Hwang Jeong-min
Encyclopedia
Career
Hwang Jung-min first began his acting career in theater, as a musical actor in Line 1 (1995). He then starred in various musicals and plays in DaehangnoDaehangno
Daehangno is a neighborhood in Seoul north of the Han River within Jongno-gu and Seodaemun-gu.Formerly known as Sunggyobang , meaning "high respect for teaching", its current name was designated when the 1.1km six-lane road from Hyehwa-dong rotary to Ihwadong crossroad was designated as a...
such as Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
and Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
.
Despite his career on stage, Hwang had difficulty transitioning to film. He went through a long struggle for recognition, with people saying he "didn’t have the right face for film." He even considered giving up his dream, but stuck to his conviction about walking the path of acting. Hwang said, "After becoming interested about the stage and how it feels to be that person on stage, I've never thought of anything else. That I never swayed -- that is one thing I can say with confidence." His big break came when he was cast in Waikiki Brothers
Waikiki Brothers
Waikiki Brothers is a 2001 South Korean film, set in the 1980s, about a group of high school friends who form a band. It was selected to appear in the 2002 Kima Film Festival. In 2004 it inspired a musical of the same name starring North Korean defector Kim Young-un....
, a 2001 film that was a sleeper hit in Korea. In his role as a hopeless drummer, Hwang left a strong impression and earned favorable reviews.
Hwang went on to have prominent roles in Road Movie, A Good Lawyer's Wife
A Good Lawyer's Wife
A Good Lawyer's Wife is a 2003 South Korean film written and directed by Im Sang-soo. The film is about the various affairs of members of a dysfunctional South Korean family.-Plot:...
, Heaven's Soldiers
Heaven's Soldiers
Heaven's Soldiers is a 2005 film from South Korea, directed by Min Joon Gi. It is an action and humorous movie shifting back and forth between high tension and comedy, and combining elements of many genres such as war films, time travel and historical drama.- Plot :The film begins with high-level...
and A Bittersweet Life
A Bittersweet Life
A Bittersweet Life is a 2005 South Korean film directed and written by Kim Ji-woon and starring Lee Byung-hun...
.
But it was in 2005 that Hwang became a household name, portraying a naive farmer in love with an AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-stricken prostitute in the hit melodrama You Are My Sunshine
You Are My Sunshine (film)
You Are My Sunshine is a 2005 South Korean film directed by Park Jin-pyo and starring Jeon Do-yeon and Hwang Jung-min in the lead roles. Released in Korea on 23 September, it was the ninth most successful domestic film of the year, selling more than three million tickets nationwide.The official...
. Hwang explains that he was "moved by the tale of the genuine love between two people. I agreed with the director's idea of showing it as pure love, like an uncut gem, without sloppily adding to it or embellishing it."
When he accepted the best actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards
Blue Dragon Film Awards
The Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea....
for his performance in You Are My Sunshine
You Are My Sunshine (film)
You Are My Sunshine is a 2005 South Korean film directed by Park Jin-pyo and starring Jeon Do-yeon and Hwang Jung-min in the lead roles. Released in Korea on 23 September, it was the ninth most successful domestic film of the year, selling more than three million tickets nationwide.The official...
, many were moved by his now-famous speech: "All I did was add a spoon to a dinner table that had already been prepared by others."
Hwang is now considered an A-list
A-list
A-list is a term that alludes to major movie stars, or the most bankable in the Hollywood film industry.The A-list is part of a larger guide called The Hot List that has become an industry-standard guide in Hollywood...
star in the Korean film industry, headlining films such as Bloody Tie
Bloody Tie
Bloody Tie is a South Korean film released in 2006. Directed by Choi Ho, it stars Hwang Jung-min as a detective trying to track down a drug lord by cooperating with a mid-level drug dealer, played by Ryu Seung-beom.-External links:*...
, Black House
Black House (film)
Black House is a 2007 South Korean film directed by Shin Tae-ra. The story centers around an insurance agent that suspects a family murdered their son to receive his insurance policy....
, Happiness
Happiness (2007 film)
Happiness is a 2007 South Korean film, directed by Heo Jin-ho and starring Hwang Jung-min and Im Su-jeong. It is a love story about two people who meet while battling serious illnesses.-Plot:...
