Hyun Bin

Hyun Bin
Hyun Bin at the 18th PiFan opening ceremony in Bucheon on July 17, 2014
Born	Kim Tae-pyung (1982-09-25) September 25, 1982 Seoul, South Korea
Alma mater	Chung-Ang University[1]
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2003–present
Agent	VAST Entertainment Universal D
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Korean name
Hangul	현빈
Hanja	炫彬
Revised Romanization	Hyeonbin
McCune–Reischauer	Hyŏnbin
Birth name
Hangul	김태평
Hanja	金泰坪
Revised Romanization	Gim Tae-pyeong
McCune–Reischauer	Kim T'aep'yŏng

Hyun Bin (born Kim Tae-pyung on September 25, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television dramas My Name Is Kim Sam-soon (2005), The World That They Live In (also known as Worlds Within) (2008) and best known for his acting in drama"Secret Garden" (South Korean TV series)|Secret Garden]] (2010-2011).

Career

Hyun Bin receiving the Producers’ Choice Award at the 2014 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival

Hyun first starred in Nonstop 4 and quirky drama Ireland.^[2] He shot to stardom in the 2005 romantic comedy series My Name Is Kim Sam-soon with Kim Sun-a. Sam-soon was a massive hit with average ratings of over 37% and 50.5% for the finale,^[3] for which Hyun won the Top Excellence Award at the MBC Drama Awards.

Mainstream success eluded Hyun in the next few years. His first film as a lead actor A Millionaire's First Love (written by Internet novelist Guiyeoni) did not do well commercially, and neither did TV melodrama The Snow Queen, a love story between a math genius-turned-boxer and a sheltered, pampered girl (Sung Yu-ri). Hyun began choosing more eclectic projects, such as 2008's The World That They Live In (also known as Worlds Within), which was well-received for Noh Hee-kyung's writing; he and Song Hye-kyo played TV producers struggling to create the perfect TV drama while still maintaining their relationship. He then starred in I Am Happy, a romance between a patient and a nurse (Lee Bo-young) in a mental ward, which was the closing film at the 2008 Busan International Film Festival.^[4][5] In 2009, Hyun drew critical acclaim in his portrayal a sociopath in the gangster saga Friend, Our Legend, reportedly watching Kwak Kyung-taek's original film 20 to 30 times.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

He experienced a surge of fame in 2010 with Secret Garden, a romantic fantasy about a fussy and arrogant department store owner and a penniless stunt woman (Ha Ji-won) who swap bodies every time it rains.^[13][14] The Kim Eun-sook-penned show brought in 30% ratings and garnered much interest regarding its fashion, catchphrases and music, and Hyun was recognized at the 2010 SBS Drama Awards and the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards for his stellar performance.^[15][16] He also contributed to the soundtrack with "That Man," which peaked at number one in eight Korean music portals.^[17][18][19]

In February 2011 he walked the red carpet at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival where two of his films, Come Rain, Come Shine (directed by Lee Yoon-ki) and Late Autumn (directed by Kim Tae-yong) screened.^[20][21][22] He described the honor as his "happiest achievement."^[23][24]

Shot in Seattle, Late Autumn was an English-language remake of the 1966 Lee Man-hee classic, in which Hyun played a man on the run who falls in love with a woman who is on special leave from prison (Chinese actress Tang Wei).^{[25][26][27][28]} It became the highest grossing Korean film released in China to date, taking in more than US$9.5 million over two weeks, which was unprecedented for a melodrama.^[29] He received a good review from The Hollywood Reporter which stated, "It is Hyun who impresses more for not underplaying the dandy, narcissistic side of his personality."^[30]

On March 7, 2011, Hyun volunteered to serve his 21 months of compulsory military service in the Marine Corps, considered the toughest service branch.^{[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]} He was discharged on December 6, 2012 and received a citation for being an exemplary soldier. In front of media and thousands of fans from various countries, Hyun shed tears and bowed.^{[42][43][44][45][46]}

