Kwon Sang-woo
South Korean actor From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kwon Sang-woo (Korean: 권상우; born August 5, 1976) is a South Korean actor. He rose to stardom in 2003 with the romantic comedy film My Tutor Friend and the melodrama series Stairway to Heaven. His other notable credits include the films Once Upon a Time in High School (2004), 71: Into the Fire (2010), The Accidental Detective (2015) and its 2018 sequel, The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful (2019), and Hitman: Agent Jun (2020), as well as the television series Big Thing (2010), Medical Top Team (2013), and Queen of Mystery (2017).
Kwon Sang-woo | |
|---|---|
Kwon in December 2022 | |
| Born | August 5, 1976 Daejeon, South Korea |
| Education | Hannam University - B.A.[1] |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 권상우 |
| Hanja | 權相佑 |
| Revised Romanization | Gwon Sangu |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kwŏn Sangu |
He dashed across movie and television screens, which afforded him blockbuster success in terms of ticket sales and viewership ratings, respectively.[2] He rose to stardom for his lead role opposite in TV soap opera Stairways to Heaven and became one of the hottest hallyu stars.[3] Hallyu actor Kwon Sang-woo has begun filming for the Chinese drama “Poong Hwa Sul Wul.” After completing both foreign productions, Kwon will return to play a more prominent role in the Korean entertainment scene.[4]
In February 2025, actor Kwon Sang-woo secured the top spot in the movie star brand reputation rankings, according to the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute.[5]
Career
Summarize
Perspective
2001–2010: Beginnings
Kwon Sang-woo, the most visible example of the so-called mom-zzang (slang for "great body") movement, started his career as a fashion model in the late 1990s. His first acting experience was in the TV drama Delicious Proposal, and for the first few years of his entertainment career, he received only minor roles on television, before making his big-screen debut in the martial arts film Volcano High (2001). The following year, he played his first lead role in the comedy Make It Big (2002) together with real-life best friend Song Seung-heon.[6]
Kwon's breakthrough came in 2003 with the phenomenally successful romantic comedy My Tutor Friend, as a troublesome high school boy who is tutored by a college student of the same age (played by actress Kim Ha-neul). This was followed by appearances in My Good Partner, the world's first movie made for mobile phones, and the music video collection Project X.[6]
His next film released in early 2004 was also a hit. Once Upon a Time in High School portrayed the authoritarian society of the 1970s through a notoriously violent high school. Simultaneously, Kwon's TV tearjerker Stairway to Heaven was winning high ratings over 40%. The drama eventually screened throughout Asia and helped to turn him into a regional star.[7][8]
However, Kwon's follow-up film Love, So Divine, about a priest in training who falls in love,[9] earned poor reviews and did not get much attention from audiences.[6]
For 2006, Kwon starred in the big-budget action noir Running Wild,[10] about a detective, a prosecutor, and a criminal who are all equally vicious.[6] Running Wild received satisfactory reviews, but disappointing returns, and Kwon's next film Almost Love, a romantic comedy reteaming him with Kim Ha-neul,[11] likewise failed to replicate the success of their previous film.
