Jo Jae-hyeon
Encyclopedia
Cho Jae-hyun is a South Korea
n film, stage, and TV actor. He is commonly dubbed "director Kim Ki-duk
's persona
" since Cho has starred as leading and supporting characters in almost all films directed by Kim.
area, Seoul. In a 2002 interview with the film magazine, Cine 21, Cho said he was a rebellious boy wandering outside of home. He aspired to be a painter, so tried to enter an art high school but failed. When he entered another high school, Cho ran away from home to Busan
. Cho worked as a waiter there, and studied on his own to pass a qualification exam equivalent to obtaining a high school diploma
. However, Cho failed it, so returned to Seoul to finish his high school year.
Cho was admitted to study film and drama at Kyungsung University. Cho recollected he indulged himself in Busan's culture during his freshman and sophomore years, while he focused on theater for the rest of his university years. Cho said a question from his junior in school during his third summer break shook him to rethink about his future; "What would you do after the graduation from the school?" Cho said he felt shame at the time because he could not clearly answer the question. Therefore, Cho shaped his head and started dedicating to acting.
in The Age of Ambition (야먕의 세월). Though, theater stages were his main ground. As Cho and his friends established a theatrical company named "Jongak" (종각, literally "Bell Pavilion"), the company raised several works on the stage such as Tricycles (세발자전거, 1989), Look Back in Anger
(성난 얼굴로 돌아보라, 1990) and The Lovers of Woomook-baemi
(우묵배미의 사랑, 1990). In the period, Cho set his first priority in play than TV or film. In 1991, Cho won New Actor in Theater at the year's PaekSang Arts Awards
for his acting for Equus
in which he recreated the leading role, Alan as an innocent person which is largely depicted as a cruel and rebellious character.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n film, stage, and TV actor. He is commonly dubbed "director Kim Ki-duk
Kim Ki-duk
Kim Ki-duk is a South Korean filmmaker noted for his idiosyncratic "art-house" cinematic works. His films have received many distinctions in the festival circuit. He is not related to the Kim Ki-duk who directed Yonggary in the 1960s...
's persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
" since Cho has starred as leading and supporting characters in almost all films directed by Kim.
Early years and education
Cho Jae-hyun was born in Seoul in 1965. He and his family lived in a poor neighborhood on the slopes of a hill until his father became successful with his restaurant business in the JongnoJongno
Jongno is one of the oldest major east-west thoroughfares in central Seoul, South Korea, connecting Sejongno to Dongdaemun. It remains one of Seoul's most important financial and cultural areas to this day...
area, Seoul. In a 2002 interview with the film magazine, Cine 21, Cho said he was a rebellious boy wandering outside of home. He aspired to be a painter, so tried to enter an art high school but failed. When he entered another high school, Cho ran away from home to Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
. Cho worked as a waiter there, and studied on his own to pass a qualification exam equivalent to obtaining a high school diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
. However, Cho failed it, so returned to Seoul to finish his high school year.
Cho was admitted to study film and drama at Kyungsung University. Cho recollected he indulged himself in Busan's culture during his freshman and sophomore years, while he focused on theater for the rest of his university years. Cho said a question from his junior in school during his third summer break shook him to rethink about his future; "What would you do after the graduation from the school?" Cho said he felt shame at the time because he could not clearly answer the question. Therefore, Cho shaped his head and started dedicating to acting.
Acting career
After the graduation, Cho was selected as a TV actor by a public recruit of Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), and officially debuted as a professional actor by starring as the youngest little brother of Yu In-chonYu In-chon
Yu In-chon is a South Korean actor and the current Minister of Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Yu In-chon was born in the city of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, South Korea in 1951. He graduated with the bacheolor degree in theater and film from Chung-Ang University...
in The Age of Ambition (야먕의 세월). Though, theater stages were his main ground. As Cho and his friends established a theatrical company named "Jongak" (종각, literally "Bell Pavilion"), the company raised several works on the stage such as Tricycles (세발자전거, 1989), Look Back in Anger
Look Back in Anger
Look Back in Anger is a John Osborne play—made into films in 1959, 1980, and 1989 -- about a love triangle involving an intelligent but disaffected young man , his upper-middle-class, impassive wife , and her haughty best friend . Cliff, an amiable Welsh lodger, attempts to keep the peace...
(성난 얼굴로 돌아보라, 1990) and The Lovers of Woomook-baemi
The Lovers of Woomook-baemi
Lovers of Woomuk-Baemi aka A Short Love Affair is a 1990 South Korean film directed by Jang Sun-woo.-Cast:* Park Joong-hoon... Il-do* Choi Myoung-gil... Gong-ryae* Yoo Hye-ri... Sae-daek...
(우묵배미의 사랑, 1990). In the period, Cho set his first priority in play than TV or film. In 1991, Cho won New Actor in Theater at the year's PaekSang Arts Awards
PaekSang Arts Awards
PaekSang Arts Awards, also known as BaekSang Arts Awards, is an awards ceremony held annually by IS PLUS Corp, since 1965. It is to honour outstanding achievements in the South Korean entertainment industry and to garner public attention upon the best in Korean films and dramas...
for his acting for Equus
Equus (play)
Equus is a play by Peter Shaffer written in 1973, telling the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses....
in which he recreated the leading role, Alan as an innocent person which is largely depicted as a cruel and rebellious character.
Personal life
When Cho Jae-hyun was 24 years old in 1989, he married his university sweetheart who was an anchor for the university TV. He has one daughter and son. His son, Cho Su-hun is a short track speed skater who won a gold metal from the 500 meter competition for male university students at the 2008 Korean National Winter Sports Festival.Movies
- CrocodileCrocodile (1996 film)Crocodile is a 1996 South Korean film. It was the directorial debut of Ki-duk Kim and stars Cho Jae-hyun as "Crocodile".The film tells the story of a man living at the edge of the Han River in Seoul, who saves a woman trying to commit suicide. He then proceeds to rape and abuse her until an odd...
