Shin Sung-rok

Shin Sung-rok had wanted to become an actor since high school, so when an injury cut short his career as an amateur basketball player (his brother is Shin Je-rok, formerly of the Anyang KT&G Kites),[2] he decided to major in Theater and Film at Suwon University, though he later dropped out.[3][4] Shin made his acting debut in 2003, but found it difficult to find acting jobs since directors were reluctant to cast the 189 centimeter-tall aspiring actor in supporting or minor roles. Thinking he would have a better chance if he gained more acting experience and honed his craft on the stage, Shin switched gears and joined the theater company Hakchon.[5][6]

When Shin performed in his first musical Moskito, there were only 20-25 audience members in the 500-seat hall. Despite feeling depressed and frustrated, he said the experience made him strong and helped him become an actor with plenty of guts.[4]

While doing the musical Dracula, Shin was cast in his first substantial onscreen role, in the risqué cable drama Hyena (2006).[5] Supporting roles in dramas and films followed, notably in Thank You (2007) and My Life's Golden Years (also known as All About My Family, 2008). He also appeared on season 1 of the MBC dating reality show We Got Married as a "fake couple" with female comedian Kim Shin-young.

Mainstream breakthrough still eluded Shin, but in theater his star was rising. In 2007, Shin was picked from 400 auditionees for the lead role Solomon in Dancing Shadows, a musical adaptation of the realist play Forest Fire by celebrated Korean playwright Cha Beom-seok.[3] He later received a Best New Actor nomination from the Korea Musical Awards.[7]

As Shin starred in one hit musical after another, he continued to impress critics with his acting performances, his strong and powerful baritone vocals and his delicate and clear alto notes.[8] He is now considered a top musical star, even drawing fans from outside Korea to his shows.[9]

Definitely Neighbors (2010) further boosted his TV profile; for his role as a difficult chef who falls in love with an older divorcee, Shin won Best Supporting Actor in a Weekend/Daily Drama at the 2010 SBS Drama Awards.[5][10] His most popular drama yet was the romantic comedy My Love from the Star (2013), in which he appeared as a villainous businessman.[11][12] This was followed by supporting roles in the 2014 series Trot Lovers (as a talent agency CEO), Liar Game (as the host of a reality show), and The King's Face (as a face reader).[13][14][15]

Despite branching out to film and television, Shin has maintained that his heart will always belong to the stage, and has stated, "I feel more affection toward the stage [rather than TV]. I think it is the stage where actors learn life and understand the meaning of acting. It is where I learned how to act and where I gained confidence. I think the core of my life will remain on the stage" (The Korea Herald, 2007).[3] "The musical is like my old home and it made me what I am now, so I can't stop performing the musicals however busy I get" (The Korea Times, 2009)[4]

Shin has a younger brother; Shin Jae-rok who is a chef by profession. Both of them appeared on July 30, 2015 KBS talk show Happy Together.

Shin began dating ballerina Kim Joo-won in 2011; Kim was a principal dancer with the Korea National Ballet for 15 years from 1988 to 2003, and currently teaches at Sungshin Women's University.[16] The pair broke up after four years of dating in August 2015.[17]

In June 2016 Shin married a non-celebrity office worker in Hawaii.[18][19][20] In November the same year, Shin became a father to a daughter.[21]

• Shin Seong-rok at HB Entertainment (in Korean)
• Shin Sung-rok Fan Cafe at Daum (in Korean)
• Shin Sung-rok at HanCinema
• Shin Sung-rok at the Korean Movie Database
• Shin Sung-rok at IMDb