Thus began Kwon's career slump, as the films Fate and More Than Blue flopped in the box office, and his small-screen projects Sad Love Story, Cruel Love, and Cinderella Man received low ratings.[12][13][14]
2010–2015: Breakthrough
Things took a turn for the better in 2010 with the box-office success of Korean War film 71: Into the Fire which Kwon reportedly did not hesitate to take on, though he again portrayed a high school student.[15][16][17][18][19][20] His drama Big Thing about Korea's first female president (played by Go Hyun-jung) was also very popular during its run, staying atop TV charts for 11 weeks straight and ending with viewership ratings around 26%.[21][22][23][24]
In the 2011 melodrama Pained, Kwon played a man with analgesia, the inability to sense physical pain, who then falls in love with a woman suffering from hemophilia. Based on an original story by webcomic artist Kang Full, Pained was directed by Kwak Kyung-taek in a departure from his previous macho movies. Kwak said, "The production company told me Kwon Sang-woo was contemplating the part, and I said I would do it only if Kwon does. There was nobody else."[25][26]
Looking to expand his acting career to a wider audience in Asia,[27] in 2012 Kwon starred in movies with Chinese superstars Cecilia Cheung (romantic comedy Shadows of Love, previously known as Repeat, I Love You)[28][29] and Jackie Chan (action film CZ12[30][31][32]).[33] He also made his singing debut in a DVD released in Japan in 2010.[34][35] Cast as the male lead in a Chinese TV series titled Feng Hua Xue Yue (Wind Flower Snow Moon), Kwon's role was an Asian-American Broadway producer who comes back to China to stage a musical production in Yunnan Province and falls in love with the leading lady of his stage musical.[36][37]
He next starred opposite Soo Ae in King of Ambition, which was adapted from the third installment of manhwa artist Park In-kwon's 21-part saga Daemul (the 2010 SBS TV series of the same name that also starred Kwon was adapted from the comic's second book).[38][39][40][41][42][43]
Kwon was cast in his first medical drama in 2013, Medical Top Team from the director of Moon Embracing the Sun and the writer of Brain. He played a straightforward yet warm-hearted genius surgeon.[44][45] In 2014, he reunited with Stairway to Heaven costar Choi Ji-woo in Temptation, about a married, debt-ridden businessman who agrees to a deal with a female CEO in exchange for her "ownership" of his body.[46]
He next played the owner of an internet startup company in Honey Enemy, a 2015 Chinese romance film opposite Zhang Yuqi that filmed in Jeju Island and Shanghai.[47] Kwon then starred in comedy film The Accidental Detective which revolves around a misfit comic book rental shop owner who becomes involved in a murder case.[48][49][50][51][52]
2015–present: Career resurgence
In 2016, Kwon starred alongside Choi Kang-hee in the crime comedy drama, Queen of Mystery.[53] Kwon reprised his role in the second season of the show, which aired in 2018.[54]
In 2018, Kwon starred in crime comedy The Accidental Detective 2: In Action.[55] He was also cast in the romantic comedy film Shall We Do It Again.[56]
Kwon has said in an interview, "I hope I'm remembered as an actor whose work the audience looks forward to rather than an actor who acts well."[57][58]
In February 2025, actor Kwon Sang-woo secured the top spot in the movie star brand reputation rankings, according to the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute. This ranking was based on a big data analysis of media coverage, interaction, and participation, according to an article on Soompi. The analysis encompassed 100 actors appearing in dramas, movies, or OTT content.[5]
Business interests
In 2009 Kwon established the cosmetics firm Natural Tears, of which he is the owner and CEO, as well as the inaugural advertising model for the brand TEARS. It was named after his nickname "Mr. Tears", given to him by fans in recognition of his tear-jerking acting in Stairway to Heaven.[59][60]
He also opened the cafe Tea'Us in Myeong-dong,[61][62] and is the biggest shareholder of the resort Ocean Blue Hotel Bali. The property Kwon owns in Bundang-gu was appraised at an estimated worth of ₩18 billion.[63]
Personal life
Unlike many Korean male stars who had to fulfill their mandatory military service at the height of their careers, Kwon completed his military service long before he became an actor.[citation needed]
