Han Suk-kyu

Han Suk-kyu (born November 3, 1964) is a South Korean actor. One of the leading actors of Korean cinema, Han's notable works include Green Fish (1997), No. 3 (1997), Christmas in August (1998), Shiri (1999), The Scarlet Letter (2004), and The President's Last Bang (2005).

Han Suk-kyu
Han Suk-kyu in 2019
Born (1964-11-03) November 3, 1964
EducationDongguk University - Theater and Film
OccupationActor
Years active1990–present
Spouse(s)
Myung Ju Im
(m. 1998)
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationHan Seok-gyu
McCune–ReischauerHan Sŏkkyu

He won the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the 2011 SBS Drama Awards, for his lead role as King Sejong in the historical drama Deep Rooted Tree (2011).[1] He won the Grand Prize (Daesang) Award again in 2016, for his performance as Master Kim in the hit medical drama Dr. Romantic (2016). He reprised his role in Dr. Romantic 2 (2020).

Life and career

While a student at the Theater and Film department of Dongguk University, he sang in an amateur folk rock band. He took a brief, year-long contract as voice actor at KBS, before moving on to TV and film acting.[2]

After a debut in the 1990 MBC campus drama Our Paradise, Han rose to stardom as "Hong-shik" in The Moon of Seoul (1994), a charming gigolo from the slums determined to attain wealth at all cost in the big city. "Choon-seop", an old friend from hometown played by Choi Min-sik, struggles hopelessly to stop "Hong-shik" from his self-ruin. The partnership of Han and Choi as uneasy allies or foes, parlayed into two flagship films of the 1990s: No. 3 and Shiri. Both the series and "Hong-shik" character have since become beloved icons, as part of the Korean television's golden era before the advent of Korean Wave.[3]

Before the end of the 20th century, Han headlined films that were critically acclaimed (Green Fish, No. 3) and commercially successful (The Contact, Christmas in August,[4] Shiri — the latter two making particular impact in Japan).[5]

Han's experience in the early stages of Korean cinema renaissance in the 1990s, cemented his belief in a script-driven model for movie-making. Thus the founding of "Makdong Script Festival" (named after his role in Green Fish), with co-sponsor film magazine Cine 21. Winners may claim two cash prizes funded by Han, with the potential to launch directing careers based from their own scripts. The annual contest is now extant over 10 years, with two titles produced so far: the comedy 2424 (2002) and Private Eye (2009) starring Hwang Jung-min.

Return

Han went into an extended hiatus in 1999, declining several lucrative opportunities with name directors as he suffered disc problem.

Han returned in 2003 with espionage film Double Agent.[6] The film, which netted one million admissions, was seen as a failure for a star labeled by the media as "box office guarantee." This was followed by a sizable backlash from netizens and the press, who rushed to bury the co-self-produced spy thriller as the public disgrace of a former golden boy.

His press and image took further beating in the next two, even more polarizing films: the unforeseen tragedy surrounding The Scarlet Letter, and the incendiary political content of The President's Last Bang.[7][8] Nonetheless, these controversial works screened at Cannes, and were featured in a tribute to the actor at the Austrian FilmAsia festival.[9] Han then chose quickie B-movie Mr. Housewife as his next project, which he filmed as a keepsake for his children.[10] In spite of this rocky return to feature films, Han remains well regarded by such major directors as Park Chan-wook, Lee Joon-ik, Kang Woo-suk and Jang Jin. Compared to his peak popularity in the 90s, his work may seem an acquired taste for general audiences, although some cult following ensued for his ultra-sadistic turn in A Bloody Aria.[11]

He remained self-managed until as late as 2006, before joining the KM Culture agency[12] due to increased regimentation of the industry. Making 2006 a busy year, Han starred in period sex comedy Forbidden Quest, followed by black comedy film A Bloody Aria and melodrama film Solace.[13][14][15] Stylish thrillers followed, where Han starred alongside Cha Seung-won in Eye for an Eye[16] and Son Ye-jin in the adaptation of Keigo Higashino novel of White Night.[17] Han then starred in Villain and Widow with Kim Hye-soo.[18]

Resurgence

Han returned to the spotlight with his performance in historical drama Deep Rooted Tree, where his performance of King Sejong earned him the Grand Award at the 2011 SBS Drama Awards.[19]

