin Pharmaceutical. In that same year, Kim had a starring role alongside Kim Go-eun in the 50-minute 8K short film titled 'Untact'. The film served as a showcase for Samsung's cutting-edge 8K technology and was a collaborative effort with renowned director Kim Jee-woon. 'Untact' provides viewers with an immersive and captivating experience, making use of Samsung QLED 8K TVs and shot using the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
In 2021, Kim participated in the SSG.com advertising campaign along with Gong Yoo, Gong Hyo-jin, Yoo Ji-tae, Yang Dong-geun, Park Hee-soon, and singer Hwang So-yoon. The campaign was in an omnibus style with five consecutively aired commercials, and the concept was an action noir film. In the same year, Kim, alongside Park Ho-san and Choi Moo-sung, appeared in the Binggrae Ice Cream Super Cone and Maru series advertisement 'Spear and Shield'. The advertisement featured a trial scene reminiscent of a courtroom drama, with Super Cone making an appearance as evidence and the girl group Oh My Girl appearing as witnesses. The captivating main scenes of the videos garnered significant attention, accumulating views starting from 500,000 to an impressive 5 million.
In January 2022, Kim partnered with actress Kim Yoo-jung to star in a commercial created by Dolphiners Films for Laneige. The commercial quickly gained popularity, going viral and accumulating an impressive 1.45 million views within just 10 days of its release.
In 2022, Kim joined a group of celebrities in participating in the Greenball Campaign to Save Abandoned Dogs, specifically the project titled 'Your Unworn Jeans Save Abandoned Dogs'. This project included a bazaar organized as part of the 'Dang Daeng King Green Ball Festival' event, which was jointly hosted by Greenball, a non-profit organization, and Joy News 24. The main aim of the bazaar was to sell jeans donated by celebrities, with all proceeds dedicated to supporting an abandoned animal shelter.
In 2023, Kim took on the role of a public relations ambassador for the 2023 Barrier Free Film Festival. As part of this festival, the closing film of the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival, 'Full Time' directed by Eric Gravel, was adapted into a barrier-free version. The Barrier Free Film Committee collaborated with the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency (SBA) to record an audio commentary specifically tailored for the barrier-free edition of 'Full Time' in July. Kim, alongside Director Kim Hee-jung, lent his voice as a narrator for the production, offering his talent as a donation. Kim said, "The process of participating as a voice in a barrier-free film was a meaningful time in itself. I hope that more barrier-free films will be produced in the future."