| Choi Min-soo | |||||||||||
| Image Upright: | 1.15 | ||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 27 March 1962 | ||||||||||
| Birth Place: | Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea[1] | ||||||||||
| Occupation: | Actor | ||||||||||
| Years Active: | 1985–present | ||||||||||
| Children: | 2 | ||||||||||
| Father: | Choi Moo-ryong | ||||||||||
| Mother: | Kang Hyo-shil | ||||||||||
| Module: |
| ||||||||||
Choi Min-soo (Korean: 최민수; born March 27, 1962) is a South Korean actor. He is known as one of the most acclaimed actors in South Korea. A superstar representing the Korean film industry, he conceptualized the "Choi Min-soo style" with his unique way of speaking and charismatic acting. His most notable works are 'Nambugun: North Korean Partisan in South Korea' (1990), What Is Love (1991), The Marriage Life (1992), The Terrorist (1995), Sandglass (1995), The Legend (2007), Happy Ending (2012), Man Who Dies to Live (2017), Lawless Lawyer (2018), and Numbers (2023).
Choi Min-soo was born on March 27, 1962, in Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea to actor Choi Moo-ryong and actress Kang Hyo-shil. Choi's father was a popular actor in the 1960s and 1970s. Choi is the fourth born of three daughters and one son to his parents. He has one half-sister from his father's second marriage to actress Kim Ji-mee and a half-brother and half-sister from his father's third marriage.[2]
Choi is a third generation actor from a family of actors. In addition to his parents, both of his maternal grandparents were actors. His grandmother is actress Jeon Ok, who was referred to as the 'Queen of Tears' for her excellence in acting in tragic dramas. His grandfather is Kang Hong-shik, who was an actor, film director, and singer active during the Japanese occupation period. Kang Hong-sik and Jeon Ok were the first married couple in the Korean entertainment industry. Choi's maternal grandparents later separated after Korea's liberation from Japanese colonialism. His grandmother stayed in South Korea with their daughter (Choi's mother), while his grandfather went over to North Korea with their son Kang Hyo-son, who later became an actor in North Korea.[3] [4]
Choi graduated from Lila Elementary School, Seongdong Middle School, Dongbuk High School, and the Seoul Institute of the Arts with a degree in Broadcasting and Entertainment.[5] [6]
After graduating from the Seoul Institute of the Arts, he debuted in 1986 in the film Son of God, playing the lead role. He then made his television debut in the KBS drama Skewers in 1987. He would continue to play lead roles in films.[7]
In 1990, he began to gain attention after playing poet Kim Young in the film Nambugun: North Korean Partisan in South Korea. His performance won him various rookie acting awards.[8] He would continue to establish his popularity as an actor with lead roles in the MBC dramas Humble Men and A Mob House in 1991. It would be his role in the drama What Is Love and the film The Marriage Life that would solidify his status as a top star. During this time, Choi had a 'tough guy' image from his debut role in Son of God, but the works that had garnered him mainstream popularity were comedy-orientated. He appeared in such comedy-orientated projects until around 1993. It was his role as a tough gangster in the 1993 drama Walking Up to Heaven that would cement his image as a 'tough guy'.
Choi went on to star in the romance films A Good Day to Fall in Love and My Old Sweetheart in 1995. His success would continue with his roles in the film The Terrorist and the drama Sandglass, winning him various prestigious acting awards.[9]
In 1996, he portrayed a psychopathic serial killer in the film Piano Man, which garnered moderate attention. Choi would continue to receive steady work, with some of his acting projects consisting of the films Blackjack in 1997 and Phantom, The Submarine in 1999. In 2000, he starred in the film Love Bakery, which received positive reviews, but performed poorly at the box office. In 2003, he starred in the drama South of the Sun, showing a different side to his 'tough guy' image. In 2005, he starred in the film Holiday.
During this time, Choi had roles in films outside of South Korea. In 2002, he starred in his first foreign project in the Japanese film Seoul, directed by Masahiko Nagasawa.[10] In 2005, he portrayed General Choi in the Hong Kong film directed by Stanley Tong, The Myth, alongside Jackie Chan.[11]
After 2006, Choi would begin to accept more television roles and appear less in film roles. In 2007, he starred in the historical fantasy series The Legend, which achieved high television ratings. His role in the drama won him an award and multiple nominations at the year end MBC Drama Awards.[12]
In 2012, Choi reunited with his The Marriage Life co-star Shim Hye-jin in the drama Happy Ending. He received praise for his acting, showcasing his dramatic and emotional acting skills in the drama.[13] [14] That same year, he made a cameo in episode 4 of the drama Faith, starring Lee Min-ho and Kim Hee-sun.[15]
In 2011, Choi made his American film debut in Serpent Rising. This marked his return to the big screen for the first time in 5 years.[16]
In 2014, he appeared in the MBC drama Pride and Prejudice as Moon Hee-man.[17] At the end-of-year 2014 MBC Drama Awards, Choi won the Golden Acting Award for his role in Pride and Prejudice. However, he did not attend the awards ceremony and refused to receive the award. His Pride and Prejudice co-star Baek Jin-hee received the award on his behalf and delivered his speech:
Choi's refusal of the award was due to his grief towards the Sewol ferry accident, which occurred on April 14 that year. The full speech was not aired due to 'complications'. Despite his refusal of the award, actress Baek Jin-hee stated that she would pass it on to him.[18] That same year, he returned to the Korean big screen for the first time in 8 years with How to Steal a Dog.[19]
In 2015, Choi ventured into regular variety show appearances for the first time. He was cast as a regular member in A Look At Myself, partnering up with F.T. Island member Lee Hong-gi as his manager and accompanying him to schedules.[20] However, after getting involved in a physical altercation with a staff member and receiving immense public backlash for his actions, Choi voluntarily stepped down from the show and apologised to viewers and all those involved.[21] [22] Consequently, his guest appearance on the August 29 broadcast of Immortal Songs was edited out due to the controversy.[23]
In October 2015, Choi's wife, June Kang, was cast as a member of What Is Mom. The show was a observational reality program that followed Kang's daily domestic life as a mother. The premise of the show was to reveal the relationship between mothers and their adolescent children.[24] [25] Choi and his two sons made regular appearances on the show alongside Kang. Choi's family was popular with viewers and the show presented a different side to Choi's public perception, showing a more light-hearted and easy-going side to him as a family man.[26] [27]
In 2016, he appeared in the SBS drama The Royal Gambler as King Sukjong of Joseon.[28]
Choi would continue to make guest appearances in many popular variety shows, such as I Can See Your Voice Season 3 in 2016,[29] Secretly Greatly in 2017,[30] Master in the House[31] and Happy Together Season 4[32] in 2019, and My Little Old Boy[33] and Dolsing Fourmen[34] in 2023.
In 2017, he starred in the tvN romantic comedy series The Liar and His Lover, playing the role of Lee Hyun-woo's father, Kang In-woo.[35] Later that year, he starred in the MBC comedy drama Man Who Dies to Live.[36]
In 2018, he was cast in the tvN legal thriller Lawless Lawyer alongside Lee Joon-gi and Seo Yea-ji.[37] In 2019, he and his wife appeared as regular members on the variety show .[38] In 2020, he starred in the Netflix drama Extracurricular.[39] In 2022, his wife appeared as a cast member on the KBS2 variety show Godfather, where he made regular appearances on the show alongside his wife.[40]
