Joo Jin-mo is an actor and performer from South Korea. ‘Happy End,’ a huge song in 1999, catapulted him to fame. He began his acting career in TV dramas before moving on to films. He has also appeared in TV shows such as “Fashion 70’s” (2005), “Flowers in Fog” (2013), “Woman with a Suitcase” (2016), “Bad Guys: City of Evil” (2017), and others. He went on to receive numerous prizes and plaudits for his roles in various films. He made his acting debut in the 1999 film ‘Dance Dance.’ Although the film did not perform well at the box office, his performance garnered him enough attention for him to be cast in his next project, ‘Happy End.’ The film’s commercial and critical success catapulted him into stardom overnight. ‘Musa: The Warrior’ (2001), ‘Puzzle’ (2006), ‘A Love’ (2007), ‘A Frozen Flower’ (2008), ‘A Better Tomorrow’ (2010), ‘Gabi’ (2012), and others are among his other films. Apart from movies and TV series, Joo has also performed in the stage (‘Taxi Driver’ in 1997 and ‘Gone with the Wind’ in 2005). He also sang on the late singer Kim Hyun-single sik’s “Like Rain, Like Music,” which was released in 2011 on the CJ E&M label.
Childhood and Adolescence
Joo was born Park Jin-tae on August 11, 1974, in Seoul, South Korea. His management gave him his stage name (he borrowed his name). He studied Physical Education at the University of Incheon before dropping out to pursue Film and Art at Chung-Ang University.
Career of Joo Jin-mo
In 1997, he made his stage debut in ‘Taxi Driver.’ He made his big screen debut in the film ‘Park V. Park,’ but failed to capture the public’s interest. In 1999, he participated in the KBS2 drama ‘Sad Temptation.’ In 1999, he starred in the film ‘Dance Dance.’ For his part in the film, he received professional dancing training.
After garnering notoriety for minor roles, he ultimately grabbed the hearts of his audience with the smash-hit film ‘Happy End,’ which brought him the recognition he deserved. His portrayal of a scorned lover in the romance drama drew a lot of attention from both Korean and international viewers.
In the year 2000, he starred in the KBS2 show ‘Look Back in Anger’ and acted in the film ‘Real Fiction,’ which was shot in just 3.5 hours and required no retakes. In 2001, he played another prominent role in ‘Musa,’ a film set in 14th century China that became one of the most popular films in Korean cinema history. He featured with Zhang Ziyi, who is most known for his role in the film ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.’
He starred in the melodrama ‘Wanee & Junah,’ in which he played a laid-back writer trying to get into the industry. He then appeared in the SBS boxing drama ‘Punch.’ In 2004, he returned to the big screen with the comic drama ‘Liar,’ which was based on Ray Rooney’s play ‘Run For Your Wife.’ Joo starred in the historical drama series ‘Bichunmoo’ from 2004 to 2005. (Dance in the Sky). The series was first broadcast in China and Taiwan (2006) due to copyright concerns, and then in South Korea in 2007. (2008).
He co-starred with Lee Yo-won in SBS’ blockbuster show “Fashion 70’s” in 2005. In 2006, he acted in ‘Puzzle,’ a film about a botched bank robbery. He also acted in ‘200 Pounds Beauty,’ a romantic comedy that was well-received at the time of its release. He also appeared in the TV show ‘Queen of the Game.’
He and Park Si-yeon co-starred in the gangster romance ‘A Love’ in 2007. The next year, he acted in ‘A Frozen Flower,’ a controversial film depicting a love triangle involving a homosexual Goryeo King, his Queen, and the Royal Guard. He returned to television in 2009 with the SBS series “Dream,” in which he portrayed a sports agent for a K-1 fighter. In 2010, he co-starred alongside Son Seung-yeon in the film ‘A Better Tomorrow.’ John Woo’s classic Hong Kong noir became known as the film.
During his first fan meeting in Japan in 2011, he sang ‘Like Rain, Like Music,’ a song by late artist Kim Hyun-sik. Fans appreciated his singing abilities so much that he decided to record his own cover of the song, which he published as a digital single in September 2011. In 2012, he made a comeback to the big screen in the film ‘Gabi,’ in which he played a 19th century con man. The con artist becomes involved in a political plot involving King Gojong.
In 2013, he starred in ‘Flowers in Fog,’ a Chinese TV drama based on a novel by Qiong Yao. The filming of the series took place in France.
He also starred in ‘Empress Ki,’ a historical drama in which he played a role based on King Chunghye. In addition, he played a gangster in the sequel to the 2001 smash film ‘Friend: The Great Legacy.’ In 2015, he returned to the stage with a production of Margaret Mitchell’s classic ‘Gone With the Wind.’ Following that, he co-starred with Kim Sa-rang in the drama series ‘Beloved Eun-dong.’ He had an appearance in the MBC network’s ‘Woman with a Suitcase’ in 2016. He starred in the OCN drama ‘Bad Guys: City of Evil’ in 2017.
Achievements & Awards
For ‘Happy End,’ he received the Best Supporting Actor award at the 36th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2000.
For ‘Look Back in Anger,’ he earned the Best New Actor award at the KBS Drama Awards in 2000.
At the SBS Drama Awards in 2003, he won the Excellence Award for Actor in Special Drama for ‘Punch.’
For ‘Fashion 70’s,’ he earned Top Ten Stars at the KBS Drama Awards in 2005.
For ‘A Love,’ he received the Popular Star Award at the 28th Blue Dragon Awards in 2007.
For ‘A Frozen Flower,’ he received Best Actor (Film) at the 45th Baeksang Art Awards in 2009.
For ‘A Better Tomorrow,’ he got the Style Icon Award for Movie Actor at the 3rd Style Icon Award in 2010.
For his role in ‘Empress Ki,’ he received the MBC Drama Awards’ Top Excellence Award for Actor in Special Project Drama in 2013.
Estimated Net Worth
Joo Jin-mo is one of the wealthiest and most well-known actors in Hollywood. Joo Jin-net mo’s worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.