Kwon's mother is a Roman Catholic, and he himself converted after filming Love, So Divine in which he played as a seminarian. His confirmation name is Francisco.[citation needed]
Kwon married actress and former Miss Korea Son Tae-young at the Shilla Hotel on September 28, 2008.[64][65][66][67][68] On February 6, 2009, his wife gave birth to a baby boy, christened as Luke (nicknamed Rookie).[69] Their second child, a daughter, was born on January 10, 2015.[70][71]
Controversy
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Perspective
In 2006 Kwon filed a complaint against Kim Tae-chon, the godfather of Beomseobangpa (one of Korea's three major criminal gangs), for threatening him when the actor failed to keep his promise to hold a fan meeting in Japan. Kwon and the defendant eventually came to a settlement, but prosecutors continued investigations into possible ties between kkangpae and the Japanese yakuza and Chinese crime syndicates that are looking to cash in on the Korean Wave entertainment business.[72][73][74][75]
There was fan backlash to his 2008 marriage due to his wife's previous dating history.[76] In an appearance on talk show Golden Fishery hosted by Kang Ho-dong in 2009, Kwon said, "After I got married, membership in my fan cafe dwindled from 240,000 to 135,000 - it was like a stock market crash." He also said that before he got married, he had an average of seven TV commercials per year, but by early 2009 that number had dwindled down to zero.[20][77]
In the early hours of June 12, 2010, Kwon was involved in a car accident in Gangnam District. According to news reports, Kwon was driving on the wrong side of the road and hit a parked car. He then ran into the police car that had pursued him, continued driving and hit a tree before fleeing the scene on foot. Two days later, he turned himself in at Gangnam Police Station, claiming he had not been drunk.[78][79] Kwon later made a public apology through a handwritten letter, and was fined ₩7 million by a Seoul district court.[80]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Volcano High | Song Hak-rim | ||
| 2002 | Make It Big | Lee Woo-seob | ||
| 2003 | My Tutor Friend | Kim Ji-hoon | ||
| 2004 | Once Upon a Time in High School | Kim Hyun-soo | ||
| Love, So Divine | Kim Kyu-shik | |||
| 2006 | Running Wild | Jang Do-young | ||
| Almost Love | Lee Ji-hwan | |||
| 2008 | Fate | Jo Cheol-joong | ||
| 2009 | More Than Blue | Kang Chul-gyu ("K") | ||
| 2010 | 71: Into the Fire | Goo Kap-jo | ||
| 2011 | Pained | Nam-soon | ||
| 2012 | Shadows of Love | Kwon Jung-hoon | Chinese film | |
| CZ12 | Simon | |||
| 2015 | The Honey Enemy | Zhou Yunfeng | ||
| The Accidental Detective | Kang Dae-man | |||
| 2018 | The Accidental Detective 2: In Action | |||
| 2019 | Love, Again | Jo Hyun-woo | ||
| The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful | Gwi-soo | [81] | ||
| 2020 | Hitman: Agent Jun | Jun | ||
| 2021 | A Year-End Medley | Himself | Special appearance | [82] |
| 2022 | The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure | Bu Heung-Soo | [83] | |
| 2023 | Switch | Park Kang | [84] | |
| 2025 | Hitman 2 | Jun | [85] | |
| TBA | No Kids | [86] | ||
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Delicious Proposal | Lee Choon-shik | ||
| Legend | Yang Dol-man | |||
| 2002 | We Are Dating Now | Yoon Ho-jae | ||
| 2003 | Into the Sun | Kang Seok-min | ||
| Stairway to Heaven | Cha Song-joo | |||
| 2005 | Sad Love Story | Seo Joon-young/Choi Joon-kyu | ||
| 2007 | Cruel Love | Kang Yong-ki | ||
| 2009 | Cinderella Man | Oh Dae-san / Lee Joon-hee | ||
| 2010 | Big Thing | Ha Do-ya | ||
| 2011 | Fuyu no Sakura | Himself | Cameo (Episode 8) | |
| 2013 | King of Ambition | Ha Ryu / Cha Jae-woong | ||
| Medical Top Team | Park Tae-shin | |||
| 2014 | Temptation | Cha Seok-hoon | ||
| 2017 | Queen of Mystery | Ha Wan-seung | ||
| 2018 | Queen of Mystery 2 | |||
| 2020–2021 | Delayed Justice | Park Tae-yong | ||
| 2022 | Why Her | Jung Hyeon-soo | Cameo (Episode 1) | [87] |
| Curtain Call | Bae Dong-jae | [88] | ||
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | X of Crisis | Mr. A | [89] |
| 2023 | Han River Police | Han Doo-jin | [90] |
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | House on Wheels: For Rent | Cast member | Spin-off of House on Wheels; With The Pirates 2 cast | [91] |
Music video appearances
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Smile Smile" | Papaya | |
| "It's All Right" | Circle | ||
| 2001 | "I Wish You Happiness" (Joy Project - 1 Year of Love) | Why | |
| "First Love" | Ji Young-sun | [92] | |
