Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Ju Ji-hoon
South Korean actor and model (born 1982) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Ju Ji-hoon (Korean: 주지훈; born May 16, 1982) is a South Korean actor and model. He first gained international recognition with his leading role in the television series Princess Hours (2006) and has achieved further prominence with the series Mask (2015), Kingdom (2019–2020), Hyena (2020), Light Shop (2024), and The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call (2025), for which he won the Best Actor at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards. Known for his versatility, Ju has also garnered acclaim for his performances in the films Asura: The City of Madness (2016), Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017) and its 2018 sequel, The Spy Gone North (2018), Dark Figure of Crime (2018), and Ransomed (2023).[2][3]
.png)
Remove ads
Early life
Ju Ji-hoon was born on May 16, 1982, on Gangdong District, Seoul, South Korea.[4] He graduated with a degree in Acting from Kyonggi University.[citation needed]
Career
Summarize
Perspective
2003–2008: Acting debut and recognition
In 2003, Ju debuted as a model, in advertisements for clothing brands such as Calvin Klein, Levi's and Reebok. He had various bit parts in television dramas, but it was in 2006's romantic comedy Princess Hours, based on the manhwa Goong, that he achieved breakthrough. The drama was a hit domestically with a peak rating of 28.3%, and internationally across Asia, catapulting Ju into Korean Wave stardom.[5][6] He won the Best New Actor award at the MBC Drama Awards along with his co-star Yoon Eun-hye.
In March 2007, Ju starred in KBS2's revenge drama Lucifer, opposite Uhm Tae-woong and Shin Min-a.[7] The same month, he received the New Asian Star award at the 1st Astar TV Drama Awards for his performance in Princess Hours and Lucifer.[8]
Ju's film debut was in Antique (2008), based on the manga Antique Bakery.[9] The film was invited to the 59th Berlin International Film Festival.[10] He then reunited with Lucifer co-star Shin Min-ah in the romantic comedy The Naked Kitchen.[11]
2009–2017: Military enlistment and comeback
In January 2011, ahead of Ju's military discharge in November, he signed with entertainment agency KeyEast, owned by actor Bae Yong-joon.[12]
_레드카펫&VIP시사회_영상_(주지훈).jpg)
In August 2012, Ju made his comeback in the period comedy film I Am the King.[13] Inspired by the popular novel The Prince and the Pauper, Ju played the dual role of Grand Prince Choong-nyung and the slave Deok-chil, in a fictional period before the prince becomes King Sejong the Great.[14] This was followed by his starring role as a pianist in the melodrama Five Fingers, broadcast from August to November 2012.[15][16] Ju also starred in medical drama Medical Top Team,[17] and romantic comedy film Marriage Blue.[18]
Ju made his film debut in China with Love Suspicion, a romantic thriller.[19] In 2014, Ju was paired up with Ji Sung and Lee Kwang-soo in Confession,[20] a neo-noir film that brutally explores the aftermath of three men's friendship after the death of one's mother.[21]
In 2015, Ju starred in the period film The Treacherous, reuniting him with the director of Antique and Naked Kitchen.[22] He then made his small screen comeback with SBS' melodrama Mask alongside Soo Ae.[23]
In 2016, Ju starred in the noir crime thriller Asura: The City of Madness, which premiered globally at the 41st Toronto Film Festival.[24] He received the Popular Film Star award at the Korea Top Star Awards.[25]
2018–present: Career resurgence
From 2017 to 2018, Ju starred in the two-part fantasy epic Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds.[26][27] The film was the second highest grossing film in South Korea, and Ju became known for his role as Haewonmaek.[28]
In 2018, Ju starred in the thriller films The Spy Gone North,[29][30] and Dark Figure of Crime.[31][32] Ju's performance in both films earned acclaim, and he won several Best Supporting Actor awards at film ceremonies for his performance in The Spy Gone North, and was nominated for Best Actor at the Blue Dragon Awards for Dark Figure of Crime.[33]
In 2019, Ju made a comeback to the small screen with two television series;[34] Netflix's zombie period drama Kingdom,[35][36] and MBC's fantasy legal drama Item.[37] In 2020, Ju reprised his role in the second season of Kingdom,[38] and starred in the legal drama Hyena.[39] In January 2021, Ju signed with new agency H& Entertainment.[40]
In 2021, news outlets announced that Ju will participate in film Hunt as cameo appearence.[41] Film was released theatrically in South Korea on August 10, 2022.[42]
In 2022, Ju was cast as Woo Chae-woon, main protagonist of sci-fi thriller drama Blood Free.[43] It was released worldwide on Disney+ from April 10 to May 8, 2024, every Wednesday.[44][45]
Remove ads
Personal life
Summarize
Perspective
Military service
On February 2, 2010, Ju enlisted in the Republic of Korea Army to serve his mandatory military service for five weeks of basic training at 306th draft in Uijeongbu of Gyeonggi Province, followed by active duty with the reserve forces.[46][47]
Later in August, Ju co-starred with fellow actor Lee Joon-gi in the military musical Voyage of Life. The musical, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, was co-produced by the Ministry of National Defense and Korea Musical Theatre Association. It ran from August 21 to 29 at the National Theater of Korea.[48][49] Ju was discharged on November 21, 2011.[50][51]
Legal issues
On April 27, 2009, Ju was indicted without detention by Seoul Metropolitan Police along with 15 people on suspicion of using ecstasy supplied by actors Yun Seol-hee and Ye Hak-young.[52][53] On June 23, 2009, he pleaded guilty in court to use of ecstasy and ketamine. Ju was sentenced to a six-month prison term suspended for one year, 120 hours of community service and ₩360,000 won in fines.[54] On the suspended sentence, the judge explained: "The nature of the crime is by no means light. However, he has no prior criminal record, has reflected deeply on the crime, and has not taken any drugs since the time a year and two months ago. Also, many fans from within the country and from overseas have appealed for an appropriate handling of the matter and sent petitions." Ju's lawyer also stated, "Of course he must accept the price of his crime, but wrong information kept coming out and exaggerated him as a habitual user, and some of it was unfair."[55]
Filmography
Film
Television series
Television show
Web shows
Music video appearances
Remove ads
Awards and nominations
Listicles
Remove ads
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads