Cha Tae-hyun (Korean: 차태현; born March 25, 1976) is a South Korean actor, singer, television personality, radio DJ and director. He is best known for his lead roles in the box-office hit comedies My Sassy Girl (2001), Scandal Makers (2008), Hello Ghost (2010), The Grand Heist (2012), and fantasy drama action hit Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017) as well as the television series Jeon Woo-chi (2012), The Producers (2015), and Police University (2021). He made his directorial debut with the variety-drama Hit the Top (2017), in which he also starred.
Cha Tae-hyun | |
|---|---|
![Thumb](#/media/File:KBS_"The_Producers"_press_conference,_11_May_2015_06.jpg) Cha in May 2015 | |
| Born | March 25, 1976 Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Agent | Blossom |
| Spouse |
Choi Suk-eun (m. 2006) |
| Children | 3 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 차태현 |
| Hanja | 車太鉉 |
| Revised Romanization | Cha Taehyeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'a T'aehyŏn |
From 2012 to 2019, he was a cast member of the variety show 2 Days & 1 Night. He is a co-founder of the talent management agency Blossom Entertainment.[1]
Career
1995–2000: Beginnings
Cha Tae-hyun started his career as a silver medalist in a 1995 KBS Talent Contest. Over the next several years he would star in a large number of TV dramas such as Sunflower and Happy Together,[2] while also appearing in numerous TV commercials.[3] He was the radio DJ for KBS Cool FM's FM Popular Music with Cha Tae-hyun from 1999–2000,[4] and made a minor film debut in the comedy Hallelujah.[5]
2001–2007: My Sassy Girl and musical debut
In 2001, he rose to fame through the hugely successful romantic comedy My Sassy Girl where he acted alongside Jun Ji-hyun.[6] Cha's expressive acting established him as a recognized star in Korea as well as the Asian region at large,[7] and he extended his fame by releasing his debut album Accident. His next film Lovers' Concerto (2002), a tragic melodrama with actresses Son Ye-jin and Lee Eun-ju, also proved to be a popular success.[8]
From 2003, however, Cha's casting choices proved to be less inspired. He appeared in three comedies -- Crazy First Love,[9] Happy Ero Christmas[10] and Two Guys[11] —that were widely criticized by audiences for their weak scripts and lack of creativity.[5] He released his second album The Book later that year.
His 2005 films—the relationship film Sad Movie with an all-star ensemble cast,[12] and melodrama My Girl and I opposite Song Hye-kyo, the remake of Japanese hit film Crying Out Love in the Center of the World[13] —were box office disappointments. 2007's Highway Star, in which he played a masked trot singer, was a moderate success.[14]
Cha hosted KBS Cool FM's Mr. Radio from 2007–2008, and was awarded Best Radio DJ at the 2007 KBS Entertainment Awards alongside Ahn Jae-wook.[15] He then portrayed the town's jester who has the intelligence of a six-year-old in BABO (which means "fool" in Korean), a film adaptation of Kang Full's popular online comic.[16][17]
2008–2012: Revived popularity and 2 Days & 1 Night
Cha regained his top star status when his comedy flick Scandal Makers became the number one film of 2008, attracting 8.2 million moviegoers and ranking among Korea's biggest hits of all time. The film centers on a radio talk show host, who was ex- idol, who must face unforeseen consequences of a love affair when he was a teen, when he discovers that he already has a daughter (Park Bo-young) and a grandson (Wang Seok-hyun) at the age of 30.[18][19] As a result of the film's success, the advertising industry named Cha as the top male celebrity endorser of 2009.[20]
He reunited with BABO director Kim Young-tak in 2010's Hello Ghost, a film about a man who after several suicide attempts, becomes possessed by four different ghosts.[21] It was another box office success at 3 million tickets sold, and Cha's performance led him to be dubbed as "Korea's Jim Carrey."[22]
Based on a true story, his 2011 film Champ depicts the relationship between a recently injured racehorse named Woo-bak and the jockey who tries to tame her.[23] Cha spent time with the horse before and during filming, luring his four-legged partner with a combination of carrots and sugar cubes.[24]
