Song Joong-ki

Song Joong-ki (born September 19, 1985) is a South Korean actor.

He also repeatedly watched Tim Burton's 1990 romantic fantasy Edward Scissorhands, Matt Reeves' 2010 vampire flick Let Me In, and Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.

Song made his acting debut in the 2008 period film A Frozen Flower.

The following year, he appeared in the couple-swapping segment "Believe in the Moment" of omnibus Five Senses of Eros and continued to take on small but notable roles in Triple and Will It Snow for Christmas?.

Song also became a regular host of KBS Friday music program Music Bank from 2009 to 2010.

He rose to fame in the historical coming-of-age drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010) and the variety show Running Man (2010–2011) as one of the original cast members.

He then appeared in the 2010 medical drama OB & GY, and animal movie sequel Hearty Paws 2.

Song also joined the cast of variety program Running Man from 2010 to 2011.

In late 2010, he went on a bicycling tour around Sydney, which aired two episodes on TV via ELLE, an offshoot of the eponymous fashion magazine.

Moreover, a TV special of the actor's trip to Japan entitled I'm Real: Song Joong-ki aired two parts in early 2011.

Song later became an MC for jTBC audition program Made in U.

In 2011, Song starred as a jobless deadbeat in the romantic comedy Penny Pinchers.

His acting performance was praised by critics, declaring him a "charismatic, Swoon-worthy leading man with a viable presence."

Song took on the role of the young king Sejong in Deep Rooted Tree (2011).

Critics praised Song's performance, calling it a portrayal of a genius who "realizes the futility of power early in life" and hides in his books to cope with growing up under the rule of his tyrannical father Taejong.

Song received the PD Award at the 2011 SBS Drama Awards for the role.

Since then, he has played a diverse spectrum of roles in the television series The Innocent Man (2012), Descendants of the Sun (2016), Arthdal Chronicles (2019), Vincenzo (2021), and Reborn Rich (2022), as well as the hit films A Werewolf Boy (2012), The Battleship Island (2017), and Space Sweepers (2021).

Song was Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year in 2012 and in 2017.

He continued to study part-time after deciding to enter the entertainment industry full-time during his third year of university, eventually graduating with a degree in Business Administration (minor in broadcasting) in 2012.

Song first appeared in a TV show as a contestant on KBS's Quiz Korea, substituting for a senior who was sick.

Song eventually won second place.

This brought him significant attention, and he became a cover model for the university magazine College.

He later narrated the six-part documentary Tears of the Antarctic for MBC program Tears of the Earth (2012), which focuses on pressing environmental issues on the planet and donated his entire salary to charity.

He reprised his role as the narrator when the series was re-edited and released in theaters as Pengi and Sommi (2012).

The Korea Times highlighted his talking baritone when addressing his narration role.

He later went on a fan-meeting tour called Song Joong-ki Asia Fan Meeting Tour – THRILL & LOVE, holding fan meetings in Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea.

Song described 2012 as a "phenomenal year" for his career.

He played the titular character in fantasy romance film A Werewolf Boy, which premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival.

In preparation for his role, Song watched nature documentaries and observed stray dogs on the streets to learn how to mime and imitate the body movements of an animal.

He was first included in the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list in 2013 placing seventh, and subsequently ranking second in 2017, and seventh in 2018.

The success of his TV series and film works internationally established him as a top Hallyu star in the Korean entertainment industry.

Song Joong-ki was born in Dong District, Daejeon, South Korea as the middle child of three siblings.

He was raised in a rural outskirts of the city.

He competed in short track speed skating and represented his home city at a national level; his skating background would prove useful for his role as a national team skater in the TV series Triple.

An injury forced him to give up the sport during his first year of high school.

He excelled in his studies all through high school and scored 380 points out of 400 on his national college entrance test, gaining admission to Sungkyunkwan University.

While in Seoul preparing for the entrance test, he was scouted on the subway by an agent but did not immediately enter the entertainment industry as he was still ambivalent about his career path, and because his father had initially been against him becoming an actor.

Song later released the book Beautiful Skin Project, a bestselling health and beauty guide for men (which was re-released in Japan in 2013).

Song's breakthrough came in the fusion historical drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal where he played the role of an 18th-century Joseon-era rich, indolent playboy.

Despite stable but unspectacular ratings, the drama became a cult hit and his on-screen "bromance" with actor Yoo Ah-in was popular with viewers.