Jo Jung-suk

2004–2010: Early career, becoming a musical star

Jo Jung-suk had always wanted to be on stage. He was admitted into the Theater department of Seoul Institute of the Arts on student loan, but after his father died in 2000, Jo's widowed mother became fully dependent on him. He was granted an exemption from military service due to family circumstances, and he quit school before graduating so he could start earning money by doing musicals. He made his professional acting debut in The Nutcracker in 2004.^{[4][unreliable source?]}

Jo then became active and well-known in musical theatre, performing in a total of 25 musicals during the first nine years of his career,^[5] including, musical adaptation of The Harmonium in My Memory, Organ in My Heart,^[6] musical adaptation of Jewel in the Palace, Janggeum the Great,^[7][8] as well as Korean productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch,^[9] Grease, The Island,^[10][11] and Spring Awakening.^[12][13]

Jo Jung-suk expressed in an interview with the media:

"To be honest, I don't really like the term 'musical actor.' I just want to be an actor. A really good actor."
— Financial News, May 3, 2007.^[14]

2011–2018: Rising to prominence with breakout roles, taking on leading roles, and critical acclaim on screen

In 2011, he landed his first television role on cable series What's Up, playing an awkward but talented music student.^[15] However, 2012 proved to be his breakout year with two high-profile projects. In his big-screen debut, he played a supporting role as Nab-ddeuk, the young hero's best friend, in the box-office hit Architecture 101.^[16] Jo's performance, which brimmed with personality and comic timing, earned him the Best New Actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards,^[17] along with nominations from the Grand Bell Awards and Buil Film Awards. He was once again a scene stealer in his third onscreen role as earnest soldier Eun Shi-kyung in the drama series The King 2 Hearts.^[18] Jo's display of versatility and screen presence in these projects caused a surge in his mainstream prominence, resulting in close to twenty offers for films and TV series, in addition to commercial endorsements.^[19][20]

He next starred in big-screen comedy Almost Che, which was loosely based on a real-life 1985 incident where student activists forcibly occupied the US Cultural Center in Seoul and had a standoff with the police.^[21][22]

In 2013, Jo starred in his first historical film, The Face Reader, directed by Han Jae-rim. He portrayed Paeng-heon, the brother-in-law and assistant of the protagonist Nae-gyeong (portrayed by Song Kang-ho). This character wanders the eight provinces and holds the key to a significant plot reversal in the film. He received favorable reviews from critics for his performance and further established himself as an actor by winning the Best Supporting Actor award at both the Grand Bell Awards and the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.^[24]

At the same year, Jo returned to television in his first onscreen leading role in the 2013 family drama You Are the Best!, co-starring IU.^[25] The series aired on KBS2 from March 9 to August 25, 2013, on weekends. Jo also lent his voice to the drama's original soundtrack, titled "I Completely Love You." Ratings peaked at 29.3% for the final episode. At the 2013 KBS Drama Awards, Jo won the Best Couple Award alongside IU for their on-screen chemistry, in addition to the Excellence Award for Actor in a Serial Drama.^[26]

In 2014, Jo was featured in two films of different genres. The first, released on April 30, 2014, is the period thriller The Fatal Encounter, where he played an assassin targeting King Jeongjo (portrayed by Hyun Bin).^[27][28] The second film, released on October 8, 2014, is the romantic comedy My Love, My Bride, a remake of the same-titled 1990 hit directed by Im Chan-sang, in which Jo and Shin Min-ah played a newly married couple.^[29][30][31]

In 2015, Jo starred in tvN drama Oh My Ghost, directed by Yoo Je-won. He acted as Kang Sun-woo, the owner and head chef of Sun Restaurant, an arrogant star chef specializing in pasta, who falls for his kitchen assistant Na Bong-sun (Park Bo-young) who's been possessed by a lustful virgin ghost named Shin Soon-ae (Kim Seul-gi). The drama was a commercial and critical hit.^[32][33] He also headlined The Exclusive: Beat the Devil's Tattoo, in which he played a TV news reporter who gets a scoop,^[34][35] followed by the time-hopping thriller Time Renegades.^[36]

In 2016, Jo played an announcer in SBS's romantic comedy Don't Dare to Dream who falls for a weather announcer (played by Gong Hyo-jin).^[37] The series was a hit and led to increased prominence for Jo, who then became one of the most in-demand actors in the industry.^[38] He then headlined the comedy-drama film My Annoying Brother alongside Park Shin-hye and Doh Kyung-soo of Exo.^[39] The film topped box office charts and earned positive reviews for Jo, who was praised for his comedic timing and chemistry with co-star Do.^[40]

In 2017, Jo was cast in the gangster thriller The Drug King, directed by Woo Min-ho.^[41] The same year, he made his small-screen comeback in MBC's fantasy comedy drama Two Cops.^[42][43] In 2018, Jo was cast in the action thriller film Hit-and-Run Squad in which he took a role as an antagonist.^[44]

2019–2023: New agency, box office film Exit and Hospital Playlist

After the contract with Cultural Depot was terminated in February 2018, Jo Jung-suk worked as a free agent for a while.^[45] In March 2019, he signed an exclusive contract with Jam Entertainment, a new agency. Later, he took on the role of Baek Yi-gang, the eldest son of the notorious stranger Baekga in the historical drama Nokdu Flower.^[46][47]

In 2019, Jo starred alongside Im Yoon-ah in disaster action comedy film written and directed by Lee Sang-geun, Exit. The film follows the story of Yongnam, a young unemployed man, who attempts to reconnect with an old crush, but following a chain of events, they end up trying to escape from a mysterious white gas that threatens to engulf the entire Seoul district.^[48] Exit first premiered in South Korea on July 31, 2019.^[49] It was considered a box office success earning over US$69.5 million worldwide, becoming South Korea's third highest-grossing domestic film for 2019.^[50][51] Jo established himself as a box office actor with his acting skills and ticket power combined. He was nominated for the Best Actor Award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.^[52]

In 2020, Jo starred as an assistant professor of general surgery, Lee Ik-jun, in the medical drama Hospital Playlist.^[53] The television series was created by director Shin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jung of the Reply series. It recorded an audience rating of 14.1% in the final episode, and received positive reviews throughout its run. In 2021, Jo reprised the role in the second season.^[54] Jo hosted the Jo Jung-suk Show at Mastercard Hall in Blue Square, Seoul, for two days on September 3 to 4, 2022.^[55]

2024–present: Television, film, and music endeavors

Several projects featuring Jo were released in 2024. Jo starred in the period drama Captivating the King, which aired on tvN from January 21 to March 3, 2024.^[56][57] Jo portrays Yi In, a king caught up in political power struggles that falls in love with the spy Kang Hee-soo, played by Shin Se-kyung.^[58] From March until June, Jo made a comeback the musical Hedwig, appearing after an eight-year hiatus. The musical ran at the Charlotte Theater, Seoul, and Jo's opening performance received positive reviews.^[59]

His return to film after five years was with Pilot, a comedy film released theatrically on July 31, 2024. Pilot is a remake of the 2012 Swedish film Cockpit, directed by Kim Han-gyul and also starring Lee Ju-myoung, Han Sun-hwa, and Shin Seung-ho. The film follows Han Jung-woo, a star pilot who becomes unemployed and succeeds in getting re-employed after assuming his sister identity.^[60] The legal drama film Land of Happiness, directed by Choo Chang-min, was released theatrically on August 14, 2024. Jo starred alongside Lee Sun-kyun and Yoo Jae-myung. The film is inspired by real-life figure Tae Yoon-ki [ko], who served as the defense attorney for an Army colonel Park Heung-ju [ko] in the aftermath of the assassination of Park Chung Hee.^[61] It was released theatrically on August 14, 2024.^[62]

His Netflix original show A-list to Playlist (a wordplay referencing his drama Hospital Playlist) premiered on August 30. The project marked Jo's debut as a singer in his 20th year in the entertainment industry. The show followed Jo's songwriting journey, collaborations with various artists, and evaluations by a panel. It was directed by Yang Jung-woo, marking their first reunion since Youth Over Flowers Iceland (2016). The project was produced by his best friend, CEO Jeong Sang-hoon, with assistance from comedian Moon Sang-hoon. Several celebrity guests appeared, including IU, Dynamic Duo, and Jo's wife, the singer Gummy, marking Jo and Gummy's first TV collaboration. The show also featured his best friends, Jung Kyung-ho, who directed Jo's music video, which starred Kim Dae-myung and Gong Hyo-jin. The series concluded with a showcase on March 27, 2024, at Blue Square in Seoul, where Jo presented his songs and the album's concept.^[63]

In 2025, Jo returned to the silver screen with My Daughter Is a Zombie, adaptation of manhwa of the same name by Yun-chang Lee. Directed by Pil Gam-sung, the film starred Jo alongside Lee Jung-eun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Choi Yu-ri. The plot depicts a father's struggle to protect his daughter, who has been infected with a zombie virus, as he seeks refuge in his mother's rural home.^[64] It was released theatrically on July 30, 2025 in South Korea.^[65] The film was commercially successful, grossing $38 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing South Korean film of 2025.

Endorsements

Following the success of Architecture 101 and the drama The King 2 Hearts in 2012, Jo began receiving numerous advertising offers. His first television commercial was for LG U+.^[66] After the success of the film My Annoying Brother, Jo's prominence in the entertainment industry continued to grow. In 2016, he became the brand ambassador for an online English learning platform, and his promotional video for the platform gained significant attention on social media.^[67][68] Another notable commercial featuring Jo was his tuna advertisement alongside Son Na-eun.^[69]

In 2021, Jo served as the face of 12 different brands, promoting a diverse range of products, including mobile communications, credit cards, beverages, ramen, reading platforms, and masks.^[70] He ranked fourth in a CF revenue chart for that year.^[71]

Philanthropy

In 2019, newlyweds Jo and Gummy donated 30 million won to the Korea National Disaster Relief Association to aid in the recovery from the Goseong forest fire.^[72]

Concerts

Musicals

Plays

Soundtrack appearances

Compilation appearances