After the merger of their former agency AM Entertainment with SM Entertainment,^[47] Hyun's reps announced in November 2012 that the actor and Shin Min-ah had decided to go independent and set up their own management agency O& Entertainment.^[48] Hyun then spent most of 2013 shooting commercials as an in-demand product endorser,^{[49][50][51][52]} and holding fan meetings all over Asia.^[53]

For his acting comeback after military service, Hyun chose The Fatal Encounter, his first ever period film, in which he played the leading role of King Jeongjo who faced fierce party strife and assassination attempts during his reign. It was released in April 2014 and drew more than 3 million admissions.^{[54][55][56][57][58][59][60]} Hyun next starred in Hyde, Jekyll, Me, a 2015 romantic series in which he plays a man with split personality disorder (inspired by the literary character) whose two personas both fall for the same woman.^[61]

In January 2016, Hyun set his own agency VAST Entertainment.^[62]

Hyun Bin is returning to silver screen with the action-thriller film titled “Cooperation” the film is about North and South Korea's first-ever joint undercover investigation in history. Hyun plays the role of a North Korean detective that is secretly sent to South Korea to apprehend a crime ring that is made up of North Korean traitors. The filming of this movie began on 10th March 2016 and scheduled to be released in cinemas in early 2017. ^[63]

In June 2016, Hyun Bin's agency has confirmed he is cast in the film, “Kkoon” also known as "Con Man" along with Yoo Ji Tae. The movie is about a prosecutor who plans to catch a con man who has swindled a large sum of money.^{[64] [65]} First script reading and gosa (ritual to bring good luck) took place on September 26, 2016. Filming began October 1, 2016. ^[66]

Personal life

Hyun was born and raised in Seoul. He has one older brother. He graduated from Chung-Ang University in 2004, where he majored in Theater Studies. In 2009, he enrolled at the same university to obtain a Master's degree.

After filming The World That They Live In, Hyun remained in contact with his co-star, Song Hye-kyo. It was during the separation, when Hyun was filming Friend, Our Legend in Busan, that made them realize their feelings for each other. They announced their dating status in June 2009.^[67][68] They were rarely seen in public together and refused to discuss their relationship with the press. On March 2011, mere hours after Hyun's military enlistment, his and Song's agencies confirmed that the couple had broken up. According to the joint press release, "Both have been very busy shooting films and dramas both in and out of Korea, which inevitably caused them to grow apart." With rumors of their separation circulating since late 2010, the agencies said the two split up in early 2011 but wanted to keep it secret for the time being "because neither of them wanted the public attention to be directed on their split instead of their professional work. Hyun also did not want a personal issue to interfere with his last days with his fans before starting his military service."^[69][70]

He was discharged from the military on December 6, 2012 after serving 21 months, in the Korean Marines.

Social action

After joining the Marines for his mandatory military service and completing six months into his service, on September 25, 2011 Hyun participated the "Seoul Reclamation Anniversary Marine Marathon Competition". He ran 6.25km long course with 400 exemplary senior marines. This event was held in remembrance of the historically significant event when the Marines won back the capital Seoul that had been taken during the 6.25 Korean War. ^[71]

On October 29, 2013 Korean Government held a “50th Savings Day” event. Hyun Bin received recognition as the recipient of the President’s award for saving 35 billion won (approximately USD 3.3 million) within 17 years. ^[72]

It has been revealed Hyun Bin has been continuously doing volunteer work as well as donating money to various charities throughout his career.

In February 2016, Hyun was involved in an awareness campaign against animal cruelty. As part of the project, Hyun's agency VAST Entertainment released pictures of him posing with a retired search and rescue dog named "Vision". ^[73]

Filmography

Television series

Film

Music video

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hyun Bin.

• Hyun Bin at the Korean Movie Database
• Hyun Bin at the Internet Movie Database
• Hyun Bin at HanCinema