Kim Joo-hun

Kim Joo-hun (born March 1, 1980) is a South Korean theater, television and film actor.

Kim was born on March 1, 1980, in Pohang, Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.

He has an older sister.

Initially, he pursued a major in sculpture at Hongik University College of Fine Arts.

However, after completing his military service, his aspirations shifted towards acting, leading him to enroll in the acting department.

Kim continued his education at the Seoul Institute of the Arts where he successfully earned a bachelor's degree in Theater and Film.

Throughout his studies, he developed a stronger affinity for film classes, participating in only a handful of theater productions.

He debuted in 2007 in play Gangster Number 1.

In 2007, Kim made his debut in the play Gangster No.1.

The play delved into the story of a gangster's rise to power.

It Shed light on an era marked by intense competition and materialistic pursuits.

The play was performed at Theater Tree and Water of Daehak-ro Art Theater, running from August 8 until September 30.

In 2008, Kim acted in the independent short black and white film A Matter of Principle.

It advanced to the finals of the Mise-en-Scène Short Film Festival and was screened at Yongsan CGV from June 26 to July 2, 2008.

While performing in a college play, Kim and fellow actor Shim Jae-hyun caught the attention of Professor Park Geun-hyung, a renowned professor of Seoul Institute of the Arts and the leader of Alleyway Theater Company.

Professor Park invited them to one of his own play.

He was a member of Alleyway Theater Company from 2009 until 2014.

This led to Kim being cast in the Korean production of Marat/Sade (2009) by playwright Peter Weiss, produced by the Seoul Theater Company and directed by Park Geun-hyung himself.

As a result, Kim joined the Alleyway Theater Company as a member.

This performance had a profound impact on Kim's theater career, earning him the Best Actor award at the 11th Two-hander Theater Festival.

In 2013, as part of the 10th Anniversary Festival of Alleyway Theater Company, Kim delivered a remarkable portrayal of poet Yi Sang in the Korean two-hander play Raising the Sun in the Sky, written by playwright Kwon Tae and directed by Lee Eun-joon.

Subsequently, he took on a minor role in the feature film Way Back Home (2013), followed by The Con Artists (2014).

After leaving the Alleyway Theater Company in 2014, Kim took a hiatus from theater acting, during which he worked as a construction laborer to make ends meet.

In 2015, Kim signed an exclusive contract with Urban Entertaintment.

He accepted minor roles in various films, and subsequently appeared in Tazza: The Hidden Card (2015), Planck Constant (2015), The Accidental Detective (2015), A Violent Prosecutor (2016), and a box office film Train to Busan (2016).

He also made his television debut with minor roles in the OCN drama series Squad 38.

It was based on Kim Geum-hee's novel of the same name, which had won the grand prize at the 7th Young Artist Award in 2016.

Kim was cast in the drama special because director Yoo Young-eun had seen one of his theater performances.

Kim collaborated with director Yoo Young-eun once again in another KBS drama special called Dreamers, where he portrayed the person in charge of managing the dream world.

His character has control over those who forget reality and escape into their dreams.

In the spring of 2017, Kim made his return to Daehak-ro by portraying Håkon Håkonsson, King-elect of Norway, in the premiere of a Korean adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play The Pretenders, titled The Claimants of the Throne. Directed by Kim Gwang-bo and written by Ko Yeon-ok, who had previously collaborated on a project, the performance took place at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts M Theater.

Later that year, in the fall of 2017, Kim took on the role of French Diplomat Rene Gallimard in the third Korean adaptation of David Henry Hwang’s play M. Butterfly, as part of The Best Plays Festival's repertoire.

Directed by Kim Dong-yeon, the play ran from September to December at the Art One Theater Hall 1.

Kim rose to prominence as an actor after his role as Ahn Jae-geun, a whistleblower at Seomyoung Foods, in the tvN drama Argon (2017), where he was praised for his captivating performance.

He then went on to star in the KBS drama special Too Bright for Romance, playing the role of the famous theater critic Kim Hyung-seok.

He is best known for his roles in the television series Encounter (2018), Dr. Romantic 2 (2020), It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020), Now, We Are Breaking Up (2021), Big Mouth (2022), and Castaway Diva (2023).

Directed by Yoo Young-eun, this drama special was the fourth installment of the KBS Drama Special 2018 series, which aired on October 5, 2018.

This drama special was the seventh installment of the KBS Drama Special 2018 series, which aired on October 25, 2018.

Prior to the drama airing, Kim signed an exclusive contract with on October 23, 2018.

Kim gained wider recognition after starring in the 2018 tvN drama series Encounter, where he portrays Lee Dae-chan, the easy-going and cheerful owner of 'Chan's Golbaengi'.