Sol Kyung-gu

Sol was born in Seocheon on May 1, 1968, and studied Theater and Film at Hanyang University (Class of '86). Upon his graduation in 1994, he appeared in numerous theatrical productions, such as the hit Korean adaptation of the German rock musical Subway Line 1, and productions of Sam Shepard's True West and A. R. Gurney's Love Letters.[1]

In the mid-1990s, Sol began taking on minor roles in feature films, but it was not until 1999 that he made his breakthrough, with major roles in The Bird That Stops in the Air, Rainbow Trout, and Peppermint Candy in which he played a suicidal man devastated by the two-decades of historical change his country undergoes.[2] The film was acclaimed and brought Sol to win his first Best Actor award at the 2000 Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Sol next appeared in a romantic comedy I Wish I Had a Wife with Jeon Do-yeon in 2001, and then acted in a Japanese TV drama produced by NHK.

In 2002, Sol starred in three major films. As a violent and unscrupulous police detective in Public Enemy, he won Best Actor at the Grand Bell Awards and Blue Dragon Film Awards respectively. In August, he starred in Lee Chang-dong's acclaimed third film Oasis, which won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival. Sol's portrayal of mildly mentally disabled outcast with sociopathic inclinations won him Best Actor at the Chunsa Film Art Awards, Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, Korean Film Awards, Director's Cut Awards, and 29th Seattle International Film Festival. In November, he acted together with Cha Seung-won in a box office hit Jail Breakers by director Kim Sang-jin.[3]

In 2003, Sol starred in Silmido directed by Cinema Service founder Kang Woo-suk, which became the first Korean film in history to gross 10 million admissions.[4][5] His next role was as the title character in Rikidōzan, about the legendary ethnic Korean pro wrestler who became a national hero in Japan in the 1950s. Sol gained 20 kilograms for the role and also delivered 95% of his lines in Japanese. Although his performance was acclaimed, the film vastly underperformed on its local release.[6][7]

In 2005, Sol starred in the sequel Another Public Enemy, which ended up outgrossing the original.[8] This was followed by a second sequel, Public Enemy Returns in 2008. His other films Haeundae (2009), The Tower (2012) and Cold Eyes (2013) have also been box office hits.[9][10][11][12][13][14] For his performance in Haeundae, he won Grand Prize at the 2009 Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards, followed by Best Actor award at the 18th Chunsa Film Art Awards for his performance in 2010 film No Mercy.

In 2013, Sol was cast in family drama Hope,[15] directed by Lee Joon-ik, which won him Best Actor at the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards. The following year, Sol starred in My Dictator, as an aspiring actor who is forced to impersonate North Korean leader. For his performance in My Dictator, he won Best Actor at the 35th Golden Cinematography Awards.[16]

Sol began teaching acting in 2014, at his alma mater Hanyang University, as an adjunct professor in the College of Performing Arts.[17][18][19]

In 2015, Sol starred in the war drama film The Long Way Home alongside Yeo Jin-goo, playing a South Korean farmer who befriended a North Korea soldier.[20][21][22]

In 2017, Sol starred opposite Im Si-wan in The Merciless. It was shown out of competition in the Midnight Screenings section at the 70th Cannes Film Festival on May 24, 2017.[23][24] The film brought Sol to win Best Actor awards at the 54th Grand Bell Awards and 37th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards. He next starred in thriller film Memoir of a Murderer, as a retired serial killer with Alzheimer's disease.[25][26] For his performance in Memoir of a Murderer, Sol received Best Actor awards at the 17th Director's Cut Awards in 2017 and the 9th Korea Film Reporters Association Film Awards (KOFRA) in 2018.[27][28] The release of Sol's third film in 2017, I Want to Know Your Parents,[29] has been postponed indefinitely following the scandal of actor Oh Dal-su.[30]

Sol next starred in a 2019 film Idol opposite Han Suk-kyu and Chun Woo-hee, which opened in March.[31] Despite the solid acting by three senior actors, Idol received mix reviews.[32] In April 2019, Sol reunited with Jeon Do-yeon, eighteen years after I Wish I Had a Wife, in the film Birthday.[33] The film, inspired by the Sinking of MV Sewol tragedy, deals with the struggles faced by a couple who lose their son in a tragic accident.[34] The film had its international premiere at the 2019 Far East Film Festival in Udine.[35] The same year, Sol starred in the human comedy film Man to Men with Cho Jin-woong.[36][37]

Sol is set to reunite with The Merciless director Byun Sung-hyun for the film King Maker. It will be released in 2020.[38]

Sol married the younger sister of actor Ahn Nae-sang in 1996. They have one daughter together. After being separated for four years, Sol and his wife divorced on July 21, 2006.[39] On May 28, 2009, Sol married actress Song Yoon-ah. They have one son together. Sol and Song previously worked together in the films Jail Breakers (2002) and Lost in Love (2006).[40][41]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sol Kyung-gu.

• Sol Kyung-gu at IMDb
• Sol Kyung-gu at the Korean Movie Database
• Sol Kyung-gu at HanCinema