Shin Sung Rok
Encyclopedia
Shin Sung Rok is a South Korean actor. He appears in films and television series, but is most famous and active in musical theatre
.
. He debuted in 2003, but found it difficult to find acting jobs since directors were reluctant to cast the 187 centimeter-tall aspiring actor in supporting or minor roles. Thinking he would have a better chance if he gained more acting experience and honed his craft on the stage, Shin switched gears and joined the theater company Hakchon.
When Shin performed in his first musical Moskito, there were only 20-25 audience members in the 500-seat hall. Despite feeling depressed and frustrated, he said the experience made him strong and helped him become an actor with plenty of guts.
While doing the musical Dracula
, Shin was cast in his first substantial onscreen role, in the risqué cable drama Hyena. Supporting roles in dramas and films followed, notably in Thank You and My Life's Golden Years. He also appeared on the MBC dating reality show We Got Married
as a couple with female comedian Kim Shin Young.
Mainstream breakthrough still eluded Shin, but in theater his star was rising. In 2007 Shin was picked from 400 auditionees for the lead role Solomon in Dancing Shadows, a musical adaptation of the realist play Forest Fire by celebrated Korean playwright Cha Beom Seok. He later received a Best New Actor nomination from the Korea Musical Awards.
As Shin starred in one hit musical after another, he continued to impress critics and captivate female audiences with his charismatic acting performances, his strong and powerful baritone vocals and his delicate and clear alto notes. He is now considered a top musical star, even drawing fans from outside Korea to his shows.
His 2010 drama Definitely Neighbors was the most successful yet in boosting his TV profile, netting 20% ratings. For his role as a difficult chef who falls in love with an older divorcee, Shin received the Supporting Actor, Top Excellence Award (Daily Drama category) at the SBS Drama Awards.
Despite branching out to film and television, Shin has maintained that his heart will always belong to the stage. "I feel more affection toward the stage (than TV). I think it is the stage where actors learn life and understand the meaning of acting. It is where I learned how to act and where I gained confidence. I think the core of my life will remain on the stage" (The Korea Herald, 2007). "The musical is like my old home and it made me what I am now, so I can't stop performing the musicals however busy I get. I always covet a good musical and try to do it because a good musical won't wait for me [...] I like musicals because I can communicate with the audience. Also, TV dramas and films are good at portraying characters in detail. I will show better performances in my new work. [...] I hope many become familiar with me through more diverse channels and come to see the musicals and boost musical culture. Personally, I want to let my name become widely known to general audiences." (The Korea Times
, 2009)
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
.
Career
Shin Sung Rok had wanted to become an actor since high school, so when an injury cut short his career as an amateur basketball player (his brother is Shin Je Rok of the Anyang KT&G Kites), he decided to major in Theater and Film at Suwon UniversityUniversity of Suwon
The University of Suwon is a university in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It was founded by the Kowoon Foundation in 1977 and its current president is Dr...
. He debuted in 2003, but found it difficult to find acting jobs since directors were reluctant to cast the 187 centimeter-tall aspiring actor in supporting or minor roles. Thinking he would have a better chance if he gained more acting experience and honed his craft on the stage, Shin switched gears and joined the theater company Hakchon.
When Shin performed in his first musical Moskito, there were only 20-25 audience members in the 500-seat hall. Despite feeling depressed and frustrated, he said the experience made him strong and helped him become an actor with plenty of guts.
While doing the musical Dracula
Dracula, The Musical
Dracula, the Musical is a musical based on the original Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton....
, Shin was cast in his first substantial onscreen role, in the risqué cable drama Hyena. Supporting roles in dramas and films followed, notably in Thank You and My Life's Golden Years. He also appeared on the MBC dating reality show We Got Married
We Got Married
We Got Married is a popular reality South Korean variety show, one segment of the Sunday Sunday Night program. First broadcast in 2008, the show pairs up Korean celebrities to show what life would be like if they were married...
as a couple with female comedian Kim Shin Young.
Mainstream breakthrough still eluded Shin, but in theater his star was rising. In 2007 Shin was picked from 400 auditionees for the lead role Solomon in Dancing Shadows, a musical adaptation of the realist play Forest Fire by celebrated Korean playwright Cha Beom Seok. He later received a Best New Actor nomination from the Korea Musical Awards.
As Shin starred in one hit musical after another, he continued to impress critics and captivate female audiences with his charismatic acting performances, his strong and powerful baritone vocals and his delicate and clear alto notes. He is now considered a top musical star, even drawing fans from outside Korea to his shows.
His 2010 drama Definitely Neighbors was the most successful yet in boosting his TV profile, netting 20% ratings. For his role as a difficult chef who falls in love with an older divorcee, Shin received the Supporting Actor, Top Excellence Award (Daily Drama category) at the SBS Drama Awards.
