Teo Yoo
German and Korean actor (born 1981)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kim Tschi-Hun (Korean: 김치훈; born April 11, 1981), known professionally as Teo Yoo (Korean: 유태오), is a German and South Korean actor.[1][2] He has starred as Viktor Tsoi in the biographical musical film Leto (2018),[3][4][5][6] and won the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best New Actor in 2021. In 2023, he gained wider recognition for starring in the Netflix original series Love to Hate You and romantic drama film Past Lives,[7] earning a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.[8] In June 2024, he was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[9]
April 11, 1981
Early life and education
Yoo was born Kim Tschi-Hun on April 11, 1981 in Cologne, Germany to South Korean parents. His father was a miner and his mother was a nurse. After graduating from high school in Germany, he enrolled in the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York and later, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London to study acting.[10][11]
Personal life
In 2007, Yoo married artist Nikki S. Lee.[12][13] They reside in Seoul, South Korea.[12]
He is fluent in German, English, and Korean.[citation needed]
Filmography

Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Kim Bab | Kim | short film | |
| 2004 | Brooklyn Bound | Tommy Woo | ||
| 2006 | Day Night Day Night | Driver | ||
| 2009 | Actresses | Emile | ||
| 2010 | Innocent When You Dream | Gustav Zerga | short film | |
| 2012 | Love Fiction | Secretary | ||
| Shanghai Strangers | The Lover | short film | ||
| Code Name: Jackal | Moustache | |||
| 2014 | One on One | Shadow | ||
| 2015 | Seoul Searching | Klaus Kim | ||
| Equals | Peter | |||
| You Call It Passion | Jey | |||
| 2016 | Bitcoin Heist | Thomas | ||
| 2017 | The Moment | Mr. Kim | Thai Film | |
| TV Cello | Nam June Paik | short film | ||
| 2018 | Lim | Teo | short film | |
| Leto | Viktor Tsoi | |||
| 2019 | Vertigo | Lee Jin-soo | ||
| Black Money | Steve Jung | Special appearance | ||
| 2020 | Pawn | Yoo Deok-hwa | ||
| 2021 | New Year Blues | Rae-hwan | ||
| Log in Belgium | Director, writer, editing | [14] | ||
| 2022 | Decision to Leave | Director Lee | Special appearance | [15] |
| 2023 | Past Lives | Hae-sung | American film | [16] |
| TBA | Karoshi | TBA | American film |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Arthdal Chronicles | Ragaz | Cameo | |
| Vagabond | Jerome | |||
| Chocolate | Kwon Min-sung | |||
| 2020 | Money Game | Eugene Han | ||
| 2021 | Drama Stage – "Proxy Emotion" | Yoo Jae-ho | Season 4; one act-drama | [17] |
| The Window | Cho Jae-yeon | Japanese-German joint drama | [18] | |
| 2025 | The Recruit | Jang Kyu | Season 2 | [19] |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Cravings | Teo | |
| 2020 | The School Nurse Files | Mackenzie | |
| 2021 | Dr. Brain | Secretary Yoon | [20] |
| 2023 | Love to Hate You | Nam Kang-ho | [21] |
| 2025 | The Recruit 2 | Jang Gyun | [22] |
| TBA | The Baddest Boy | [23] |
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Buzzer Beater | Cast Member | Episode 1–8 | |
| 2021 | Honeymoon Tavern | Cast Member | Episode 1–9 | [24][25] |
Music video appearances
| Year | Song title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Courting" | Lena Park | |
| 2018 | "Our Last Day" | Noel | |
| 2020 | "Tender Love" | Kim Jae-joong |
Discography
Soundtracks
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Overwhelming"[26] | 2021 | Log in Belgium OST |
| "Texas Summer"[27] | 2024 | Music Adventure by Accident OST, Part 2 |
| "Like a Friend"[28] with Kian84 & Pani Bottle |
Music Adventure by Accident OST, Part 3 |
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Academy Film Awards | 2024 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Past Lives | Nominated | [29] |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2021 | Best New Actor | Vertigo | Won | [30][31] |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | 2023 | Best Actor | Past Lives | Nominated | |
| Most Promising Performer | Nominated | ||||
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2020 | Best New Actor | Vertigo | Nominated | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 2024 | Best Lead Performance | Past Lives | Nominated | |
| Korea Arts and Culture Awards | 2021 | Film Division | Won | [32] | |
| Korea Cultural Entertainment Awards | 2018 | Best New Actor | Leto | Won | |
| Marie Claire Asia Star Awards | 2023 | Asia Star Award | Past Lives | Won | [33] |
| Marie Claire Film Festival | 2023 | Marie Claire Award | Log in Belgium | Won | [34] |
| MBC Entertainment Awards | 2024 | Popularity Award (Reality) | I'm Born to Play Music | Won | [35] |
| Starpics Thai Film Awards | 2017 | Best Supporting Actor | The Moment | Won | [36] |
Listicles
| ‡ | Indicates a sole placement listicle |
Notes
- The list introduces the 200 actors that best represent the present and future of Korean cinema to the people in the film industry all over the world.