Ji Chang-wook is a South Korean actor with a lengthy list of works and diverse roles. In this week’s Actor Spotlight we are diving into the career of this very talented actor.
Beginnings
Chang-wook started his acting career in musical theater. In 2006, he made his on-screen debut in the film ‘Days…’. He had supporting roles for the drama ‘You Stole My Heart’ and the movie ‘Sleeping Beauty’ in 2008.
In 2009 he appeared in the dramas ‘My Too Perfect Sons’ and ‘Hero’. These productions were followed by the movie ‘Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp’ and the drama ‘Smile Again’ in 2010.
His performance in the drama ‘Smile Again’ earned him the award “Excellent Actor (daily drama)” in the 2011 KBS Drama Awards.
‘Warrior Baek Dong Soo’ was Chang-wook’s first leading role. Released in 2011, this Joseon-era based historical series was well received by viewers, and he received the “New Star Award” at the 2011 SBS Drama Awards.
The same year he was casted for the main role in the drama ‘Bachelor’s Vegetable Store’, based on a real story.
Mainstream Success
In 2012, he was casted for his first role as the antagonist in the drama ‘Five Fingers’. In this production, Chang-wook showed the diversity of his acting. Check the trailer below.
He returned to musical theater in 2013 with the production ‘The Days’, in the same year, he had a cameo in the movie ‘How to Use Guys with Secret Tips’.
One of his most well-known roles was in the drama ‘Empress Ki’, this MBC drama had a viewership of 35.12% in Korea, and was acclaimed for its acting and storyline. With this production Ji Chang-wook won the “Excellent Actor (special project)” award in the 2013 MBC Awards.
His next project was in the series ‘Secret Love’, he appeared in the last two episodes with the role of a guardian angel.
His popularity rose internationally with his 2014 production ‘Healer’. This drama was well received nationwide, and led him to make his debut in the Chinese entertainment industry with the dramas ‘The Whirlwind Girl 2’ and ‘Mr. Right’.
He was the main lead for the drama ‘The K2’, this tvN 2016 drama was really popular. With this drama he became the highest-paid actor for a tvN drama and he did all the stunts for this project too. Check the trailer below.
In the same year he also participated in the web-drama ‘7 First Kisses’. Before enlisting, he filmed the drama ‘Suspicious Partner’ and the movies ‘Fabricated City’ and ‘The Bros’ in 2017.
2019 – Upcoming projects
He returned to the small screen in 2019 with the rom-com ‘Melting Me Softly’, this role was followed by the SBS production ‘Backstreet Rookie’ in 2020.
His latest production was the KakaoTV web-drama ‘Lovestruck in the City’, which aired from late 2020 till the beginning of 2021. He is also confirmed to be participating in the upcoming Netflix production ‘The Sound of Music’.
Ji Chang-wook is a well-rounded actor with very impressive skills. He is also known for participating in the OSTs of the dramas he has filmed, make sure to check out the singles he has released here.
