Yeo Jin-goo is a South Korean actor best remembered for his early roles as a child actor in films such as ‘Sad Movie’ and ‘A Frozen Flower.’ His endearing film appearance earned him the moniker ‘Nation’s Little Brother.’ He was the most famous child actor throughout his early adolescence, most recognized for playing younger versions of the main characters on screen. Yeo, who was born in Seoul, had always aspired to be an actor and began auditioning at a young age, eventually landing a role in ‘Sad Movie’ at the age of eight. Yeo was chosen among 150 kids who auditioned for the same part, and he wowed the producers with his talent. Following his debut feature, Yeo went on to star in ‘Antique’ and ‘A Frozen Flower.’ He’s also appeared in a number of popular TV shows, including ‘Tazza,’ ‘Gourmet,’ and ‘Swallow the Sun.’ With ‘Hwayi: A Monster Boy,’ a film for which he won multiple accolades, he switched to leading parts.
Childhood and Adolescence
Yeo Jin-goo was born into an upper-middle-class family in Seoul on August 13, 1997. He shared his childhood with his younger brother. Both brothers had developed a passion for television shows and movies, which they had received from their father, who was also a great movie buff. Around the age of five, Yeo began pressuring his parents about his ambitions to star in television shows and films.
His parents were taken aback, wondering how such a young child could be so dedicated about his vocation. Yeo began applying for various roles in television shows, proving that age is just a number. His parents were always supportive, and his mother would frequently accompany him to the auditions.
After a few failed auditions, Yeo took some informal acting training and was eventually cast in the film ‘Sad Movie,’ in which he played Park Hwi-chan. Yeo was 8 years old at the time, and he was chosen from a group of about 150 young actors. Yeo attended to an all-boys’ school, which was sometimes hard for him because he eventually became a shy person with girls.
He balanced his time between his education and acting projects when he became an actor, eventually graduating from Namgang high school in 2016. Yeo’s film and television career was picking up steam at the time, but his parents insisted that he continue his studies at the famous Chung-Ang University in Seoul, where he studied the Department of Theatre.
Career of Yeo Jin-goo
Yeo Jin-goo debuted as an 8-year-old in the film ‘Sad Story,’ which set the path for his future film and television roles. He didn’t have to wait long, as a nice opportunity arose in the drama series ‘I Want to Love,’ in 2006, in which he played the sick child of a single mother. Despite the fact that his role was modest and the series itself was not particularly popular, Yeo was able to attract the attention of numerous talent agencies.
In the dark thriller film ‘No Mercy for the Rude,’ he played a younger version of the killer in 2006. In 2007, he starred in two films, ‘Santamaria’ and ‘Dance of the Dragon,’ which both helped him get further recognition. Yeo’s work in the shows ‘Iljimae’ and Tazza’ earned him his first acting award in 2008. He played the younger version of the main characters in both of the shows. In the same year, he won the SBS Best Child Actor Award.
In 2008, he also starred in two major films, ‘A Frozen Flower’ and ‘Antique,’ both of which were commercial triumphs. In 2009, there was a paucity of decent roles, and the only prominent one that came his way was in the TV series ‘Swallow the Sun.’ He committed to pursue all of his future acting assignments with the same seriousness as he did for his role in the 2010 series ‘Giant,’ in which he plunged himself thoroughly into the character.
By 2011, Yeo had matured and began to play predominantly adolescent roles. He made an appearance in the drama ‘Deep Rooted Tree’ at the request of actor Jang Hyuk, who had previously played the elder version of Yeo’s character in the television series ‘Tazzo.’
Yeo made his acting debut in the historical drama ‘Moon Embracing the Sun’ in 2012, playing a young prince, which turned out to be his career-defining role. In the same year, he starred in the drama ‘Missing you.’ Both shows were huge successes, and Yeo was awarded the MBC Best Young Actor award for his roles in both.
Yeo’s first leading part was in the 2013 thriller ‘Hwayi: The Monster Kid,’ which revolved around a young boy groomed by five criminals in order to make him into an assassin. Yeo earned multiple honors for his portrayal of a befuddled young man in the film, which was a critical and economic triumph. He won the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actor, becoming the youngest actor to do so in the history of the Blue Dragon Awards.
In 2015, he starred in the film ‘Shoot me in the Heart,’ which was based on a Korean novel of the same name, and the following year, he made his television debut in ‘Orange Marmalade,’ which was based on a webtoon. Both projects were successful. Yeo won another acting award at the SBS Drama Awards in 2016 for his depiction of King Yeongjo in the SBS drama series “Jackpot.”
In 2017, Yeo made his first appearances in the science fiction drama series ‘Circle’ and a historical film named ‘Warriors of the Dawn.’ Both films were big budget productions with big roles for Yeo, who was praised for his ‘very solid’ performance by critics. In July 2017, he starred in the SBS Romance Drama ‘Reunited Worlds,’ and lent his voice to the SBS documentary ‘Animal Farm.’ He’s also appeared on a number of variety shows, including ‘The Running Man’ and ‘Happy Together.’
Personal Experiences of Yeo Jin-goo
Yeo Jin-goo prefers to keep his personal life private, claiming that he has never experienced love in his life. He adds that going to all-boys schools has made him hesitant around girls, and he insists on his friends setting up blind dates for him, but he hasn’t found the right companion yet. Yeo has stated openly that he connects well with negative characters for some reason, and that he would like to play a completely bad character in one of his films.
Estimated Net Worth
Yeo Jin-goo is one of the wealthiest and most well-known actors in Hollywood. Yeo Jin-net goo’s worth is estimated to be at $5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.