, A Man Who Was Superman
A Man Who Was Superman
A Man Who Was Superman is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Jeong Yoon-chul. The film applies techniques of Magical realism to problems arising from the Narcissism of small differences that plagues the modern Korean conscience.- Plot :...
and Private Eye
Private Eye (film)
Private Eye is a 2009 South Korean film directed by Park Dae-min and its original title in Korean, Geurimja sarin literally means "Shadow Murder". Alternative titles Mr. Vertigo and Shadow Murder.- Plot :...
. Critics praise his versatility in portraying diverse characters.
Hwang has said that when choosing scripts, he looks at the overall storyline rather than the character itself. He then exerts effort to continuously bring out the character’s inner workings. “It is very important that you don’t get too absorbed in yourself,” Hwang says. “You must always remember that there is another person watching the scene. Maintaining objectivity is important.” Hwang’s emphasizes sincerity and empathy in his acting. "The camera doesn't lie. You can never fool the viewer. You have to act with your heart, not your head." It is because of this commitment to emotional truth that Hwang can confidently tell interviewers that he is 100 percent satisfied with his work. During a crisis on set, or when he is either feeling too satisfied or caught up in mannerisms, he takes out notes he made when he first read the screenplay. "I look at the screenplay again and again. That's where all the answers are," he says.
He made a triumphant return to theater in the 2008 production of Nine
Nine (musical)
Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
. The theater producer said that it took three years to cast the leading role because in Hwang he had found the right actor to rival Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
' Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
performance. He has since starred in University of Laughs
Warai no Daigaku: University of Laughs
Warai no Daigaku: University of Laughs is a story by Japanese dramatist Mitani Koki which began as a play in 1997 starring actors Nishimura Masahiko as the Censor and Kondo Yoshimasa as the Playwright...
and The Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer (musical)
The Wedding Singer is a musical with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy. It is based on the 1998 film The Wedding Singer.-Synopsis:Act 1...
. Hwang says, "A movie is the art of a director but the play is the art of an actor."
2009's The Accidental Couple
That Fool / The Accidental Couple
Six Month /The Accidental Couple is a Korean language television series made in South Korea.* Revised romanization: Keujeo Bara Bodaga* Hangul: 식스먼스 / 그바보 / 그저 바라 보다가* Director: Min-su Kim* Writer: Jin-yeong Jeong , Ui-chan Kim...
was particularly special to Hwang, as it was his first time starring in a television drama in his 14-year acting career.
Making the period film Blades of Blood
Blades of Blood
Blades of Blood is a 2010 South Korean action drama film directed by Lee Joon-ik. The film is based on the graphic novel Like the Moon Escaping from the Clouds.- Production :...
presented a physical and mental challenge for Hwang. For his role as a blind swordsman, he went to schools for the blind to observe their movements.
On average, Hwang stars in three to four films a year and some say that he does too many. In response, Hwang says, "I breathe only when I act."
Filmography
- Korean Peninsula (TV, 2012)
- Dancing Queen (2012)
- Moby Dick (2011)
- Battlefield HeroesBattlefield Heroes (film)Battlefield Heroes is a 2011 South Korean action comedy directed by Lee Joon-ik. The film is a sequel to the 2003 film Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield and stars Jeong Jin-yeong, Lee Mun-shik, Ryu Seung-ryong. The film is set in 668 and chronicles the war between the southern Korean state of...
(2011) - The UnjustThe UnjustThe Unjust is 2010 South Korean crime film by Ryu Seung-wan. It was screened in the Panorama section at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:*Hwang Jung-min ... Choi Cheol-Gi*Ryu Seung-beom ... Joo-Yang...
(2010) - Blades of BloodBlades of BloodBlades of Blood is a 2010 South Korean action drama film directed by Lee Joon-ik. The film is based on the graphic novel Like the Moon Escaping from the Clouds.- Production :...
(2010) - Five Senses of ErosFive Senses of ErosFive Senses of Eros is a 2009 South Korean omnibus film by five directors.-Plot:His Concern*A man is attracted by the woman sitting across from him on a train ride to Busan. He gets off the train after her, even though it's not his stop. He gets her phone number...
- In My End is My Beginning (2009) - The Accidental CoupleThat Fool / The Accidental CoupleSix Month /The Accidental Couple is a Korean language television series made in South Korea.* Revised romanization: Keujeo Bara Bodaga* Hangul: 식스먼스 / 그바보 / 그저 바라 보다가* Director: Min-su Kim* Writer: Jin-yeong Jeong , Ui-chan Kim...
(TV, 2009) - Private EyePrivate Eye (film)Private Eye is a 2009 South Korean film directed by Park Dae-min and its original title in Korean, Geurimja sarin literally means "Shadow Murder". Alternative titles Mr. Vertigo and Shadow Murder.- Plot :...
(2009) - A Man Who Was SupermanA Man Who Was SupermanA Man Who Was Superman is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Jeong Yoon-chul. The film applies techniques of Magical realism to problems arising from the Narcissism of small differences that plagues the modern Korean conscience.- Plot :...
(2008) - My Eleventh Mother (2007)
- HappinessHappiness (2007 film)Happiness is a 2007 South Korean film, directed by Heo Jin-ho and starring Hwang Jung-min and Im Su-jeong. It is a love story about two people who meet while battling serious illnesses.-Plot:...
(2007) - Black HouseBlack House (film)Black House is a 2007 South Korean film directed by Shin Tae-ra. The story centers around an insurance agent that suspects a family murdered their son to receive his insurance policy....
(2007) - Bloody TieBloody TieBloody Tie is a South Korean film released in 2006. Directed by Choi Ho, it stars Hwang Jung-min as a detective trying to track down a drug lord by cooperating with a mid-level drug dealer, played by Ryu Seung-beom.-External links:*...
(2006) - Over the Hedge (2006) - Korean dubbingDubbing (filmmaking)Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
- All for Love (2005)
- You Are My SunshineYou Are My Sunshine (film)You Are My Sunshine is a 2005 South Korean film directed by Park Jin-pyo and starring Jeon Do-yeon and Hwang Jung-min in the lead roles. Released in Korea on 23 September, it was the ninth most successful domestic film of the year, selling more than three million tickets nationwide.The official...
(2005) - Heaven's SoldiersHeaven's SoldiersHeaven's Soldiers is a 2005 film from South Korea, directed by Min Joon Gi. It is an action and humorous movie shifting back and forth between high tension and comedy, and combining elements of many genres such as war films, time travel and historical drama.- Plot :The film begins with high-level...
(2005) - A Bittersweet LifeA Bittersweet LifeA Bittersweet Life is a 2005 South Korean film directed and written by Kim Ji-woon and starring Lee Byung-hun...
(2005) - This Charming GirlThis Charming GirlThis Charming Girl is an award-winning South Korean drama written and directed Lee Yoon-ki.-Plot:The story of Jeong-Hye , a 29 year-old woman who has retreated into the safety of a completely solitary and seemingly mundane lifestyle as the result of some trauma from her past...
(2005) - Twentidentity short - Under a Big Tree (2004)
- The Wolf Returns (2004)
- A Good Lawyer's WifeA Good Lawyer's WifeA Good Lawyer's Wife is a 2003 South Korean film written and directed by Im Sang-soo. The film is about the various affairs of members of a dysfunctional South Korean family.-Plot:...
(2003) - YMCA Baseball TeamYMCA Baseball Team (film)YMCA Baseball Team is a semi-historical 2002 South Korean comedy film.In 1905, there was a confluence of international events leading to the loss of Chosŏn Korean sovereignty, and by 1910, Japan formally annexed Korea outright...
(2002) - Road Movie (2002)
- Waikiki BrothersWaikiki BrothersWaikiki Brothers is a 2001 South Korean film, set in the 1980s, about a group of high school friends who form a band. It was selected to appear in the 2002 Kima Film Festival. In 2004 it inspired a musical of the same name starring North Korean defector Kim Young-un....
(2001) - The She (2001)
- ShiriShiri (film)Shiri is a 1999 South Korean action film, written and directed by Kang Je-gyu.Swiri was the first Hollywood-style big-budget blockbuster to be produced in the "new" Korean film industry...
(1999) - The General's SonGeneral's SonGeneral's Son is a popular and award-winning South Korean film directed by Im Kwon-taek. It was the most highly-attended film in South Korea in both 1990 and 1991...
(1990)
Theater
- The Wedding SingerThe Wedding Singer (musical)The Wedding Singer is a musical with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy. It is based on the 1998 film The Wedding Singer.-Synopsis:Act 1...
(2009-2010) - University of LaughsWarai no Daigaku: University of LaughsWarai no Daigaku: University of Laughs is a story by Japanese dramatist Mitani Koki which began as a play in 1997 starring actors Nishimura Masahiko as the Censor and Kondo Yoshimasa as the Playwright...
