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Quick Facts
Biography
Jo In-sung (Hangul: 조인성; born July 28, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television series What Happened in Bali (2004), That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013), and It's Okay, That's Love (2014), as well as the films The Classic (2003), A Dirty Carnival (2006), A Frozen Flower (2008) and The King (2017).
Early life
Jo In-sung was born and raised in Gangdong District, Seoul, South Korea. His childhood dream was to become a Taekwondo trainer.
Career
1998–2001: Beginnings and rise to fame
Jo made his entertainment debut in 1998 as a model for clothing brand Ziozia. In 2000, he began his acting career by starring in the teen drama School 3 and in the second season of the sitcom Nonstop.
Jo first drew notice with a supporting role in the 2001 television drama Piano, co-starring Go Soo and Kim Ha-neul. He was then cast in his first drama leading role in 2002, as an illiterate actor in Shoot for the Stars opposite Jeon Do-yeon. The same year, he made his film debut in the movie Public Toilet.
2003–2008: Mainstream popularity
In 2003, Jo starred in three romance films, most notably Kwak Jae-yong's The Classic, with Son Ye-jin and Jo Seung-woo.
In 2004, he returned to television in the melodrama What Happened in Bali, alongside Ha Ji-won and So Ji-sub. What Happened in Bali was a huge success, with its final episode reaching a peak rating of 39.7%. Jo won Best Actor awards at both the Baeksang Arts Awards and SBS Drama Awards.
In 2005, he starred opposite Go Hyun-jung in her comeback drama Spring Day, a remake of the Japanese drama Hoshi no Kinka ("Heaven's Coins").
Jo collaborated with renowned director Yoo Ha in his next two films: 2006's A Dirty Carnival, in which he played a charismatic small-time gangster who seeks a happier life; and 2008's A Frozen Flower, a Goryeo-period film where his royal bodyguard character is caught in a love triangle between the king and the queen.
In 2008, he appeared in two episodes of the MBC comedy variety show Infinite Challenge on March 15 and 22. These episodes were about wrestling training in order to encourage South Korean national team before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
2009–2012: Enlistment
On April 7, 2009, Jo enlisted for his two-year mandatory military service; he reportedly wanted to join the Air Force to follow in the footsteps of his father, who served as a non-commissioned officer. He served 25 months in the Air Force and the Air Force military band, and was discharged on May 4, 2011.
Upon the expiry of his contract with talent agency SidusHQ, Jo joined IOK Company in March 2012.
2013–present
In 2013, he co-starred in the melodrama That Winter, the Wind Blows alongside Song Hye-kyo, a remake of the Japanese drama Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu ("I Don't Need Love, Summer"). The drama placed number one in its timeslot during most of its run, and Jo and Song were praised for their performances. A year later, Jo reunited with Winter's writer and director in SBS' medical melo It's Okay, That's Love opposite Gong Hyo-jin. Jo won the Daesang (Grand Prize), the highest honor for television at the APAN Star Awards.
In 2017, Jo starred in the crime thriller The King alongside Jung Woo-sung, directed by The Face Reader director Han Jae-rim. The same year, he was cast in historical film Ansi City.
Personal life
Jo studied modeling and events management at Chunnam Techno University. He later enrolled as a Theater and Film major at Dongguk University, but dropped out in 2007 due to inadequate class attendance.
Jo was in a relationship with actress Kim Min-hee from 2013 to 2014.