In 2013, Han starred in the action thriller film The Berlin File, playing a South Korean agent.[20] He then starred in musical film My Paparotti, playing a music teacher who is stuck in a rut until he meets a delinquent teenager.[21]

He returned to the small screen in historical drama Secret Door, playing King Yeongjo. This was followed by period film The Royal Tailor, about a rivalry between two tailors at the Sanguiwon. However, both projects were less successful.[22][23]

Han bounced back with the hit medical drama Dr. Romantic, written by acclaimed screenwriter Kang Eun-kyung.[24] The drama garnered over 20% viewership ratings, and Han received positive reviews for his performance.[25] He also won the Grand Prize (Daesang) Award at the 2016 SBS Drama Awards.

Han returned to the big screen in crime drama film The Prison.[26] Han is slated to star in upcoming thrillers Idol and Father's War, and period drama film Astronomy.[27][28][29]

In 2019, Han starred in OCN's thriller drama Watcher as a detective.[30]

In 2020, Han reprised his role of Teacher Kim in Dr. Romantic 2.[31]

Image and influence

Known for his distinctive voice and diction, Han has been a long-time mentor to Kam Woo-sung, including coaching the latter's enunciation for his film debut in Marriage is a Crazy Thing. Actors of the younger generation also continue to cite him as an influence; among them: Hwang Jung-min, Ryoo Seung-bum, Kim Myung-min, Kim Joo-hyuk of Blue Swallow, Kim Ji-soo of This Charming Girl, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (who famously began a second career in Korea after seeing Han in Shiri), Rain, Lee Sung-jae of Barking Dogs Never Bite, TV heartthrob Lee Jin-wook, and the current darling of independent films, Im Ji-kyu.[32][33][34][35][36] He also remains well respected among major peers for his distinctive style (a cerebral and intricate minimalism driven by semantics and implosive restraint): Kim Hye-soo, Song Kang-ho, Oh Dal-su (especially for their collaboration in Forbidden Quest and A Bloody Aria), Sol Kyung-gu, and Choi Min-sik.[37][38][39][40]

For his part, Han has cited influences by legendary Korean actor Kim Seung-ho, Al Pacino, Ken Takakura, The Godfather trilogy, and Hayao Miyazaki.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role
1995 Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone special appearance
Doctor Bong Bong Joon-soo
1996 The Ginkgo Bed Soo-hyeon/Jong-moon
1997 Green Fish Kim Mak-dong
No. 3 Seo Tae-ju
The Contact Kwon Dong-hyeon
1998 Christmas in August Jung-won
1999 Shiri Yoo Joong-won
Tell Me Something Detective Jo
2003 Double Agent Rim Byeong-ho
2004 The Scarlet Letter Lee Ki-hoon
2005 The President's Last Bang KCIA Chief Agent Joo
Quiz King Jo Jin-man
2006 Forbidden Quest Kim Yoon-seo
A Bloody Aria Lee Moon-jae
Solace Shim In-gu
2008 Eye for an Eye Baek Seong-chan
2009 White Night Han Dong-soo
2010 Villain and Widow Kang Chang-in
2013 The Berlin File Jeong Jin-soo
My Paparotti Na Sang-jin
2014 The Royal Tailor Jo Dol-seok
2017 The Prison Jung Ik-ho
2019 Idol Goo Myeong-hoe
Forbidden Dream King Sejong

Television

Year Title Role Network
1990Our ParadiseHyun ChulMBC
1991Eyes of DawnYoung Man from Seobuk
1992-1993Sons and DaughtersSuk Ho
1993PilotPark Sang-hyun
1994The Moon of SeoulHong Shik
Challenge
Kareisky
1995HotelIm Hyung-bin
2011Deep Rooted TreeLee Do / King SejongSBS
2014Secret DoorKing Yeongjo
2016Dr. RomanticTeacher Kim / Boo Yong-joo
2019WatcherDo Chi-kwangOCN
2020Dr. Romantic 2Teacher Kim / Boo Yong-jooSBS