In 2012, he became a regular cast member of the second season of popular variety program 2 Days & 1 Night, and remained as a member until 2019. The show, which focuses on introducing various places in Korea to the viewers while the cast takes on different missions, has consistently scored high viewership ratings.[25][26]
2013–2018: Continued success and directorial debut
Cha played his first historical role in The Grand Heist, as the leader of a Joseon era group of thieves who band together to steal ice.[27][28] The action-comedy film was produced by his brother Cha Ji-hyun. He took on another sageuk role as the titular character in TV series Jeon Woo-chi, an impish Taoist wizard who becomes an unlikely hero.[29][30]
In 2014, he starred as an introverted man with dynamic visual acuity who works at a CCTV control center in the comedy film Slow Video, his third collaboration with director Kim Young-tak.[31][32] This was followed by The Producers in 2015, in which Cha played a hot-headed but soft-hearted television producer.[33][34]
In 2016, Cha reprised his role in My New Sassy Girl, a sequel to the 2001 hit film.[35] However, the film did not live up to its predecessor and was a failure at the box office.[36] The same year, he reunited with My Sassy Girl co-star Jun Ji-hyun in a cameo appearance in SBS's fantasy drama The Legend of the Blue Sea.[37]
In 2017, Cha starred in the romantic comedy Because I Love You, playing a gifted composer who connects people in love; the film was again produced by his brother Cha Ji-hyun.[38][39][40] He next starred in KBS2's variety-drama Hit the Top, which he also directs.[41] The same year, Cha starred in the fantasy blockbuster Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds, based on the webtoon of the same name by Joo Ho-min.[42][43]
In 2018, Cha starred in the romance drama Matrimonial Chaos, a remake of the Japanese television series of the same title.[44]
2019–present
In March 2019, Cha was reported to have engaged in gambling, which was discovered through Jung Joon-young's phone's text messages during the police's investigation of the latter for illicit sex video crimes. Cha subsequently issued a formal statement of apology and withdrew from all his shows.[45]
In 2020, Cha was cast in the crime detective drama Team Bulldog: Off-Duty Investigation.[46]
In 2021, Cha starred in KBS2 drama Police University, playing Yoo Dong-man, a detective-turned-professor at the National Police University.[47]
Personal life
Cha's father, Cha Jae-wan, was an assistant director for special effects at KBS, and his mother Choi Su-min, now retired, was a voice-over artist.[48] His brother is film producer Cha Ji-hyeon.
On June 1, 2006, Cha married his high school sweetheart, pop lyricist Choi Suk-eun.[49] They dated for 13 years; she was his first and only girlfriend.[50] They have three children, a son (Cha Soo-chan) and two daughters (Cha Tae-eun, Cha Su-jin).[51]
In 2011, Cha revealed on SBS talk show Healing Camp, Aren't You Happy that he has a panic disorder.[52]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Hallelujah | Bad youngster in church | Bit part |
| 2001 | My Sassy Girl | Gyun-woo | |
| 2002 | Lovers' Concerto | Lee Ji-hwan | |
| 2003 | Crazy First Love | Son Tae-il | |
| Happy Ero Christmas | Sung Byung-ki | ||
| 2004 | Who's Got the Tape? | Jap-beom | Cameo |
| Windstruck | Man at train station | Cameo | |
| Two Guys | Kim Hoon | ||
| 2005 | Sad Movie | Jung Ha-suk | |
| My Girl and I | Kim Su-ho | ||
| 2007 | Highway Star | Bong Dal-ho / Bong Pil | |
| 2008 | Horton Hears a Who! | Horton the Elephant (voice) | Korean dub[53] |
| BABO | Seung-ryong | ||
| My Mighty Princess | Pigeon man | Cameo | |
| Scandal Makers | Nam Hyun-soo | ||
| 2009 | Maybe (Rabbit and Lizard) | Yeong-nam | Cameo |
| Triangle | Cameo | ||
| 2010 | Hello Ghost | Kang Sang-man | |
| 2011 | Sunny | Poster model of insurance company | Cameo[54] |
| Champ | Seung-ho | ||
| 2012 | Never Ending Story | Song-kyung's friend | Cameo |
| The Grand Heist | Lee Deok-mu | ||
| 2013 | Steal My Heart | Ho-tae's neighbor | Cameo[55] |
| 2014 | Tazza: The Hidden Card | Radio DJ | Cameo |
| The Con Artists | New Technician | Cameo | |
| Slow Video | Yeo Jang-boo | ||
| 2016 | My New Sassy Girl | Gyun-woo | |
| 2017 | Because I Love You | Lee Hyeong | |
| Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds | Kim Ja-hong | ||
| 2022 | The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die | gangster | Cameo[56] |
| 2023 | My Heart Puppy | Jin-guk | [57] |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Our Sunny Days of Youth | — | |
| 1996 | Papa | Jang Jung-moon | |
| Looking Into Each Other's Eyes and Loving Each Other | |||
| Daughter-in-law's Three Kingdoms | |||
| 1997 | First Love | Chan-woo's friend | |
| Ready Go! | Park Chan-ki | ||
| 1998 | Shy Lovers | Hwang In-soo | |
| Sunflower | Dr. Heo Jae-bong | ||
| 1999 | Happy Together | Ha Shin-yeop | |
| I'm Still Loving You | Park Young-jae | [58] | |
| Into the Sunlight | Kang In-ha | ||
| 2000 | Juliet's Man | Jang Gi-poong | [59] |
| 2004 | First Love of a Royal Prince | Choi Gun-hee | |
| 2007 | Flowers for My Life | Yoon Ho-sang | [60] |
| 2008 | General Hospital 2 | Choi Jin-sang | [61] |
| 2011 | Lights and Shadows | Drunkard | Cameo, episode 2[62] |
| 2012 | My Husband Got a Family | Tae-bong | Cameo, episode 26[63] |
| Jeon Woo-chi | Jeon Woo-chi | ||
| 2014 | Drama Festival – "4teen" | Adult Young-hoon | Cameo[64] |
| 2015 | The Producers | Ra Joon-mo | |
| 2016 | Love in the Moonlight | Farm servant | Cameo, episode 1[65] |
| The Legend of the Blue Sea | Han River con-man | Cameo, episode 4 | |
| 2017 | Hit the Top | Lee Gwang-jae | Also director |
| 2018 | Matrimonial Chaos | Cho Suk-moo | |
| 2020 | Team Bulldog: Off-Duty Investigation | Jin Gang-ho | |
| Birthcare Center | Nurse Ahn's son | Cameo, episode 8 | |
| 2021 | Police University | Yoo Dong-man | [47] |
| 2022 | Café Minamdang | Priest | Cameo, episode 10[66] |
| 2023 | Brain Works | Geum Myung-se | [67] |
| Family: The Unbreakable Bond | Bakery shop owner | Cameo, episode 1[68] |
Web series
Variety show
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Family Camp | MC |
| Happy Saturday | MC | |
| 2000 | Mnet KM Music Festival | MC; co-host Kim Hyun-joo[70] |
| 2001 | MC; co-host Song Hye-kyo[71] | |
| 2002 | Campus Song Festival | MC; co-host: Yoon Do-hyun |
| 2003 | MC; co-host: Lee Hyori[72] | |
| Mnet KM Music Festival | MC; co-host: Sung Yu-ri | |
| 2007 | Campus Song Festival | MC; co-host: Lee Hyori[73] |
| 2012–2019 | 2 Days & 1 Night | Cast member (Season 2 & 3) |
| 2015 | Cool Kiz on The Block | Foot volleyball member, guest swimmer, cycling candidate |
| 2016 | Gura Chacha Time Slip - New Boy | [74] |
| 2017 | Dragon Club – Childish Bromance |
Cast member[75] |
| 2018–2019 | Radio Star | Host[76] |
| 2018 | Where on Earth?? | Cast member[77] |
| 2020 | Hometown Flex | MC [78] |
| 2021–2023 | Unexpected Business | MC with Zo In-sung (Season 1–3)[79][80][81] |
| 2021 | National Bang Bang Cook Cook | Cast Member [82] |
| Wild Idol | Panelist [83] | |
| Many Chat | MC with Yoo Hee-yeol[84] | |
| 2022 | Famous Singers | Daily MC[85] |
| Suspicious Bookstore East West South Book | Host[86] | |
| 2023 | Golf Battle: Birdie Buddies | Cast Member; season 5[87] |
| Express Delivery Mongolia Edition | Cast Member[88] | |
| 2024 | Apartment 404 | Cast Member[89] |
Radio program
| Year | Title | Station | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | FM Popular Music with Cha Tae-hyun | KBS Cool FM | DJ |
| 2007-2008 | Mr. Radio[90] |
Discography
Studio albums
| Album information | Track listing |
|---|---|
Accident
|
Track listing
|
THE [BU:K] 더북 (The Book / The Drum)
|
Track listing
|
OST
| Year | Title | Drama/Movie |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 어디로 갈까? (Where Shall We Go?) | Juliet's Man |
| 기품 #301 (Dignity #301) | ||
| 배추벌레 (Cabbage Worm) | ||
| 2002 | 모르나요 (I Don't Know) | Lovers' Concerto |
| 사진 (Photograph) | ||
| 2003 | 첫사랑 보고서 (Seeing My First Love) | Crazy First Love |
| 내겐 너무 이쁜 그녀 (The Girl Who's So Pretty to Me) | ||
| 2005 | 잊어요 (Forget Me) | Sad Movie |
| 내 손을 놓지 마요 (Don't Let Go of My Hand) | ||
| 2006 | 눈을 감고 (Closing My Eyes) | My Girl And I |
| 2007 | 이차선 다리 (Two-Lane Bridge) | Highway Star |
| 바람바람바람 (Wind Wind Wind) | ||
| 매일 매일 기다려 (Waiting Everyday) | ||
| 2008 | Because I Love You | Scandal Makers |
| 2010 | 너와 함께 (With You) | Hello Ghost |
| 2011 | 행복 (Happiness) | Champ |
| 2016 | 지난날 (Bygone Days) | Because I Love You |
| 2018 | 이별근처 (Near Parting) | Matrimonial Chaos |