In 2023, Choi was cast as Han Je-gyun in the MBC drama Numbers alongside Kim Myung-soo and Choi Jin-hyuk.[41] That same year, he made his big screen comeback in the film Bear Man.[42] He also made regular appearances on the reality show With Father and Me alongside his wife.[43]
Choi married his wife, June Elizabeth Kang, on June 18, 1994 in Seoul, South Korea. They have two children, Christian (born 1996) and Benjamin (born 2001).[44] [45]
Kang, who was born and raised in Canada, travelled to Korea in 1993 to participate in an international Miss Korea beauty pageant as Miss Canada. Choi was there to sing for the congratulatory stage performance. Kang did not make it to the final eight, but she did manage to win the Friendship Award. While, the two did not formally interact, Choi had taken notice of Kang during the pageant. About a week later, Kang received a phone call from the beauty pagent PD, offering to take her on a tour of the Korean broadcasting station MBC before she returned to Canada. At the time, Choi was filming his MBC drama My Mother's Sea and ran into Kang by chance at the studio. They were able to properly exchange greetings and upon this meeting, Choi asked Kang to get a cup of coffee with him. After a three hour conversation, Choi proposed to Kang. They began dating once Kang returned to Canada, where Choi would take frequent flights to Canada to visit her. After 6 months of dating, the two married.[46] [47]
In April 2008, Choi was involved in an assault case where a street-side argument escalated to physical violence, which resulted in him taking a voluntary leave from acting due to the public scandal. It was reported that an elderly man saw Choi cursing at another driver and rebuked him. The situation escalated and Choi assaulted the man. The actor then attempted to drive away, but the man grabbed onto the hood of his car and refused to let go. Choi was dismissed by police when the victim declined to press charges, but the public reaction was swift and condemning. The actor apologised profusely for his behavior and swore to live in exile in the mountains, away from his wife and children, for a year.[48] [49]
On August 19, 2015, Choi punched an outsourced producer on the set of the KBS2 variety show, A Look At Myself. It was reported that the incident occurred after the producer had told Choi to be mindful of his frequent usage of vulgarities while filming. This culminated in Choi punching the producer. The situation was able to be de-esculated by surrounding staff.[50] [51] After news of the physical altercation was publicised, Choi became the centre of severe public backlash. This resulted in him voluntarily withdrawing from the program and sincerely apologising to all parties involved and viewers of the show. Consequently, his guest appearance on the August 29 broadcast of Immortal Songs was edited out due to the controversy.
On January 31, 2019, it was reported that Choi was indicted without detention and would be going on trial for charges associated with an incident where he engaged in retaliatory driving on September 17, 2018. While initial attempts were made to resolve the situation outside of court, both parties were unable to come to an agreement regarding the events of the incident.[52] [53] According to Choi, he was driving in the first lane when the other driver overtook his car from the second lane without indicating their turn signal and then proceeded to suddenly hit their brakes. While the other driver acknowledged these events, the two were at odds with each other by honking their horns to just go. Choi then claimed that the driver made denigrating comments towards him, saying, “I will make sure you can’t work as a celebrity anymore” and "Why did you come down from the mountain?" (referring to his previous scandal).[54]