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1984MBC Gangbyeon Song FestivalEncouragement AwardN/AWon
1993MBC Drama AwardsBest New ActorPilot, Sons and DaughtersWon
1994MBC Drama AwardsTop Excellence Award, ActorThe Moon of SeoulWon
TV Journal Star of the YearExcellence AwardWon
199516th Blue Dragon Film AwardsBest Leading ActorDoctor BongNominated
6th Chunsa Film Art AwardsBest New ActorWon
1996Cine 21 AwardsWon
32nd Baeksang Arts AwardsBest New Actor (Film)Won
34th Grand Bell AwardsBest New ActorNominated
Best ActorThe Ginkgo BedNominated
17th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Leading ActorNominated
199718th Blue Dragon Film AwardsGreen FishWon
Popular Star AwardGreen Fish, The Contact, No. 3 Won
35th Grand Bell AwardsPopularity AwardWon
Best ActorGreen FishWon
17th Korean Association of Film Critics AwardsWon
20th Golden Cinematography AwardsMost Popular ActorWon
33rd Baeksang Arts AwardsBest Actor (Film)Won
19981st Director's Cut AwardsBest ActorChristmas in AugustWon
3rd Women Viewers Film AwardsWon
19th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Leading ActorNominated
Popular Star AwardsWon
Cine 21 AwardsBest ActorWon
19997th Korean Culture and Entertainment AwardsShiri, Tell Me SomethingWon
20th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Leading Actor Tell Me SomethingNominated
Popular Star AwardsShiriWon
36th Grand Bell AwardsPopularity AwardChristmas in AugustWon
Best ActorNominated
1st Asian Film Critics Association AwardsrNominated
35th Baeksang Arts AwardsBest Actor (Film)ShiriNominated
200037th Grand Bell AwardsPopularity AwardTell Me SomethingWon
200425th Blue Dragon Film AwardsBest Leading Actor The Scarlet LetterNominated
6th Asian Film Critics Association Awards Best Actor Nominated
200541st Baeksang Arts AwardsBest Actor (Film)The President's Last BangNominated
20065th Korean Film AwardsBest ActorForbidden QuestNominated
200817th Buil Film AwardsEye for an EyeNominated
2011SBS Drama AwardsGrand Prize (Daesang)Deep Rooted TreeWon
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Drama SpecialNominated
Top 10 StarsWon
201248th Baeksang Arts AwardsBest Actor (TV)Nominated
5th Korea Drama AwardsGrand Prize (Daesang)Nominated
1st APAN Star AwardsTop Excellence Award, ActorNominated
3rd Korean Popular Culture AwardsPresidential RecommendationN/AWon
2014SBS Drama AwardsTop Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial DramaSecret DoorNominated
2016SBS Drama Awards[41]Grand Prize (Daesang)Dr. RomanticWon
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Genre & Fantasy DramaNominated
Top 10 StarsWon
201753rd Baeksang Arts AwardsBest Actor (TV)Nominated
10th Korea Drama AwardsGrand Prize (Daesang)Nominated
54th Grand Bell AwardsBest ActorThe PrisonNominated
201923rd Fantasia International Film Festival[42]IdolWon
28th Buil Film AwardsNominated
19th Director's Cut AwardsNominated
202056th Grand Bell Awards[43]Forbidden DreamNominated
25th Chunsa Film Art Awards[44]Nominated
56th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actor (Film)Nominated
29th Buil Film AwardsBest ActorNominated
SBS Drama AwardsGrand Prize (Daesang)Dr. Romantic 2Nominated
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Genre/Action DramaNominated

