Yu Ji-tae
Encyclopedia
Yoo Ji-tae is a South Korean actor
and director
.
His first brush with fame came in the role of "Paint" in his second feature, the 1999 hit Attack the Gas Station
. His sensitive and artistic image in this film and the warm character he displayed as a guest on TV talk shows helped to propel him to stardom. With the surprise success of his third film Ditto in spring 2000, Yoo's star status was secured. He also appeared in the successful firefighting film Libera Me. In this early part of his career, he was known particularly for the wild colors that he would dye his hair (white in Attack the Gas Station
, blue in Ditto, blonde in Libera Me).
In 2001, however, he dyed his hair black and took on a more subdued, serious role in Hur Jin-ho
's One Fine Spring Day
. Although it wasn't a big hit with audiences, his performance in this film opened many critics' eyes and drew widespread praise, while officially launching the second stage of his career.
For the next two years, Yoo didn't appear in any new films, because Natural City
took an unusually long time to progress from shooting to a commercial release. He then appeared in three works in 2003: Natural City
(which bombed, despite its big budget and special effects), the horror/suspense film Into the Mirror
, and Park Chan-wook
's acclaimed Oldboy
. Yoo's memorable role in the latter film as a wealthy eccentric fixated on revenge would make his face well known to international audiences.
As Yoo's career established itself he began to appear in many high-profile projects, such as in well-known arthouse director Hong Sang-soo
's Woman is the Future of Man
(which, like Oldboy
, screened at Cannes
in 2004); Yim Pil-sung's big-budget Antarctic Journal
, shot in New Zealand
; and the action/noir Running Wild
with Kwon Sang-woo
.
As soon as he finished shooting the 2007 movie Hwang Jin-yi
about a Joseon
-era gisaeng, Yoo chose to act in the play Come to the Ghost House. A graduate of Dankook University
with a major in Theater and Film, he also established a theater to put on one play a year. Almost all the money for the theatrical productions comes from his own wallet. "I work on stage because it's there that I find the challenge and the stimulus an actor needs through continuous creative work," he said.
Yoo then returned to the melodrama genre, starring in his first TV drama opposite Choi Ji-woo
, as well as a couple of romance-themed films, notably Secret Love
which reunited him with Oldboy
costar Yoon Jin-seo
. Afterwards he played another villain in the real-time suspense thriller Midnight FM
.
After getting his master's degree in 2008 from Chung-Ang University
's Graduate School of Advanced Imaging Science, Multimedia & Film, in recent years Yoo has focused more on his passion for directing. To him, "Making films is like taking drugs. Actors feel a pleasure when they deliver well but directors feel they have poured out everything they have in the sole fact that they have completed a movie. It's impossible to compare the pleasure you get from it." He has helmed a number of award-winning short films that have screened in festivals around the world. In addition to directing his fourth short film Invitation, Yoo wrote the script and plays the main character alongside leading lady Uhm Ji-won.
In 2009 he lent his voice as narrator for the track "I’m Sorry" (미안해) in K-pop
singer Jinju's album Pearlfect.
Graduate School of Social Work, Yoo is very active in philanthropic efforts. He joins charity auctions, has helped set up a kindergarten in Nepal
, has donated to Haiti earthquake
relief, has donated funds for building primary and middle schools in Myanmar
, and volunteered in a campaign to deliver free lunches to underprivileged people. His advocacies are World Vision
, Compassion
Korea, DAIL Community, Social Welfare Society Inc., YWCA
of Korea, Nanum House of Sharing and Korean Association of Cinematheques.
He is engaged to actress Kim Hyo-jin
, and their wedding will be held on December 2, 2011. Together since 2006, they are among the very few Korean star couples who have openly admitted their dating status. In 2011 he and Kim were appointed as honorary ambassadors for World Vision
.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Career
Yoo Ji-tae in a very short time rose to become a major actor in Korean film. In the year 2000, with a series of hit films, widely-seen TV appearances, and a career in modeling, Yoo was more constantly in the limelight than any other actor.His first brush with fame came in the role of "Paint" in his second feature, the 1999 hit Attack the Gas Station
Attack the Gas Station
Attack the Gas Station! is an action crime comedy film, directed by Kim Sang-Jin and written by Park Jeong-woo. It was released in 1999.The film tells the story of a quartet of thugs who rob a gas station out of sheer boredom, having robbed it only a few days previous...