In 2016, actor Kim Woo-bin revealed his 9-member "group" of actors which includes Kim himself, Jo In-sung, Song Joong-ki, Lim Ju-hwan, Bae Seong-woo, Cha Tae-hyun, Kim Ki-bang, Exo's D.O. and Lee Kwang-soo.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2002 | Public Toilet | Cho |
2003 | Madeleine | Kang Ji-suk |
The Classic | Oh Sang-min | |
Love Impossible | Kim Chul-soo | |
2006 | A Dirty Carnival | Kim Byung-doo |
2008 | A Frozen Flower | Hong-rim |
2017 | The King | Park Tae-soo |
2018 | Ansi City | Yang Manchun |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Network |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | School 3 | Kim Seok-joo | KBS1 |
New Nonstop | Jo In-sung | MBC | |
2001 | Drama City "Love Me Tender" | Joon-ho | KBS2 |
Drama City "Like a Pure Comic" | Kim Jung-hyun | KBS2 | |
Piano | Lee Kyung-ho | SBS | |
2002 | Daemang (Great Ambition) | young Lee Soo (cameo, episode 1) | SBS |
Shoot for the Stars | Gu Sung-tae | SBS | |
2004 | What Happened in Bali | Jung Jae-min | SBS |
2005 | Spring Day | Go Eun-sup | SBS |
2013 | That Winter, the Wind Blows | Oh Soo | SBS |
2014 | It's Okay, That's Love | Jang Jae-yeol | SBS |
2016 | Dear My Friends | Seo Yeon-ha (cameo) | tvN |
Music video
Year | Song title | Artist |
---|---|---|
2000 | "She's Leaving Me" | |
"Now" | ||
2002 | "Sad Love" | |
"You Don't Know" | ||
"Fool" | ||
2012 | "Love" |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Young Actor | School 3 | Won |
2001 | MBC Entertainment Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Comedy/Sitcom | New Nonstop | Won |
SBS Drama Awards | New Star Award | Piano | Won | |
2002 | 38th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor (TV) | Nominated | |
SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Planning Drama | Shoot for the Stars | Nominated | |
Netizen Popularity Award | Won | |||
Top 10 Stars | Won | |||
2004 | 40th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | What Happened in Bali | Won |
SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Won | ||
Top 10 Stars | Won | |||
2005 | 41st Baeksang Arts Awards | Most Popular Actor (TV) | Spring Day | Won |
SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Nominated | ||
Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Planning Drama | Nominated | |||
Netizen Popularity Award | Won | |||
Top 10 Stars | Won | |||
2006 | 27th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | A Dirty Carnival | Nominated |
5th Korean Film Awards | Best Actor | Won | ||
2007 | 4th Max Movie Awards | Best Actor | Won | |
43rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Nominated | ||
Pyeongtaek Film Festival | New Currents Best Actor | Won | ||
45th Motion Pictures Day | Most Promising Actor | Won | ||
44th Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
1st Mnet 20's Choice Awards | Best Actor | Won | ||
Most Photogenic Star | N/A | Won | ||
Best CF Star | N/A | Won | ||
12th Pusan International Film Festival | Star Summit Asia - Curtain Call | N/A | Won | |
Korea Advertising Festival | Netizen's Choice for Best Male Model | N/A | Won | |
2011 | Republic of Korea Air Force | Honorary Citation from the Chief of Staff | N/A | Won |
Korea Advertisers' Association | Good Model Award | N/A | Won | |
2012 | 49th Savings Day | Presidential Commendation | N/A | Won |
2013 | 7th Mnet 20's Choice Awards | 20's Drama Star - Male | That Winter, the Wind Blows | Nominated |
8th Seoul International Drama Awards | Outstanding Korean Actor | Nominated | ||
2nd APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Nominated | ||
SBS Drama Awards | SBS Special Award | Won | ||
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Nominated | |||
Top 10 Stars | Won | |||
Best Couple Award with Song Hye-kyo | Nominated | |||
2014 | 2nd Sohu Fashion Awards | Fashion Idol of the Year | N/A | Won |
7th Style Icon Awards | Style Icon of the Year | N/A | Won | |
Top 10 Style Icons | N/A | Won | ||
11th Esquire Man at His Best Awards | Most Popular Overseas Artist | N/A | Won | |
3rd APAN Star Awards | Daesang (Grand Prize) | It's Okay, That's Love | Won | |
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Nominated | |||
SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Nominated | ||
Top 10 Stars | Won | |||
Best Couple Award with Gong Hyo-jin | Won | |||
2015 | 51st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | Nominated |