Kim Woo-bin

Biography

Kim Hyun-joong (Korean: 김현중; born July 16, 1989), better known by the stage name Kim Woo-bin (김우빈), is a South Korean actor and model. He began his career as a runway model and made his acting debut in the television drama White Christmas. He subsequently gained attention in A Gentleman's Dignity (2012), and made his breakthrough with School 2013 (2012–2013) and The Heirs (2013). Kim starred in the box office hits Twenty (2015) and Master (2016). In 2016, he took on his first leading role on television in Uncontrollably Fond. In May 2017, Kim's agency announced that Kim would be taking a hiatus after he was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer. Kim returned to screen in 2022 with the television series Our Blues.

== Career ==

=== 2009–2012: Beginnings === Kim wanted to pursue a modeling career since he was a high school student. He debuted as a runway model in 2009 at the age of 20 and began appearing in prêt-à-porter and Seoul Fashion Week collections. As his modeling career progressed, he started doing commercial films and began studying acting, under the guidance of acting coach Moon Won-joo. Kim fell in love with acting, saying, "I found myself feeling the same thrill and enthusiasm that I felt the first time I came to walk on the runway". Under the stage name Kim Woo-bin, he made his acting debut in 2011, starring in the mystery drama White Christmas and the low-rated cable sitcom Vampire Idol. In 2012, he had a supporting role in the romantic comedy drama A Gentleman's Dignity, written by famed screenwriter Kim Eun-sook. Next came a two-episode guest appearance in drama adaptation of the popular manga To the Beautiful You.

=== 2013: Rising popularity ===

Kim's breakout year came in 2013 with two hit dramas and one film. From late December to early 2013, he starred in the teen drama School 2013. He received his first acting award for the role at the 2nd APAN Star Awards under the category Best New Actor. The same year, he was cast in Kim Eun-sook's teen drama The Heirs, which became popular domestically and internationally with a peak audience rating of 28.6% and 1 million hits on the Chinese streaming website iQiyi. Kim experienced a surge in popularity overseas. This led to increased advertising contracts and acting offers for the actor. Kim then appeared in his first major film role in Friend: The Great Legacy, the blockbuster sequel to Kwak Kyung-taek's 2001 box office hit. He received positive reviews for his portrayal as a young gang member. The same year he became the host of cable music program M! Countdown from August 15, 2013, to February 13, 2014.

=== 2014–2017: Success in film and hiatus === After his rise in popularity in 2013, Kim continued appearing in big screen projects. In January 2014, he was cast in the heist movie The Con Artists, in which he played a top safe-cracker alongside rising star Lee Hyun-woo. He then took on a comedic character in indie director Lee Byung-heon's sophomore effort Twenty in 2015. Kim then appeared in an ad campaign for Calvin Klein Watches + Jewelry, making him the first East Asian model for the brand.

In 2015, Kim was cast in his first television leading role in the melodrama Uncontrollably Fond, written by screenwriter Lee Kyung-hee. The drama premiered on July 6, 2016. He then starred in crime action film Master alongside Lee Byung-hun and Kang Dong-won. The movie premiered in December 2016 and became the 11th bestselling film for 2016 in South Korea. In 2017, Kim was cast in crime caper film Wiretap by Choi Dong-hoon. The project has since been suspended to allow Kim to seek treatment for cancer.

=== 2020–present: Return to screen === On March 11, 2020, AM Entertainment announced that Kim would be returning to the big screen in Choi Dong-hoon's upcoming sci-fi film Alienoid alongside Ryu Jun-yeol and Kim Tae-ri. The film premiered in July 2022 and Kim played the role of 'Guard', a person in charge of managing alien prisoners. Also in 2022, Kim co-starred in acclaimed screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung's television series Our Blues, and in Netflix original series Black Knight. In 2025, Kim starred in the Netflix fantasy romantic comedy series Genie, Make a Wish written Kim Eun-sook and directed by Lee Byeong-heon. This is his second pairing with Suzy after Uncontrollably Fond in 2016. He played spirit of a lamp that awakens after a thousand years.