Jung Il-woo

Jung made his acting debut in 2006 with a minor role in the thriller The World of Silence,[4] but he first rose to fame playing a rebellious teen and motorcycle fanatic with a crush on his teacher in daytime family sitcom Unstoppable High Kick.[5][6] He then joined the ensemble cast of 2007 romantic comedy film My Love.[7][8]

In 2009, Jung starred in his first leading role as a young warrior battling injustice in historical drama The Return of Iljimae.[9][10][11][12][13] This was followed by a supporting role in romantic comedy My Fair Lady, as an idealistic, upper-class lawyer.[14] He further challenged himself when he made his stage debut in 2010 as an HIV-positive gay man in the sold-out play Beautiful Sunday, written by Japanese playwright Mayumi Nakatani.[15]

Jung's breakout role was in 2011 tearjerker 49 Days, in which he portrayed the Scheduler, a witty modern-day Grim Reaper.[16][17][18][19] His popularity increased with his leading man turn in 2011 cable romantic comedy Cool Guys, Hot Ramen, in which he played an arrogant, immature yet lovable chaebol heir.[20][21] A supporting role in hit 2012 historical drama Moon Embracing the Sun followed; Jung played a prince who becomes his half-brother's rival in love and for the throne.[22][23][24][25]

Following the success of Cool Guys, Hot Ramen and Moon Embracing the Sun, Jung was launched to stardom as a Hallyu star.[26][27][28][29] He won the Asia Male Actor award at Beijing's Huading Awards, the first non-Chinese entertainer to be nominated at the awards show since it began in 2005.[30][31]

From 2013 to 2014, he played a prosecutor who falls in love with a girl from a family of orphans in Golden Rainbow.[32][33][34][35] This was followed by a leading role as a prince turned ghost-seeing night watchman who patrols the palace after curfew and keeps the king and his citizens safe, in the supernatural period drama Diary of a Night Watchman.[36][37][38][39]

In 2015, Jung starred in the Korean-Chinese web drama High-End Crush opposite Jin Se-yeon.[40] In less than a month, the drama series recorded over 200 million views.[41] Jung then starred in the Chinese romantic comedy film Rise of a Tomboy, where he plays the CEO of an IT firm who helps a girl develop a love formula for a mobile app.[42]

In January 2016, Jung signed with a new management agency, HB Entertainment.[43] Jung made his return to Korean television in tvN's romantic comedy Cinderella with Four Knights, playing a lonely and wild-child rebel who is not yet used to being a member of a rich family, having lived most of his life as an orphan.[44]

In 2017, Jung starred in Gon Rak Game Ma Ya (also known as Love and Lies), making him the first Korean actor to land a leading role in a Thailand drama.[45] The drama emerged as a local sensation, and led to a rise of popularity for Jung in the country.[46]

In 2019, Jung starred in the historical action drama Haechi. This marks his first project after enlistment.[47][48]