The first trial was held on April 12, 2019. Choi's legal representatives stated in the trial that after the other driver caused the collision, she did not take the appropriate safety measures to handle the incident and drove away. Hence, Choi went after her to request safety measures and had no intentions of retaliating or causing any harm to the driver. On the other hand, the driver accused Choi of deliberately causing a car accident by passing her car and making a sudden stop, producing approximately ₩4.2 million in repair damages. Choi denied these accusations. She further accused him of using insulting language after the accident while they were trying to determine precisely what had happened, which Choi's side acknowledged had occurred.[55]
In the second trial held on September 4, 2019, the Seoul Southern District Court gave Choi a six month prison sentence suspended for two years probation, meaning that if he commits an offense during the two-year probation period, he would be required to serve a six month prison sentence. This sentencing was determined on the basis that he has no previous records of being punished by the law other than receiving fines. Regarding the incident, the court determined that the possibility of the other driver causing a rear-end collision was low and that Choi's actions towards the driver could be seen as "an expression of derogation of character".[56] After the trial, Choi expressed that while he did not agree with the outcome, he had little intentions to appeal the decision. However, on September 11, the prosecution appealed the court's ruling and the next day, the actor also filed an appeal to the court.[57]
The appeal trial was held on December 20, 2019, and maintained the original verdict. In his final appearance outside the courtroom, Choi stated that he believed everything happens for a reason and that he would accept the decision with gratitude and move forward with better energy.[58] [59]
| Title | Role | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean | |||||
| 1985 | Eye | 눈 | short film | |||
| 1986 | Son of God | 신의 아들 | Choi Kang-ta | |||
| 1988 | Last Dance with Her | 그녀와의 마지막 춤을 | Oh Hye-suk | |||
| That Last Winter | 그 마지막 겨울 | In-tae | ||||
| 1990 | Nambugun: North Korean Partisan in South Korea | 남부군 | Kim Young | |||
| Man Market | 남자시장 | Yeong-chun | ||||
| The Winter Dream Does Not Fly | 겨울 꿈은 날지 않는다 | Shin Gil-woo | ||||
| 1991 | For Agnes | 아그네스를 위하여 | Hwang Mi-ho | |||
| 1992 | The Marriage Life | 결혼이야기 | Kim Tae-gyu | |||
| Mister Mama | 미스터 맘마 | Hyung-jun | ||||
| 1993 | On a Windy Day We Must Go to Apgujeong | 바람부는 날이면 압구정동에 가야한다 | Cho Hyun-jae | |||
| Honeymoon | 밀월여행 | Sung-hun | ||||
| A Different Kind of Man | 가슴달린 남자 | Choi Hyung-jun | ||||
| 1994 | Life and Death of the Hollywood Kid | 헐리우드 키드의 생애 | Im Byung-suk | |||
| I Wish for What Is Forbidden to Me | 나는 소망한다 내게 금지된 것을 | |||||
| Blue Seagull | 블루 시걸 | Ha-il | voice | |||
| 1995 | A Good Day to Fall in Love | 사랑하기 좋은 날 | Hyung-jun | also planner | ||
| The Terrorist | 테러리스트 | Soo-hyun | ||||
| My Old Sweetheart | 아찌,아빠 | Young-soo | ||||
| Rehearsal | 리허설 | Min-soo | ||||
| 1996 | Come to Me | 나에게 오라 | Jung-suk | |||
| Piano Man | 피아노 맨 | Piano Man | ||||
| 1997 | Inshalla | 인샬라 | Han Seung-yeop | |||
| Story of a Man | 남자 이야기 | Bong-man | ||||
| Blackjack | 블랙잭 | Oh Se-geun | ||||
| A Killing Story | 죽이는 이야기 | Gae-nun | cameo | |||
| 1999 | Phantom, The Submarine | 유령 | No. 202/Vice Captain | |||
| 2000 | Love Bakery | 주노명 베이커리 | Joo No-myung | |||
| Libera Me | 리베라 메 | Jo Sang-woo | ||||
| 2001 | My Wife Is a Gangster | 조폭 마누라 | Sashimi | cameo | ||
| 2002 | Seoul | 서울 / ソウル | Kim Yoon-chul | Japanese film | ||
| Yesterday | 예스터데이 | Goliath | ||||