. His sensitive and artistic image in this film and the warm character he displayed as a guest on TV talk shows helped to propel him to stardom. With the surprise success of his third film Ditto in spring 2000, Yoo's star status was secured. He also appeared in the successful firefighting film Libera Me. In this early part of his career, he was known particularly for the wild colors that he would dye his hair (white in Attack the Gas Station
Attack the Gas Station
Attack the Gas Station! is an action crime comedy film, directed by Kim Sang-Jin and written by Park Jeong-woo. It was released in 1999.The film tells the story of a quartet of thugs who rob a gas station out of sheer boredom, having robbed it only a few days previous...
, blue in Ditto, blonde in Libera Me).
In 2001, however, he dyed his hair black and took on a more subdued, serious role in Hur Jin-ho
Heo Jin-ho
Heo Jin-ho , born on August 8, 1963, is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He is a graduate of Yonsei University with a degree in philosophy and has also studied filmmaking at the Korean Academy of Film Arts...
's One Fine Spring Day
One Fine Spring Day
One Fine Spring Day is a Korean feature film released by Sidus and Applause Films in 2001. Directed by Heo Jin-ho , it is a portrait of a love affair from its blossoming in spring to its decline in the following spring....
. Although it wasn't a big hit with audiences, his performance in this film opened many critics' eyes and drew widespread praise, while officially launching the second stage of his career.
For the next two years, Yoo didn't appear in any new films, because Natural City
Natural City
Natural City is a 2003 South Korean science fiction film about a colony world that integrates robots, androids and cyborgs amongst the population.- Plot :...
took an unusually long time to progress from shooting to a commercial release. He then appeared in three works in 2003: Natural City
Natural City
Natural City is a 2003 South Korean science fiction film about a colony world that integrates robots, androids and cyborgs amongst the population.- Plot :...
(which bombed, despite its big budget and special effects), the horror/suspense film Into the Mirror
Into the Mirror
Into the Mirror is a 2003 South Korean horror film about a series of grisly deaths in a department store, all involving mirrors, and the troubled detective who investigates them. It was the debut film of director Kim Sung-ho....
, and Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
's acclaimed Oldboy
Oldboy
Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr...
. Yoo's memorable role in the latter film as a wealthy eccentric fixated on revenge would make his face well known to international audiences.
As Yoo's career established itself he began to appear in many high-profile projects, such as in well-known arthouse director Hong Sang-soo
Hong Sang-soo
Hong Sang-soo is a South Korean film director. Hong's directorial debut, The Day a Pig Fell into the Well , was praised by South Korean critics for its originality and won international film prizes...
's Woman is the Future of Man
Woman Is the Future of Man
Woman is the Future of Man is a 2004 South Korean film directed by Hong Sang-soo. The film wasn't a box-office hit, but was entered in the competition category of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and received screenings at several other festivals...
(which, like Oldboy
Oldboy
Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr...
, screened at Cannes
2004 Cannes Film Festival
The 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
in 2004); Yim Pil-sung's big-budget Antarctic Journal
Antarctic Journal
Antarctic Journal is the feature film debut by South Korean director Yim Pil-sung. The movie mixes elements of psychological thriller and classical horror films while showing the hardships met by a modern antarctic expedition trying to reach the pole of inaccessibility...
, shot in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
; and the action/noir Running Wild
Running Wild (2006 film)
- Plot :Jang Do-young is a homicide detective who likes to use violence when dealing with criminals, while Oh Jin-woo is a prosecutor who believes in the importance of data and evidence. After the murder of his younger half-brother Do-young and Jin-woo meet when Do-young interrupts a stakeout in an...
with Kwon Sang-woo
Kwon Sang-woo
-Career:Kwon Sang-woo, the most visible example of the so-called "mom-zzang" movement, started his career as a fashion model in the late 1990s. His first acting experience was in the TV drama Delicious Proposal, and for the first few years of his entertainment career he received only minor roles...
.
As soon as he finished shooting the 2007 movie Hwang Jin-yi
Hwang Jin Yi (film)
Hwang Jin Yi is a 2007 South Korean film based on the life of Joseon-era kisaeng Hwang Jin-i, starring Song Hye-kyo in the title role.- Plot summary :The story follows Hwang Jin Yi, a gisaeng who lived in 16th century Korea...
about a Joseon
Joseon
Joseon, Chosŏn, Choseon or Chosun are English spellings of the Korean *word for "Korea". It may refer to:*Korea*Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, from 2333 BC to 108 BC.*Joseon Dynasty of Korea, from AD 1392 to 1910....
-era gisaeng, Yoo chose to act in the play Come to the Ghost House. A graduate of Dankook University
Dankook University
Dankook University is a private university in South Korea. Dankook University has been constantly recognized as one of top universities in Asia ranked 148th in Asia by QS Asian Universities Ranking in 2010...
with a major in Theater and Film, he also established a theater to put on one play a year. Almost all the money for the theatrical productions comes from his own wallet. "I work on stage because it's there that I find the challenge and the stimulus an actor needs through continuous creative work," he said.
