Yeon Jung-hoon (born November 6, 1978) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for generational epic East of Eden (2008),[1] crime procedural Vampire Prosecutor (2011-2012)[2][3][4][5] and the domestically popular weekend drama Pots of Gold (2013). Outside of acting, Yeon hosted the first three seasons of Top Gear Korea, the South Korean version of the BBC show,[6][7] and is a cast member of the popular variety-reality show 2 Days & 1 Night.
Yeon Jung-hoon | |
---|---|
Born | |
Other names | Youn Jung-hoon |
Education | ArtCenter College of Design Myongji University |
Years active | 1999-present |
Agent | 935 Entertainment |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Korean name | |
Hangul | |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Yeon Jeong-hun |
McCune–Reischauer | Yŏn Jŏnghun |
Early life
Yeon is the only son and younger of two children of veteran actor Yeon Kyu-jin.[8][9] He was sent to the United States as a teenager and lived with his aunt while attending junior high and high school.[10][11] He spent his freshman year of college at the ArtCenter College of Design but returned to South Korea due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis and continued his education at Myongji University, majoring in product design.[11][9][12] Despite his father being an actor, he never showed any inclination towards the entertainment industry until he was in college. He made his acting debut whilst a college student and eventually decided to pursue it as a career after graduating.[10][13][9] His father had misgivings over his new career path out of concern; Yeon later stated that his father was finally convinced after he was named Best New Actor at the 2003 KBS Drama Awards.[12][14]
Career
Early career and military service: 1999-2005
In 1999 Yeon made his debut in the drama Wave. After appearing in several dramas in minor or supporting roles, he first came to prominence with domestic audiences in the highly-rated 2003 daily soap Yellow Handkerchief and portrayed lovers with his future wife.[15][11] They both went on to win the Best New Actor and Best New Actress awards respectively at the year-end KBS Drama Awards.[16] He was cast in Sad Love Story as a last-minute replacement for Song Seung-heon, who was embroiled in a scandal involving his exemption from mandatory military service and forced to pull out.[17] Yeon himself nearly did not get the role as his character's background story required him to film on location in New York City for several weeks and he had to get a visa at short notice.[18] The drama received much attention as it was also broadcast overseas in Japan and other countries in the Middle East and Africa. Although domestic viewership was lower than expected, Yeon was praised for ably stepping into the role at the last minute and it led to a rise in popularity for him, especially in Japan. It was his last drama before enlisting for mandatory military service in November 2005.[19]
Hosting Top Gear Korea and domestic popularity: 2008-2013
After his discharge, Yeon began diversifying into other genres and largely shied away from romantic melodramas to avoid being typecast.[20][21] His comeback project was the critically-acclaimed 2008 generational drama East of Eden in which he and Song Seung-heon portrayed brothers who grew up in a mining town during the turbulent 1970s and later find themselves on opposing sides of the law.[14][22][23] He then starred in his first sageuk (historical period drama) Jejungwon.[24] From 2011 to 2012, Yeon, an avid car enthusiast and former Formula 4 driver, was a co-host of Top Gear Korea and hosted the first three seasons before leaving to concentrate on acting and other interests. He also starred in the OCN legal drama Vampire Prosecutor, portraying the titular character, a prosecutor who becomes a vampire and hides it but uses his newfound powers to solve crimes. To prepare for the action scenes required of his role, he lost weight and learned Jeet Kune Do for several months prior to filming.[25][26] The drama became the most watched cable drama of the year 2011 and received rave reviews from both critics and viewers.[27] Its popularity prompted the producers to bring it back for a second season.