(1996) - Wild AnimalsWild AnimalsWild Animals is Korean director Kim Ki-duk's second film, released in 1996. It is a crime-drama film set in Paris, and stars Cho Jae-hyun, Dong-jik Jang and Ryun Jang.- Cast :...
(1996) - Girls' Night OutGirls' Night Out (film)Girls' Night Out is a South Korean film, released in 1998 and directed by Im Sang-soo. It centers around three women, whose overt sexual dialogue caused a stir when the film was released....
(1998) - Interview (2000)
- The IsleThe IsleThe Isle is a 2000 South Korean film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk. The film was the fifth film made by Kim, and the first to receive wider international acclaim for his recognizable style...
(2000) - Bad GuyBad Guy (film)Bad Guy is a South Korean film by director Kim Ki-duk about a man who traps a woman into prostitution, then becomes protective of her. The film was controversial for its frank portrayal of gangsters, prostitution, and sexual slavery, but also was a minor box office hit as its release coincided with...
(2001) - Address UnknownAddress Unknown (2001 film)Address Unknown is a 2001 South Korean film directed by Kim Ki-duk. It was the opening movie of the 2001 Venice Film Festival.-Overview:...
(2001) - Sword in the MoonSword in the MoonSword in the Moon is a 2003 South Korean film. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
(2003) - Love, So DivineLove, So DivineLove, So Divine is a 2004 South Korean romantic comedy film starring Ha Ji-won and Kwon Sang-woo, and the directorial debut of Heo In-moo. Released in Korea on August 6, 2004, the film sold over 1.2 million tickets nationwide.- Plot summary :...
(2004) - Romance (2006)
- Hanbando (2006)
- Beyond the YearsBeyond the YearsBeyond the Years is a 2007 South Korean film. Celebrated director Im Kwon-taek's 100th film, it is based on the novel The Wanderer of Seonhakdong, and was presented at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival...
(2007) - Marine BoyMarine Boy (film)Marine Boy is a 2009 South Korean film. The feature film debut of writer and director Yoon Jong-seok, it stars Kim Kang-woo, Cho Jae-hyun and Park Si-yeon in the lead roles. Marine Boy is the story of a former national swimmer who finds himself in debt, and out of desperation is employed as a mule...
(2009)
TV Series
- Gye BaekGye Baek (TV series)Gye Baek is a 2011 MBC television series which was currently aired with 32 episodes; it stars Lee Seo-jin who played Gye-baek, a Baekje general who is best friend of King Euija, who fought against enemies, and also Cha In-pyo, who made cameo as Gye-baek's father-Cast:*Lee Seo Jin as General...
(MBC,2011) - New Heart (MBC, 2007)
- Smile Of Spring Day (MBC, 2005)
- Hong Kong ExpressHong Kong Express (TV Series)Hong Kong Express is a Korean television drama broadcast by SBS in 2005.-See also:*List of Korean television shows*Contemporary culture of South Korea*Action drama*Republic of Korea*Hong Kong-External links:**...
(2005) - Damo (MBC, 2003)
- Snowman (MBC, 2003)
- PianoPiano (TV series)Piano is a 16-episode South Korean television drama, aired by SBS in 2001 and 2002.-Synopsis:A gangster named Uhk-gwan discovered that he has a 10-year-old son named Jae-soo and will fall in love at first sight with a widow named Hae-lim, a mother of 2 children named Kyung-ho, 10 years old, and...
(SBS, 2001) - Legend (SBS, 2001)
- Rookie (SBS, 2001)
- Happy Together (SBS, 1999)
Theater
- 2009, EquusEquus (play)Equus is a play by Peter Shaffer written in 1973, telling the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses....
- 2009, Mindeulle baramdoeeo (Dandelion becomes the Wind 민들레 바람되어)
- 2008, The Return of President Eom (돌아온 엄사장, Doraon Eomsajang) as the producer
- 2008, Educating RitaEducating RitaEducating Rita is a stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell. It is a play for two actors set entirely in the office of an Open University lecturer....
Awards and recognitions
- 2008, 2008 PCG Awards, This Year's Communication Award
- 2008, MBC Drama Awards, Best Actor
- 2003, MBC Drama Awards, Special Award in Acting
- 2002, PaekSang Arts AwardsPaekSang Arts AwardsPaekSang Arts Awards, also known as BaekSang Arts Awards, is an awards ceremony held annually by IS PLUS Corp, since 1965. It is to honour outstanding achievements in the South Korean entertainment industry and to garner public attention upon the best in Korean films and dramas...
, Best Actor in Film - 2001, SBS Drama Awards, Best Acting
- 1999, KBS Drama Awards, Best Supporting Actor
- 1999, SBS Drama Awards, Best Supporting Actor
- 1993, PaekSang Arts AwardsPaekSang Arts AwardsPaekSang Arts Awards, also known as BaekSang Arts Awards, is an awards ceremony held annually by IS PLUS Corp, since 1965. It is to honour outstanding achievements in the South Korean entertainment industry and to garner public attention upon the best in Korean films and dramas...
New Actor in Film - 1992, 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....
, New Actor - 1991, PaekSang Arts AwardsPaekSang Arts AwardsPaekSang Arts Awards, also known as BaekSang Arts Awards, is an awards ceremony held annually by IS PLUS Corp, since 1965. It is to honour outstanding achievements in the South Korean entertainment industry and to garner public attention upon the best in Korean films and dramas...
New Actor in Play