| 2003 | Sword in the Moon | 청풍명월 | Choi Ji-hwan | |||
| 2005 | The Myth | 신화 - 진시황릉의 비밀 / 神話 | General Choi | Hong Kong film | [61] | |
| Holiday | 홀리데이 | Kim An-suk | ||||
| 2006 | My Wife Is a Gangster 3 | 조폭마누라 3 | Sashimi | cameo | ||
| 2011 | Assassins' Code (aka Serpent Rising) | 어쌔신 코드 | Karl Kim | American film | ||
| 2014 | How to Steal a Dog | 개를 훔치는 완벽한 방법 | Homeless man | |||
| 2023 | Bear Man | 웅남이 | Lee Jeong-sik | [62] |
| Title | Role | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean | ||||
| 1987 | Skewers | 꼬치미 | |||
| 1991 | Best Theater: Moon | 베스트극장 - 달 | |||
| Humble Men | 고개숙인 남자 | In-soo | |||
| A Mob House | 무동이네 집 | Lee Soo-hyun | |||
| What is Love | 사랑이 뭐길래 | Lee Dae-pal | |||
| 1993 | My Mother's Sea | 엄마의 바다 | Lee Dong-jae | ||
| Walking Up to Heaven | 걸어서 하늘까지 | 물새 Jung-ho | |||
| 1995 | Sandglass | 모래시계 | Park Tae-soo | ||
| 1998 | White Nights 3.98 | 백야 3.98 | Kwon Taek-hyeong | ||
| 2000 | Legends of Love | 사랑의 전설 | Min-suk | ||
| 2003 | South of the Sun | 태양의 남쪽 | Kang Sung-jae | ||
| 2004 | Han River Ballad | 한강수타령 | Shin Ryul | ||
| 2007 | The Legend | 태왕사신기 | Dae Jang-ro (Hwacheon leader) | ||
| 2009 | Father's House | 아버지의 집 | Kang Man-ho | ||
| 2010 | Road No. 1 | 로드 넘버원 | Yoon Sam-soo | ||
| 2011 | Warrior Baek Dong-soo | 무사 백동수 | Chun | ||
| 2012 | Happy Ending | 해피엔딩 | Kim Doo-soo | ||
| Faith | 신의 | Moon Chi-hoo (Ep. 4 cameo) | |||
| KBS Drama Special | 태권, 도를 아십니까? | Do-hyeon's father | |||
| 2013 | The Blade and Petal | 칼과 꽃 | Yeon Gaesomun | ||
| 2014 | Pride and Prejudice | 오만과 편견 | Moon Hee-man | ||
| 2016 | The Royal Gambler | 대박 | King Sukjong of Joseon | ||
| 2017 | The Liar and His Lover | 그녀는 거짓말을 너무 사랑해 | Kang In-woo | ||
| Man Who Dies to Live | 죽어야 사는 남자 | Saeed Fahd Ali/Jang Dal-goo | |||
| 2018 | Lawless Lawyer | 무법 변호사 | Ahn Oh-joo | [63] | |
| 2020 | Extracurricular | 인간수업 | Lee Wang-cheol | [64] | |
| 2023 | Numbers | 넘버스: 빌딩숲의 감시자들 | Han Je-gyun | [65] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean | |||||
| 2015 | A Look at Myself | 나를 돌아봐 | Regular member | |||
| What Is Mom | 엄마가 뭐길래 | Regular appearance | Alongside wife, who was a cast member | |||
| 2019 | 동상이몽 2 – 너는 내 운명 | Regular Member | Ep. 81–92 | |||
| 2022 | Godfather | 갓파더 | Regular Member | Ep. 14–39, with wife | ||
| 2023 | With Father and Me | 아빠하고 나하고 | Regular Appearance | Alongside wife, who was a cast member | ||
| Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baeksang Art Awards | 1989 | Best New Film Actor | Last Dance with Her | ||
| 1992 | Most Popular TV Actor | What Is Love | |||
| 1993 | Best TV Actor | Walking Up to Heaven | |||
| 1995 | Sandglass | ||||
| 2001 | Best Film Actor | Libera Me | |||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 1990 | Best Supporting Actor | North Korean Partisan in South Korea | ||
| 1991 | Popular Star Award | Choi Min-soo | |||
| 1992 | |||||
| 1993 | |||||
| 1995 | Choi Min-soo Terrorist | ||||
| Best Actor | Terrorist | ||||
| Golden Cinematography Awards | 1987 | Best New Actor | Long Journey & Tunnel | ||
| 1996 | Most Popular Actor | Choi Min-soo | |||
| Grand Bell Awards | 1993 | Most Popular Actor | Choi Min-soo | ||
| 1996 | Best Actor | ||||
| 2000 | Best Actor | ||||
| Korea Broadcasting Awards | 1995 | Best TV Actor | Choi Min-soo | ||
| MBC Drama Awards | 1992 | Excellence Award, Actor | Choi Min-soo | ||
| 2004 | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Han River Ballad | |||
| 2007 | Top Excellence Award, Actor | The Legend | |||
| Golden Acting Award, Actor in a Historical Drama | |||||
| Popularity Award, Actor | |||||
| 2014 | Golden Acting Award, Actor | Pride and Prejudice | |||
| 2023 | Best Character Award | Numbers | |||
| SBS Drama Awards | 1995 | Grand Prize/Daesang | Sandglass | ||
| 2000 | Big Star Award | Legends of Love | |||