Kim Seon-ho

After graduating from high school, Kim studied at the Seoul Institute of the Arts where he received a degree from the Department of Broadcasting and Entertainment.[1] While in college, he joined a theatre group and began acting in plays.[2] His first stage role was in New Boeing Boeing (an adaptation of the French play of the same name)[3] in 2009, which he reprised in 2013. He found minor success appearing in the popular Daehakro (comparable to Off-Broadway)[4] plays Rooftop House Cat and Goal of Love, which were both romantic comedies.[5] Later, he expanded his repertoire with darker roles, and gained critical recognition in works such as True West and Kiss of the Spider Woman in 2015, and Closer in 2016.[6]

Kim made his screen debut at the beginning of 2017 in the KBS2 office drama Good Manager, after auditioning at the suggestion of producer Lee Eun-jin who watched his performance in the play Closer.[1][7] Kim's next project Strongest Deliveryman, for which he initially auditioned for a supporting role, marked his first appearance in a main role onscreen.[8] Later in 2017, he starred in the action comedy Two Cops as a sly conman, which earned him two awards at the 2017 MBC Drama Awards.[9] In 2018, Kim portrayed the lead role of an artist in the drama special You Drive Me Crazy, which had a two-episode broadcast in May.[10] He also starred in the historical drama 100 Days My Prince, which became one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean cable television history.[11] In September that year, Kim joined Salt Entertainment after the expiration of his contract with his former theatre company.[12][13]

In March 2019, Kim played an aspiring singer in the JTBC comedy Welcome to Waikiki 2.[14] In October the same year, he starred in the tvN investigative crime drama Catch the Ghost opposite veteran actress Moon Geun-young, in his first leading role in a full-length series.[15] On November 5, Kim joined the cast in fourth season of the KBS2 reality show 2 Days & 1 Night;[16] he received the Rookie Award at the 2020 KBS Entertainment Awards for his work on the show.[17]

Kim returned to acting in October 2020 through the tvN drama Start-Up.[18] His portrayal of Han Ji-pyeong, a sharp investor with a tragic past was well-received by viewers, and he experienced a surge in popularity domestically and internationally.[19][20][21] He made his comeback to theatre in January 2021 through the play Ice by Jang Jin, in which he played a detective trying to inculpate a young man in a murder case.[22]