Yoo then returned to the melodrama genre, starring in his first TV drama opposite Choi Ji-woo
Choi Ji-woo
Choi Ji-woo is a South Korean actress.- Career :Choi was first discovered when she won a talent audition organized by MBC in 1994, and made her debut in the 1995's War and Love, after which she adopted the stage name Choi Ji-woo....
, as well as a couple of romance-themed films, notably Secret Love
Secret Love (2010 film)
Secret Love is 2010 South Korean film by Ryu Hoon-i which started Yoo Ji-tae and Yoon Jin-seo previously worked Oldboy. -Cast:*Yoo Ji-tae as Jin-Woo / Jin-Ho*Yoon Jin-seo as Yeon-Yi*Jeong In-gi as Father Choi-Shin*Ji Dae-han as Hiker...
which reunited him with Oldboy
Oldboy
Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr...
costar Yoon Jin-seo
Yun Jin-seo
Yun Jin-seo is a South Korean actress who has starred in films such as Oldboy and A Good Day to Have an Affair.-Filmography:*2012 Punch Line*2011 Ari Ari the Korean Cinema...
. Afterwards he played another villain in the real-time suspense thriller Midnight FM
Midnight FM
Midnight FM is 2010 South Korean thriller film by Kim Sang-Man which stars Soo-ae and Yoo Ji-tae in lead roles. The film has Yoo's villain role after Oldboy and made cameo by Hyun-ah and Nam Ji-hyun from 4 Minute.-Plot:...
.
After getting his master's degree in 2008 from Chung-Ang University
Chung-Ang University
The Chung-Ang University is a private comprehensive institution in South Korea, located over two campuses in Seoul and Anseong. It was founded subsequent to liberation from Japanese colonial rule for the benefit of the nation and advancement of civilization, with the educational philosophy of...
's Graduate School of Advanced Imaging Science, Multimedia & Film, in recent years Yoo has focused more on his passion for directing. To him, "Making films is like taking drugs. Actors feel a pleasure when they deliver well but directors feel they have poured out everything they have in the sole fact that they have completed a movie. It's impossible to compare the pleasure you get from it." He has helmed a number of award-winning short films that have screened in festivals around the world. In addition to directing his fourth short film Invitation, Yoo wrote the script and plays the main character alongside leading lady Uhm Ji-won.
In 2009 he lent his voice as narrator for the track "I’m Sorry" (미안해) in K-pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
singer Jinju's album Pearlfect.
Personal life
Currently a student at the Catholic University of KoreaCatholic University of Korea
The Catholic University of Korea is a prestigious Roman Catholic institution of higher education in South Korea. It operates campuses in the capital, Seoul, and in neighboring Bucheon City. The university operates a medical school, which is considered to be one of the top three medical schools in...
Graduate School of Social Work, Yoo is very active in philanthropic efforts. He joins charity auctions, has helped set up a kindergarten in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, has donated to Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
relief, has donated funds for building primary and middle schools in Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, and volunteered in a campaign to deliver free lunches to underprivileged people. His advocacies are World Vision
World Vision International
World Vision International, founded in the USA in 1977, is an evangelical relief and development umbrella organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good...
, Compassion
Compassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...
Korea, DAIL Community, Social Welfare Society Inc., YWCA
World YWCA
The World YWCA is the umbrella organization of the global network of the YWCA, a movement of women working for social and economic change around the world. It advocates for young women’s leadership, peace, justice, human rights and sustainable development, both on a grassroots and global scale...
of Korea, Nanum House of Sharing and Korean Association of Cinematheques.
He is engaged to actress Kim Hyo-jin
Kim Hyo-jin
Kim Hyo-jin is a South Korean actress.- Career :Kim began her career modeling in teen magazines, and made her acting debut in 1999. She is most well known for her roles as the youngest of the three sisters in sex comedy film Everybody Has Secrets and as the female lead character in family drama I...
, and their wedding will be held on December 2, 2011. Together since 2006, they are among the very few Korean star couples who have openly admitted their dating status. In 2011 he and Kim were appointed as honorary ambassadors for World Vision
World Vision International
World Vision International, founded in the USA in 1977, is an evangelical relief and development umbrella organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good...
.
As actor
- Bye June (1998)
- Attack the Gas StationAttack the Gas StationAttack the Gas Station! is an action crime comedy film, directed by Kim Sang-Jin and written by Park Jeong-woo. It was released in 1999.The film tells the story of a quartet of thugs who rob a gas station out of sheer boredom, having robbed it only a few days previous...