Despite branching out to film and television, Shin has maintained that his heart will always belong to the stage. "I feel more affection toward the stage (than TV). I think it is the stage where actors learn life and understand the meaning of acting. It is where I learned how to act and where I gained confidence. I think the core of my life will remain on the stage" (The Korea Herald, 2007). "The musical is like my old home and it made me what I am now, so I can't stop performing the musicals however busy I get. I always covet a good musical and try to do it because a good musical won't wait for me [...] I like musicals because I can communicate with the audience. Also, TV dramas and films are good at portraying characters in detail. I will show better performances in my new work. [...] I hope many become familiar with me through more diverse channels and come to see the musicals and boost musical culture. Personally, I want to let my name become widely known to general audiences." (The Korea Times
The Korea Times
The Korea Times is the oldest of three English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea, along with The Korea Herald and The JoongAng Daily. It is part of the same newspaper group as Hankook Ilbo, a major Korean language daily...
, 2009)
Television
| Year | Title | Network | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Shoot for the Stars | SBS | ||
| 2004 | A Problem at My Younger Brother's House | SBS | ||
| 2006 | Hyena | tvN TvN Asia tvN Asia - a joint venture developed by Fox International Channels, operator of more than 140 channels in 32 languages across the globe, and CJ Media, Korea’s leading media major in 2008 expands its reach throughout Asia, bringing original programming, non-linear and mobile solutions from the... |
Lee Seok Jin | |
| 2007 | Thank You | MBC Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television... |
Choi Seok Hyun | |
| 2008 | My Life's Golden Age | MBC Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television... |
Go Kyung Woo | |
| One Mom and Three Dads One Mom and Three Dads One Mom and Three Dads is a Korean television drama.-Synopsis:... |
KBS | Na Hwang Kyung Tae | ||
| The Art of Seduction | OCN Orion Cinema Network Orion Cinema Network, most commonly known by the abbreviation OCN, is a movie channel on basic cable throughout South Korea. In the 2000s it became the most viewed station in South Korea, which prompted them to create their widely recognized English-language slogan, "Korea number-one channel." With... |
Hyun Soo | ||
| Family Outing | SBS | Guest ep 7 & 8 with G-Dragon G-Dragon Aside from Big Bang, G-Dragon also made several solo appearances. After helping produce Taeyang's debut album, he recorded his own version of the album's lead single "Only Look At Me" , titled as the part two version to the song. The single was released digitally... |
||
| 2009 | We Got Married We Got Married We Got Married is a popular reality South Korean variety show, one segment of the Sunday Sunday Night program. First broadcast in 2008, the show pairs up Korean celebrities to show what life would be like if they were married... |
MBC Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television... |
variety show | |
| 2010 | Definitely Neighbors | SBS | Jang Gun Hee | |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Story of My Life | Sung Rok | |
| 2010 | Finding Mr. Destiny Finding Mr. Destiny Finding Mr. Destiny is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy starring Im Soo-jung and Gong Yoo. It is a film adaptation by playwright-turned-director Jang Yoo-jeong of her hit 2006 musical.-Plot:... |
Captain Choi | cameo Cameo appearance A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television... |
| Bloody Innocent | Dong Shik | ||
| 2008 | Lovers of Six Years | Lee Jin Sung | |
| 2007 | The Worst Guy Ever | Kwon Jae Hoon | |
| 2005 | My Lovely Week | Basketball player | |
Musical Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Monte Cristo | Edmond Dantes/The Count | |
| 2010 | Hero | Ahn Jung Geun | |
| Tick, Tick... Boom! Tick, Tick... BOOM! Tick, Tick... Boom! is a musical written by American composer Jonathan Larson, who won a Pulitzer and two Tony Awards for his musical Rent. Tick Tick Boom tells the story of an aspiring composer named Jon, who lives in New York City in 1990. Jon is worried he has made the wrong career choice to... |
Jon | ||
| The Story of My Life The Story of My Life (musical) The Story of My Life is a musical with music and lyrics by Neil Bartram, and a book by Brian Hill. The show follows two childhood friends from age six to 35 and has only two characters.... |
Thomas | ||
| Monte Cristo | Edmond Dantes/The Count | ||
| 2009 | Jack the Ripper | Andrew | |
| Roméo et Juliette Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour Roméo et Juliette: de la Haine à l'Amour is a French musical based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, with music and lyrics by Gérard Presgurvic. It premiered in Paris on January 19, 2001. The production was directed and choreographed by Redha, with costumes by Dominique Borg and... |
Romeo | ||
| My Scary Girl | Hwang Dae Woo | ||
| 2008 | Fiddler on the Roof Fiddler on the Roof Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem... |
Perchik | |
| 2007 | Hamlet Hamlet The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601... |
Hamlet | |
| Dancing Shadows | Solomon | ||
| 2006 | Finding Kim Jong Wook | Han Gi Joon | |
| Dracula Dracula, The Musical Dracula, the Musical is a musical based on the original Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton.... |
|||
| 2005 | Singin' in the Rain Singin' in the Rain (musical) Singin' in the Rain is a musical with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown.Adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name, the plot closely adheres to the original... |
||
| Passion of the Rain | |||
| 2004 | Moskito |
External links
- Mini-Homepage at CyworldCyworldCyworld is a South Korean social network service operated by SK Communications , a subsidiary of SK Telecom .Members cultivate relationships by forming Ilchon or "friendships" with each other through their minihompy....
- Fan Cafe at Daum
- Sin Seong-rok at HanCinema