(2008) - NineNine (musical)Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
(2008) - 42nd Street42nd Street (musical)42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
(2004) - TommyThe Who's TommyThe Who's Tommy is a rock musical by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff based on The Who's 1969 double album rock opera Tommy, also by Pete Townshend, with additional material by John Entwistle, Keith Moon and Sonny Boy Williamson.-Productions:...
(2001) - CatsCats (musical)Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
(1999) - Moskito (1999)
- Jesus Christ SuperstarJesus Christ SuperstarJesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
(1997) - Gaeddongi (1997-1998)
- Blood Brothers (1997)
- Line 1 (1995-1996, 2000, 2006)
Awards
- 2011 : Fantasia FestivalFantasia FestivalFantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
- Best Actor (The UnjustThe UnjustThe Unjust is 2010 South Korean crime film by Ryu Seung-wan. It was screened in the Panorama section at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:*Hwang Jung-min ... Choi Cheol-Gi*Ryu Seung-beom ... Joo-Yang...
) - 2006 : Golden Cinematography Awards (Korean Society of Cinematographers) - Best Actor (You Are My SunshineYou Are My Sunshine (film)You Are My Sunshine is a 2005 South Korean film directed by Park Jin-pyo and starring Jeon Do-yeon and Hwang Jung-min in the lead roles. Released in Korea on 23 September, it was the ninth most successful domestic film of the year, selling more than three million tickets nationwide.The official...
) - 2005 : Korean Film AwardsKorean Film AwardsThe Korean Film Award is a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the MBC.-Awards:The categories are*Best Film*Best Director*Best New Director*Best Leading Actor*Best Leading Actress*Best Supporting Actor*Best Supporting Actress...
- Best Actor (You Are My SunshineYou Are My Sunshine (film)You Are My Sunshine is a 2005 South Korean film directed by Park Jin-pyo and starring Jeon Do-yeon and Hwang Jung-min in the lead roles. Released in Korea on 23 September, it was the ninth most successful domestic film of the year, selling more than three million tickets nationwide.The official...
) - 2005 : Korean Film AwardsKorean Film AwardsThe Korean Film Award is a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the MBC.-Awards:The categories are*Best Film*Best Director*Best New Director*Best Leading Actor*Best Leading Actress*Best Supporting Actor*Best Supporting Actress...
- Best Supporting Actor (A Bittersweet LifeA Bittersweet LifeA Bittersweet Life is a 2005 South Korean film directed and written by Kim Ji-woon and starring Lee Byung-hun...
) - 2005 : Blue Dragon Film AwardsBlue Dragon Film AwardsThe Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea....
- Best Actor (You Are My SunshineYou Are My Sunshine (film)You Are My Sunshine is a 2005 South Korean film directed by Park Jin-pyo and starring Jeon Do-yeon and Hwang Jung-min in the lead roles. Released in Korea on 23 September, it was the ninth most successful domestic film of the year, selling more than three million tickets nationwide.The official...
) - 2005 : Grand Bell AwardsGrand Bell AwardsThe Grand Bell Awards is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea....
- Best Supporting Actor (A Bittersweet LifeA Bittersweet LifeA Bittersweet Life is a 2005 South Korean film directed and written by Kim Ji-woon and starring Lee Byung-hun...
) - 2002 : Director's Cut Awards - Best New Actor (Road Movie)
- 2002 : Blue Dragon Film AwardsBlue Dragon Film AwardsThe Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea....
- Best New Actor (Road Movie) - 2002 : Pusan Film Critics AwardsPusan Film Critics AwardsThe Pusan Film Critics Awards have been presented in South Korea since the founding of the prize by the Korea Pusan Film Critics Association. The winners of the awards are announced yearly just prior to the Pusan International Film Festival...
- Best New Actor (Road Movie) - 2002 : Korean Film AwardsKorean Film AwardsThe Korean Film Award is a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the MBC.-Awards:The categories are*Best Film*Best Director*Best New Director*Best Leading Actor*Best Leading Actress*Best Supporting Actor*Best Supporting Actress...
- Best Supporting Actor (Waikiki BrothersWaikiki BrothersWaikiki Brothers is a 2001 South Korean film, set in the 1980s, about a group of high school friends who form a band. It was selected to appear in the 2002 Kima Film Festival. In 2004 it inspired a musical of the same name starring North Korean defector Kim Young-un....
)
External links
- Hwang Jung-min at Yedang Entertainment
- Hwang Jeong-min at HanCinema