Jo Jung-suk had always wanted to be on stage. He was admitted into the Theater department of Seoul Institute of the Arts on student loan, but after his father died in 2000, Jo's widowed mother became fully dependent on him. He was granted an exemption from military service due to family circumstances, and he quit school before graduating so he could start earning money by doing musicals. He made his professional acting debut in The Nutcracker in 2004.[4][unreliable source?]
Jo Jeong-suk said this in an interview with the past media,
"To be honest, I don't really like the word musical actor. I just want to be an actor. A really good actor." Financial News article on May 3, 2007[14]
2011–2018: Introduction to Architecture, breakout roles and success
In 2011, he landed his first television role on cable series What's Up as an awkward but talented music student.[15] But 2012 would be his breakout year, starring in two high-profile projects. In his big screen debut, he played a supporting role in box office hit Architecture 101.[16] As the young hero's best friend Nab-ddeuk, Jo's performance brimmed with personality and comic timing, and he won Best New Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards,[17] as well as received nominations from the Grand Bell Awards and Buil Film Awards. He was once again a scene stealer in his third onscreen role as earnest soldier Eun Shi-kyung in the drama seriesThe King 2 Hearts.[18] Jo's display of versatility and screen presence in those projects caused a surge in mainstream popularity for the actor, resulting in close to twenty offers for films and TV series, not to mention commercials.[19][20]
He next starred in big-screen comedy Almost Che, loosely based on a real-life incident from 1985, in which student activists forcibly occupied the US Cultural Center in Seoul and had a standoff with the police.[21][22]
In 2013, Jo Jung-suk starred in his first historical film, The Face Reader, alongside Song Kang-ho. Jo played the role of Paeng Heon, a character who holds the key to an important plot reversal in the film. He wanders around the eight provinces in the story. Jo received favorable reviews from critics for his excellent performance and established himself as an actor by winning the Best Supporting Actor award at both the Grand Bell Awards and the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.[23]Song Kang-ho praised Jo's performance, saying:
"Jo Jung-suk is a talented actor. He was imprinted on the public through 'Introduction to Architecture', but in fact, he expressed various emotions in The Face Reader. He seems to be an excellent performer, capable of acting with emotional depth rather than a comedic appearance." Sports Chosun, September 2, 2013.[24]
Then Jo returned to television in his first onscreen leading role in the 2013 family drama You Are the Best!.[25]
In 2015, Jo played an arrogant star chef who falls for his kitchen assistant who's been possessed by a virgin ghost in Oh My Ghost, which was a commercial and critical hit.[31][32] He also headlined The Exclusive: Beat the Devil's Tattoo, in which he played a TV news reporter who gets a scoop,[33][34] followed by the time-hopping thriller Time Renegade.[35]
In 2016, Jo played an announcer in SBS's romantic comedy Don't Dare to Dream who falls for a weather announcer (played by Gong Hyo-jin).[36] The series was a hit and led to increased popularity for Jo, who then became one of the most in-demand actors in the industry.[37] He then headlined the comedy-drama film My Annoying Brother alongside Park Shin-hye and Do Kyung-soo of Exo.[38] The film topped box office charts and earned positive reviews for Jo, who was praised for his comedic timing and chemistry with co-star Do.[39]
In 2017, Jo was cast in the gangster thriller The Drug King, directed by Woo Min-ho.[40] The same year, he made his small-screen comeback in MBC's fantasy comedy drama Two Cops.[41][42]
In 2018, Jo was cast in the action thriller film Hit-and-Run Squad in which he took a role as an antagonist.[43]
2019–present: Commercial success and musical career
Jo Jung-suk 2018
After the contract with Cultural Depot was terminated in February 2018, Jo Jung-suk worked as a free agent for a while.[44] In March 2019, he signed an exclusive contract with Jam Entertainment, a new agency. Later, he took on the role of Baek Yi-gang, the eldest son of the notorious stranger Baekga in the historical drama Nokdu Flower.[45][46]
In 2019, Jo starred alongside Im Yoon-ah in disasteraction comedy film written and directed by Lee Sang-geun, Exit. The film follows the story of Yongnam, a young unemployed man, who attempts to reconnect with an old crush, but following a chain of events, they end up trying to escape from a mysterious white gas that threatens to engulf the entire Seoul district.[47]Exit first premiered in South Korea on July 31, 2019.[48] It was considered a box office success earning over US$69.5 million worldwide, becoming South Korea's third highest-grossing domestic film for 2019.[49][50] Jo established himself as a box office actor with his acting skills and ticket power combined. He was nominated for the Best Actor Award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.[51]
In 2020, Jo starred as an assistant professor of general surgery, Lee Ik-jun, in the medical dramaHospital Playlist.[52] The television series was created by director Shin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jung of the Reply series. It recorded an audience rating of 14.1% in the final episode, and received positive reviews throughout its run. In 2021, Jo reprised the role in the second season.[53] Jo hosted the Jo Jung-suk Show at Mastercard Hall in Blue Square, Seoul, for two days on September 3–4, 2022.[54]
In 2024, Jo starred in the period dramaCaptivating the King, which aired on tvN from January 21 to March 3, 2024.[55][56] Jo portrays Yi In, a king caught up in political power struggles that falls in love with the spy Kang Hee-soo, played by Shin Se-kyung, who seeks revenge.[57] In that same year, Jo made a comeback in the musical Hedwig, appearing after an eight-year hiatus. The musical ran from March until June at the Charlotte Theater, Seoul. Its opening performance received positive reviews, with praise for Jo's performance.[58]
Jo is set to debut as a singer in 2024, marking Jo's 20th year in the entertainment industry. The project is headed by his best friend, CEO Jeong Sang-hoon, with assistance from comedian Moon Sang-hoon. Starring Gong Hyo-jin and Kim Dae-myung, the music video for his debut single will be directed by Yang Jung-woo, marking their first collaboration since Youth Over Flowers Iceland (2016). To promote the release, Jo will be holding a showcase on March 27, 2024, at Blue Square, Seoul, where he will present the songs and the album's concept.[59]
Endorsement
In 2021, there were 12 brands that Jo Jung-seok has been active as an advertising model. These products include mobile communications, credit cards, drinks, ramen, reading platforms, masks and more.[60] Jo was getting love calls from advertising since the success of Architecture 101 and the drama The King 2 Hearts in 2012. His first terrestrial TV commercial was as an LG U+ model.[61]
The success of the film My Annoying Brother established Jo further. He was selected as the brand ambassador of an online English learning platform in 2016.[62] His online English learning platform CF video had gone viral on social media.[63][64] Another famous viral CF of Jo's was his tuna CF with Son Na-eun.[65] In 2021, Jo ranked 4th in a CF revenue chart.[66]
Personal life
Jo has been in a relationship with singer Gummy since 2013.[67] In June 2018, it was announced that Jo would marry Gummy in fall.[68] On October 8, 2018, news broke that the couple got married privately.[69] On January 6, 2020, Gummy's agency confirmed that she was 7 weeks pregnant with the couple's first child.[70] On August 6, 2020, Jo and wife Gummy welcomed their first daughter.[71]
Philanthropy
In 2019, newlywed Jo Jeong-seok and Gummy, donated 30 million won to the National Disaster Relief Association.[72]
^The Golden Ticket Awards (골든티켓어워즈) is an awards ceremony that selects works and people who have shown the best ticket power by performance genre during the year. Since 2005, Interpark has held an awards ceremony by adding up ticket sales, ranking scores, and online voting for each year at the end of the year.
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External links
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