Yoo Ah-in

Uhm Hong-sik (born October 6, 1986), known professionally as Yoo Ah-in, is a South Korean actor, creative director, and gallerist.

He is known for playing a diverse spectrum of roles in both television and film, where he often portrays dynamic characters who exhibit significant personal growth.

He is the recipient of various accolades including Asian Film Awards, Fantasia International Film Festival's Cheval Noir award, two Blue Dragon Film Awards and two Baeksang Arts Awards.

Using the stage name Yoo Ah-in, he made his debut in a TV commercial in 2003.

His first management wanted to create an attractive stage name for him that fit an idol image because the name Uhm Hong-sik was considered too heavy and old fashioned.

He then chose Yoo Ah-in, Ah-in taken from the German word meaning "one".

Yoo was then cast in the teen series Sharp after auditioning, playing the role of a model student majoring in painting.

After the series aired, Yoo gained popularity and was cast in romance drama April Kiss and one-act drama Shi-eun & Soo-ha.

Yoo also appeared in various commercials including school uniforms and youth apparel.

After that, however, Yoo took a break from acting and disappeared from the spotlight.

According to Yoo, he became an actor without any prior knowledge about acting and entertainment industry.

At first, he was thrilled by the accolades and popularity of the profession, but then became confused about whether or not that was what he truly desired in life.

Yoo felt the need for a hiatus to reflect upon what he wanted for himself instead of catering to others, and what kind of path as an actor he would want to take in the future.

Having taken the time for introspection, he discovered his passion for serious acting.

Yoo recalls of his career beginnings:

"During Sharp, I had no idea what was happening to me, and I didn't know how to deal with it, so the popularity didn't feel like it was mine. Now, I can handle it better. After Sharp, I remember thinking that I must not falter and collapse under the situation I was thrust into, and that I had to firmly take a step forward and wait."

Resuming his acting career, Yoo starred in low-budget indie film Boys of Tomorrow, taking over the role of a young man Jong-dae, who carries the psychological scars of a traumatic childhood accident.

The film premiered at Busan International Film Festival in October 2006, and competed for the Golden Leopard at the 2007 Locarno International Film Festival.

He said about the meaning of his first film, "If I have drawn a picture of the actor career, this film must be within that picture."

Director Noh Dong-seok met Yoo when he couldn't make up his mind even though he has met several actors interested in the role of Jong-dae.

Noh decided to cast Yoo within five minutes of meeting him, saying, "I can't forget the first five minutes I met Yoo at the audition. When I asked other actors about Jong-dae character, they usually answered, 'I think he's going to wear something, have some hairstyle and some kind of personality'. But he stared out the window for a long time, and suddenly said one word as if he choked up slightly, 'It's sad.' At that moment, I thought, 'Jong-dae is him.'" During the film's press junket, Noh said, "In contrast to his noticeably good looks, he was filled with a furious energy. When I hear the word 'youth,' I think of Yoo Ah-in. The true main character of this movie, I think, is [not Jong-dae but] Yoo Ah-in."

Noh also recalled Yoo's audition in an interview, saying, "I fell for Yoo Ah-in at first sight. Of course, he also had good looks. But he had an extremely different feel from the other actors whom I had met during casting. Yoo Ah-in was nervous when he met me. Before his identity as an actor, he possessed twenty years of his natural self as Yoo Ah-in."

Yoo's role as a boy looking for a gun in order to escape from his frustrating reality earned positive reviews, and he won the Best New Actor award at the Busan Film Critics Awards.

Yoo then starred in Jeong Yoon-cheol's black comedy film Skeletons in the Closet, playing the role of an eccentric boy who believes he was a king in previous incarnation.

Yoo was nominated at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

In 2008, Yoo starred in historical drama Strongest Chil Woo, playing a cruel but lonely assassin adopted by a nobleman.

He gained recognition from critics and viewers for his performance, despite it being the first historical drama for him.

He was also featured in Min Kyu-dong's comedy-drama film Antique, adapted from Yoshinaga Fumi's manga Antique Bakery.

He is best known for his leading roles in coming-of-age film Punch (2011), melodrama Secret Affair (2014), action blockbuster Veteran (2015), period drama The Throne (2015), historical television series Six Flying Dragons (2015–2016), psychological thriller mystery drama Burning (2018), zombie film #Alive (2020), indie crime drama film Voice of Silence (2020), and dark fantasy series Hellbound (2021).

In 2016, he ranked second in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list.

Yoo Ah-in, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sik, was born in Nam-gu, Daegu in southeastern South Korea, the youngest of three children.

In the first year at Gyeongbuk Arts High School, majoring in fine arts, Yoo was discovered by a casting agent on the streets in front of the school.

He traveled to Seoul by himself and began living independently, which he said developed into a personal asset.

He was enrolled in Seoul Arts High School, but soon dropped out of school to carry on his broadcast activities.

Yoo later entered Dankuk University and Konkuk University, having completed a GED for high school certification.

Before debuting, he was once scouted to be a K-Pop idol and trained to sing.

For his role as Lee Jong-su in Burning, Yoo received international critical acclaim, including being selected for The New York Times ' "The Best Actors of 2018" feature, making him the only Asian to be on the list and the first Korean actor to do so.

Directed by the acclaimed South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong, the film also received universal acclaim, competing for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and becoming the first Korean film to make it to the final nine-film shortlist of Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards.

In addition to his film work, Yoo engages in social and artistic activism.

He is also known for his politically and socially charged views on his social media account.