(1999) - Love Story - "Lost Baggage" (TV, 1999)
- 01412 Sect of the Magic Sword (2000)
- Ditto (2000)
- Nightmare (2000)
- Libera Me (2000)
- MOB 2025 (2001)
- One Fine Spring DayOne Fine Spring DayOne Fine Spring Day is a Korean feature film released by Sidus and Applause Films in 2001. Directed by Heo Jin-ho , it is a portrait of a love affair from its blossoming in spring to its decline in the following spring....
(2001) - Wonderful DaysWonderful DaysWonderful Days is a South Korean animated science fiction film, released in 2003, written and directed by Kim Moon-saeng...
(animated, 2003) (voiceVoice actingVoice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
) - Into the MirrorInto the MirrorInto the Mirror is a 2003 South Korean horror film about a series of grisly deaths in a department store, all involving mirrors, and the troubled detective who investigates them. It was the debut film of director Kim Sung-ho....
(2003) - Natural CityNatural CityNatural City is a 2003 South Korean science fiction film about a colony world that integrates robots, androids and cyborgs amongst the population.- Plot :...
(2003) - OldboyOldboyOldboy is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr...
(2003) - Woman is the Future of ManWoman Is the Future of ManWoman is the Future of Man is a 2004 South Korean film directed by Hong Sang-soo. The film wasn't a box-office hit, but was entered in the competition category of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and received screenings at several other festivals...
(2004) - Antarctic JournalAntarctic JournalAntarctic Journal is the feature film debut by South Korean director Yim Pil-sung. The movie mixes elements of psychological thriller and classical horror films while showing the hardships met by a modern antarctic expedition trying to reach the pole of inaccessibility...
(2005) - Sympathy For Lady VengeanceSympathy for Lady VengeanceSympathy for Lady Vengeance is a 2008 South Korean film by director Park Chan-wook. In North America and parts of Europe, the film has been screened under the title Lady Vengeance. The film is the third installment in Park's The Vengeance Trilogy, following Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy...
(2005) (cameoCameo appearanceA 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...
) - Running WildRunning Wild (2006 film)- Plot :Jang Do-young is a homicide detective who likes to use violence when dealing with criminals, while Oh Jin-woo is a prosecutor who believes in the importance of data and evidence. After the murder of his younger half-brother Do-young and Jin-woo meet when Do-young interrupts a stakeout in an...
(2006) - Bar Legend (2006) (cameoCameo appearanceA 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...
) - Traces of LoveTraces of LoveTraces of Love is a 2006 South Korean film directed by Kim Dae-seung, and starring Yoo Ji-tae, Kim Ji-soo, and Uhm Ji-won. The film is based on the Sampoong Department Store collapse, which took place in 1995.-Plot summary:...
(2006) - Hwang Jin-yiHwang Jin Yi (film)Hwang Jin Yi is a 2007 South Korean film based on the life of Joseon-era kisaeng Hwang Jin-i, starring Song Hye-kyo in the title role.- Plot summary :The story follows Hwang Jin Yi, a gisaeng who lived in 16th century Korea...
(2007) - Hello, Schoolgirl (2008)
- A Star's LoverCelebrity's SweetheartCelebrity's Sweetheart is a 20-episode romance melodrama starring Choi Ji-woo and Yoo Ji-tae. The series aired on SBS from December 10, 2008 to February 12, 2009.-Plot:...
(TV, 2008–2009) - Secret LoveSecret Love (2010 film)Secret Love is 2010 South Korean film by Ryu Hoon-i which started Yoo Ji-tae and Yoon Jin-seo previously worked Oldboy. -Cast:*Yoo Ji-tae as Jin-Woo / Jin-Ho*Yoon Jin-seo as Yeon-Yi*Jeong In-gi as Father Choi-Shin*Ji Dae-han as Hiker...
(2010) - Midnight FMMidnight FMMidnight FM is 2010 South Korean thriller film by Kim Sang-Man which stars Soo-ae and Yoo Ji-tae in lead roles. The film has Yoo's villain role after Oldboy and made cameo by Hyun-ah and Nam Ji-hyun from 4 Minute.-Plot:...
(2010)
As director
- The Bike Boy (2003)
- How Does the Blind Dream? (2005)
- Out of My IntentionOut of My IntentionOut of My Intention is a 2008 South Korean short film written and directed by Yoo Ji-tae. It is the third short film by actor-turned-director Yoo, and the first of his films to receive a public release...
(2008) - Invitation (2009)
- Sansevieria (2012)
External links
- http://www.yoomovie.com/
- Fan Cafe at Daum
- Yoo Ji-tae at Korean Wikipedia