References

  1. "Han Suk-kyu reclaims glory at SBS Drama Awards". 10Asia. January 2, 2012.
  2. "[97 문화 '새뚝이']'초록물고기' '접속'주연 영화배우 한석규". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). December 20, 1997.
  3. "'허준' '올인' '주몽'…연타석 홈런 드라마작가 최완규". Naver (in Korean). July 25, 1997. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012.
  4. "일상에 관한 섬세한 묘사, <8월의 크리스마스>". Cine21 (in Korean). January 17, 1998.
  5. "Han Seok-kyu". Koreanfilm.org.
  6. "'이중간첩' 되어 돌아온 한석규". Cine21 (in Korean). January 24, 2003.
  7. "The Scarlet Letter". The Donga Ilbo. October 20, 2004.
  8. "<그때 그 사람들>의 진상 [2] - 소문과 진실 ②". Cine21 (in Korean). January 4, 2005.
  9. "Program Schedule". Film Asia. October 26, 2007. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007.
  10. "Donning an Apron, Han Suk-gyu Cooks Laughter". The Donga Ilbo. September 22, 2015.
  11. "김지수 "남자친구와 함께 최고로 인정한 배우가 한석규"". CBS (in Korean). October 31, 2006.
  12. http://www.kmculture.co.kr/
  13. "[K-FILM REVIEWS] 음란서생 (Forbidden Quest) - Part 1". Screen Anarchy. June 11, 2006.
  14. "'A Bloody Aria'". Los Angeles Times. January 18, 2008.
  15. "New movie 'Solace' appeals with open ending". Yonhap News Agency. November 21, 2006. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
  16. "CHA Seung-won and HAN Seok-gyu finish shoot". Korean Film Biz Zone. January 23, 2008.
  17. "Mystery Thriller White Night Opens". Korean Film Biz Zone. November 30, 2009.
  18. "[PREVIEW] Film "Villain and Widow"". 10Asia. November 24, 2010.
  19. "Han Suk-kyu reclaims glory at SBS Drama Awards". 10Asia. January 2, 2012.
  20. "Interview [Interview] Han Seok Gyu Sometimes Hates to See Himself Act". Mwave. January 31, 2013. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013.
  21. "After slump, Han Suk-kyu returns to spotlight". Korea JoongAng Daily. March 21, 2013.
  22. "Han aims to relive box office success through 'Royal Tailor'". The Korea Times. December 12, 2014.
  23. "HAN Suk-kyu and KO Soo Headline New Period Film". Korean Film Biz Zone. December 26, 2013.
  24. "(Yonhap Interview) Actor Han Suk-kyu is embodiment of 'Dr. Romantic': director". Yonhap News Agency. December 4, 2016.
  25. "'Romantic Doctor' tops 20 percent viewership". The Korea Times. November 23, 2016.
  26. "HAN Suk-kyu and KIM Rae-won Go to THE PRISON". Korean Film Biz Zone. February 25, 2016.
  27. "IDOL Begins Filming with HAN Suk-kyu, SUL Kyung-gu and CHUN Woo-hee". Korean Film Biz Zone. November 6, 2017.
  28. "HAN Suk-kyu & BAEK Sung-hyun Play Father & Son in FATHER'S WAR". Korean Film Biz Zone. February 14, 2017.
  29. "HAN Suk-kyu and CHOI Min-shik Fated to Reunite for ASTRONOMY". Korean Film Biz Zone. June 25, 2018.
  30. "'Watcher' explores a mysterious incident". Korea JoongAng Daily. July 3, 2019.
  31. "'낭만닥터 김사부 시즌2' 한석규-이성경-안효섭 캐스팅 확정, 내년 1월 첫방송[공식]". Star News (in Korean). 18 September 2019.
  32. "[★포토]대종상을 웃긴 박중훈". Money Today (in Korean). June 8, 2007. Archived from the original on November 18, 2007.
  33. "영화 '왕의 남자' 대박 & 결혼이후 첫 드라마 복귀 감우성". Naver (in Korean). April 15, 2006. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012.
  34. "김명민 "바른생활 사나이? 나도 한때 놀았어요"". The Donga Ilbo (in Korean). April 23, 2008.
  35. "이진욱 "아리송함이 제 매력이죠"". Nate (in Korean). April 14, 2008.
  36. "독립영화 스타 연기 변신을 꿈꾸다". The Donga Ilbo (in Korean). December 18, 2007.
  37. "송강호 "인생은 뜻대로 사는 게 아니잖아요?"". Naver (in Korean). March 29, 2007. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012.
  38. "Song Kang Ho GQ Feature". GQ Korea (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2007-12-11.
  39. "송강호, "영화계에서의 순위 의미없어"". Naver (in Korean). April 29, 2005. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012.
  40. "최민식 "내 성공은 한석규의 후광 덕분"". Naver (in Korean). March 18, 2005. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012.
  41. "Han Suk-kyu nabs top actor award". The Korea Herald. January 1, 2017.
  42. "IDOL, HAN Suk-kyu and SUL Kyung-gu Awarded at Fantasia". Korean Film Biz Zone. August 6, 2019.
  43. "[공식] '제56회 대종상 영화제' 오는 2월 25일 개최, 최종 노미네이트 작품 발표" (in Korean). 17 January 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  44. "'엑시트' 개최 연기 춘사영화제 6개 부문 최다 노미네이트". NAVER. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
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