Kim Ho-young (actor)

Kim Ho-young (Korean: 김호영; born February 19, 1983) is a South Korean actor and television entertainer. He debuted in the musical Rent in 2002 and has since appeared in musicals such as Aida, Gambler, Kingdom of the Winds, Hairspray, Zanna, Don't!,^[1] Queen Seondeok, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and in the plays Yi, Agarwood, and Piaf.^[2] He has gained recognition for his feminine roles, becoming known as a "specialized cross-dressing actor" for his appearances as characters such as the gay character Angel in Rent, a crossdressing showgirl named Jiji in Gambler, and "the king's man" Gong-gil in Yi.^[1]^[3]

Quick Facts Born, Alma mater ...

Kim Ho-young
김호영
Kim in 2024
Born	(1983-02-19) February 19, 1983 (age 42) South Korea
Alma mater	Dongguk University (BA) Dankook University (MA)
Occupations	Actor musical actor singer
Years active	2014–
Agent	PLK Good Friends

Korean name
Hangul	김호영
Revised Romanization	Gim Hoyeong
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Hoyŏng

Early life and education

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Perspective

Kim Ho-young was born in Seoul. When he was young, he saw the crown prince wearing a red robe in a historical drama and wanted to be an actor. His first play was in a high school drama class and he entered a national theater competition. Since his school was an all-boys high school, he played the role of a girl, and from then on, he often played girls' roles.^[4]

Kim enrolled to of the Department of Theater and Film at Dongguk University. He Made his debut as 'Angel' in 'Rent' when he was in his second year of college. He received favorable reviews for his performances as a gay angel in 'Rent'.^[4]

"I made my debut as 'Angel' in 'Rent' when I was in my second year of college. I started out as a cross-dressing man, and while I mainly played feminine roles, there were some concerns around me about being fixed with one image, but I am competitive and I am the only one who can do it. “I think it’s a differentiation.”^[4]

Kim played the role of Mereb in the musical ‘Aida’ performed with Ock Joo-hyun. Kim Ho-young also played the role of Gong-gil in the play ‘Lee’ and gave a passionate performance. Kim Ho-young played an active part in famous musicals such as ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ and ‘The Sound of Music’.

In 2007, Kim acted as teen Yeon Ho-gae in MBC's special drama The Legend (TV series).^[5]

In 2011, Kim with Seoul National University of Arts (Chairman Kim Min-seong) hold a special lecture at the SAC Art Center at 2 p.m. on the 7th. In this special lecture, in which about 200 students from the Department of Musical, Acting, and Performing Arts were participating, on the topic of 'Attitude of a Musical Actor.'^[6]

Kim decided to enlist in the military late in November 20, 2012 at the age of 30.^[7] The difficulties he felt during his military service were due to the generation gap with his classmates rather than an environment dominated by strict hierarchy and discipline.^[8]

After his discharge from the military, Kim Ho-young began his career as an MC on the women-only show ‘Mr. Show’. Kim later announced her successful return with the musical 'Priscilla'.^[8]

In 2015, Kim who has been active on large stages, took on the challenge of appearing on the Daehakro small theater stage as Professor V in the musical Mama, Don't Cry. Mama, Don't Cry is a work that tells the story of Professor V, a genius physicist who travels through time, and meets Count Dracula, a vampire who lives an immortal life. It is a two-person play featuring addictive rock numbers that have a large fan base.^[9]

In 2016,, known for his performances as cross-dressing men, surprised everyone by choosing to play the role of Charlie, an ordinary man, in the musical Kinky Boots. This marked a new challenge for him as he aimed to overcome the prejudice that he was only good at flashy roles and showcase his versatility as an actor.^[10]

In 2022, Kim reprised the role of Charlie again after 4 years. The musical performed at the Chungmu Arts Center Grand Theater until October 23rd.^[11]