| 2002 | "I Can't Tell" | Cha Eun-ju | |
| "Ace of Sorrow" | Jo Sung-mo | ||
| 2003 | "Project X" | [citation needed] | |
| 2005 | "Sad Love Story" | Yoon Gun | |
| "Anyclub" | Eric Mun and Lee Hyori | ||
Ambassadorship
- Seoul Public Relations Ambassador for 2023 S/S Seoul Fashion Week (2022)[93]
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andre Kim Best Star Awards | 2004 | Male Star Award | Kwon Sang-woo | Won | [94] |
| 2007 | Star Award, Men's category | Won | [95] | ||
| Asia Model Awards | 2011 | Asia Star Award | Kwon Sang-woo | Won | [96] |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2003 | Best New Actor – Film | My Tutor Friend | Won | |
| 2004 | Most Popular Actor – Film | Once Upon a Time in High School | Won | ||
| Best Actor – Film | Nominated | ||||
| 2008 | Most Popular Actor – Film | Fate | Won | [97] | |
| 2011 | Best Actor – Television | Big Thing | Nominated | ||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2002 | Best New Actor | Make It Big | Nominated | |
| 2004 | Popular Star Award | Once Upon a Time in High School | Won | ||
| Grand Bell Awards | 2003 | Best New Actor | My Tutor Friend | Won | |
| 2004 | Popularity Award | Once Upon a Time in High School | Won | ||
| KBS Drama Awards | 2007 | Best Couple Award | Kwon Sang-woo (with Lee Yo-won) Cruel Love |
Nominated | |
| Popularity Award, Actor | Cruel Love | Nominated | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Nominated | ||||
| 2017 | Best Couple Award | Kwon Sang-woo (with Choi Kang-hee) Queen of Mystery |
Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Queen of Mystery | Nominated | |||
| Netizen Award, Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Nominated | ||||
| 2018 | Best Couple Award | Kwon Sang-woo (with Choi Kang-hee) Queen of Mystery 2 |
Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Queen of Mystery 2 | Nominated | |||
| Netizen Award, Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Korea Best Dresser Swan Awards | 2003 | Best Dressed, TV Actor Category | Kwon Sang-woo | Won | |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2011 | Best Actor | Big Thing | Nominated | |
| Korea-Japan Culture Awards | 2007 | Non-Governmental Diplomacy Award | Kwon Sang-woo | Won | |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2005 | Best Couple Award | Kwon Sang-woo (with Kim Hee-sun) Sad Love Story |
Nominated | |
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Sad Love Story | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Medical Top Team | Nominated | ||
| Mnet 20's Choice Awards | 2007 | Hot Body | Kwon Sang-woo | Won | |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2002 | New Star Award | We Are Dating Now | Won | |
| 2003 | Netizen Popularity Award | Stairway to Heaven / Into the Sun | Won | ||
| Top 10 Stars | Won | ||||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Drama Special | Stairway to Heaven | Nominated | |||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Planning Drama | Into the Sun | Nominated | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Stairway to Heaven / Into the Sun | Nominated | |||
| 2010 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Drama Special | Big Thing | Won | [98] | |
| Top 10 Stars | Won | ||||
| Best Couple Award | Kwon Sang-woo (with Go Hyun-jung) Big Thing |
Nominated | |||
| Netizen Popularity Award, Actor | Big Thing | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | Best Couple Award | Kwon Sang-woo (with Soo Ae) King of Ambition |
Nominated | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Drama Special | King of Ambition | Nominated | |||
| 2014 | Best Couple Award | Kwon Sang-woo (with Choi Ji-woo) Temptation |
Nominated | ||
| Netizen Popularity Award | Temptation | Nominated | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Drama Special | Nominated | ||||
| 2020 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-Length/Long Drama | Delayed Justice | Nominated | ||
| Seoul International Drama Awards | 2013 | Outstanding Korean Drama Actor | King of Ambition | Nominated | |
| Style Icon Awards | 2009 | Style Icon, TV Actor Category | Kwon Sang-woo | Won | [99] |
| The Motion Pictures Association of Korea's The Year in Film Awards | 2005 | Hallyu Star Award | Kwon Sang-woo | Won | |
Honors
| Country or organization | Year | Honor / Award | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savings Day | 2005 | Presidential Citation | |
References
External links
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