| 2020 | Takedown | Team Bulldog: Off-Duty Investigation
Duet with Hong Kyung-min |
| 2023 | And, Go On | Express Delivery: Mongolia Edition
with Kim Jong-kook, Hong Kyung-min, Hong Kyung-in, Jang Hyuk, Kang Hoon |
Singles
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 힘내쏭 (Cheer Up Song) | Duet with Hong Kyung-min, as part of "Hong-Cha Project" |
| 매일 매일 기다려 (Waiting Everyday) | Duet with Hong Kyung-min for their appearance on Immortal Songs | |
| 2019 | 사람들 (Archive People) | With Hong Kyung-min and Samuel, as part of "Brave Hong-Cha"
Song written and composed by Brave Brothers |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | KBS Super Talent Contest | Silver Medal | — | Won | |
| 1999 | 35th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor (TV) | Sunflower | Won | [91] |
| SBS Drama Awards | Best New Actor | Happy Together | Won | [92] | |
| MBC Drama Awards | I'm Still Loving You | Won | [93] | ||
| 2000 | SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | Juliet's Man | Nominated | |
| Big Star Award | Won | [94] | |||
| Popularity Award | Won | ||||
| SBSi Award | Won | ||||
| 2001 | 22nd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actor | My Sassy Girl | Won | [95] |
| 2002 | 38th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor (Film) | Nominated | ||
| 39th Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Popularity Award | Won | [96] | |||
| 25th Golden Cinema Film Festival | Best New Actor | Won | [97] | ||
| 23rd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Popular Star Award | Lovers' Concerto | Won | [98] | |
| 2003 | 24th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Crazy First Love | Won | [99] | |
| 2004 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | First Love of a Royal Prince | Nominated | |
| 2005 | Savings Day | Presidential Citation | — | Won | [100] |
| 2007 | KBS Entertainment Awards | Best Radio DJ | Mr. Radio | Won | [101] |
| KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Flowers for My Life | Nominated | ||
| 2008 | 45th Grand Bell Awards | Overseas Popularity Award | BABO | Won | [102] |
| MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | General Hospital 2 | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | 6th Max Movie Awards | Best Actor | Scandal Makers | Won | [103] |
| 2011 | 47th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Hello Ghost | Nominated | |
| 48th Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| 2012 | KBS Entertainment Awards | Top Entertainer Award | 2 Days & 1 Night | Won | [104] |
| KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | Jeon Woo-chi | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | KBS Entertainment Awards | Top Excellence Award | 2 Days & 1 Night | Won | [105] |
| 2014 | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Nominated | |||
| 2015 | Nominated | ||||
| KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | The Producers | Won | [106] | |
| Best Couple Award with Kim Soo-hyun and Gong Hyo-jin | Won | ||||
| 2018 | 18th Korea World Youth Film Festival | Popular Actor Award | — | Won | [107] |
| 18th MBC Entertainment Awards | Excellence Award, Music/Talk Category (Male) | Radio Star | Won | [108][109] | |
| KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Matrimonial Chaos | Won | [110][111] | |
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
| Best Couple Award with Bae Doona | Won | ||||
| 2021 | KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Police University | Won | [112] |
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Nominated | [113] | |||
| Best Couple Award with Jinyoung | Won | [114] | |||
| 2023 | 43rd Golden Cinema Film Festival | Popularity Award selected by the cinematographer | My Heart Puppy | Won | [115] |
State honors
| Organization | Year | Award | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50th Taxpayers' Day | 2016 | Beautiful Taxpayers | [116] |
Listicles
| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forbes | 2010 | Korea Power Celebrity 40 | 37th | [117] |
| The Screen | 2009 | 1984–2008 Top Box Office Powerhouse Actors in Korean Movies | 27th | [118] |
| 2019 | 2009–2019 Top Box Office Powerhouse Actors in Korean Movies | 20th | [119] |
References
External links
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