Yeon's next two roles were as chaebol businessmen in romantic comedies. In the 2012 cable drama Can Love Become Money, he played the CEO of a hospitality company who hides his sensitive and caring side behind an unpleasant and emotionless exterior.[28][29] He reunited with his East of Eden co-star Han Ji-hye the following year in Pots of Gold, in which he portrayed the eldest son of a chaebol family embroiled in a saga involving his father's mistresses.[30] A domestic ratings hit, the weekend drama consistently topped its time slot and he was named Best Actor in a Serial Drama at the 2013 MBC Drama Awards.[31][32][33]
Overseas projects and 2 Days & 1 Night: 2014-present
Yeon's next project was the 2014 TVB microfilm A Time of Love where he played the boyfriend of Linda Chung.[34] After mostly portraying straight-laced protagonists, he played the main antagonist in the drama Mask, winning rave reviews for his portrayal of a remorseless, cold-hearted lawyer.[35][36] He was nominated for the Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama at the 2015 SBS Drama Awards, losing to his Mask co-star Ju Ji-hoon. He made a guest appearance in the 2016 JTBC drama My Horrible Boss before making his Hollywood debut in the Hong Kong-Chinese-American collaboration buddy cop film Skiptrace and played the right-hand man of a businessman-cum-mob boss (played by Winston Chao).[37][38]
Yeon returned to cable drama in the action-comedy-thriller Man to Man and played the main antagonist, an unscrupulous businessman with a painful past.[39][40] He then co-headlined the weekend melodramas Bravo My Life and My Healing Love, the latter of which earned him the Top Excellence Award in a Soap Opera at the 2018 MBC Drama Awards.[41] He returned to the supernatural genre in the cable comedy-thriller Possessed, which aired in early 2019. In November 2019, Yeon was announced as a fixed cast member of 2 Days & 1 Night for the upcoming new season.[42][43] In 2020 he starred in the Channel A drama Lie After Lie with Lee Yoo-ri and it ended its run as one of the most watched cable dramas of the year.[44]
Personal life
Yeon married actress Han Ga-in on April 26, 2005 after a two-year courtship.[15][45][46][47][48][49][50] They have two children, a daughter (born April 13, 2016)[51] and a son (born May 13, 2019).[52][53]
In November 2005 Yeon enlisted for mandatory military service at the 306th Replacement Battalion in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province.[54][55] As he was married, he was allowed to commute to his duty station from home after completing the five weeks of basic training.[56][55] He was assigned to the 52nd Infantry Division and discharged in October 2007.[57][58] He was previously a United States permanent resident but gave up his green card when he entered the entertainment industry, thus making him eligible for conscription.[18][59]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Korean Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | My Wife Is a Gangster | 조폭 마누라 | Hyo-min | ||
2005 | Daddy-Long-Legs | 키다리 아저씨 | Kim Jun-ho | ||
Love in Magic | 연애술사 | Woo Ji-hoon | |||
2013 | Good Friends | 좋은 친구들 | K | ||
2016 | Skiptrace | 絕地逃亡 | Willie | Chinese Film |
Television series
Year | Title | Korean Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | Wave | 파도 | |||
2000 | KAIST | 카이스트 | Yang Byung-seok | ||
Nonstop | 논스톱 | Jung-hoon | |||
2002 | Drama City – Beautiful Youth | 아름다운 청춘 | Shin Young-jae | Drama Special | [60] |
Drama City – Vienna, Like Coffee | 비엔나 커피처럼 | Jun-oh | [61][62] | ||
2003 | Drama City – Captured Pawn | 사로잡히다 | Prison guard | ||
Yellow Handkerchief | 노란 손수건 | Yoon Tae-young | |||
A Problem at My Younger – Brother's House | 흥부네 박터졌네 | Jang Hyun-tae | |||
Rosemary | 로즈마리 | Jang Jun-oh | |||
2004 | Snow White: Taste Sweet Love | 백설공주 | Han Jin-woo | ||
Love is All Around | 사랑을 할꺼야 | Yeon Ha-neul | |||
2005 | Sad Love Story | 슬픈연가 | Lee Gun-woo | ||
2008 | East of Eden | 에덴의 동쪽 | Lee Dong-wook | ||
2009 | Dream | 드림 | Kang Ki-jang | Cameo (Episode 1) | |
2010 | Jejungwon | 제중원 | Baek Do-yang | ||
2011 | Vampire Prosecutor | 뱀파이어 검사 | Min Tae-yeon | ||
2012 | Can Love Become Money | 사랑도 돈이 되나요 | Ma In-tak | ||
Vampire Prosecutor 2 | 뱀파이어 검사 2 | Min Tae-yeon | |||
2013 | Pots of Gold | 금 나와라, 뚝딱! | Park Hyun-soo | ||
2014 | A Time of Love | 爱情来的时候 | King / Kim Dong-seong | Hong Kong TV Series | |
2015 | Mask | 가면 | Min Seok-hoon | ||
Cheo Yong 2 | 귀신보는 형사, 처용 | Police officer | Cameo (Episode 5) | [63] | |
2016 | My Horrible Boss | 욱씨남정기 | Lee Ji-sang | ||
2017 | Man to Man | 맨투맨 | Mo Seung-jae | ||
Bravo My Life | 브라보 마이 라이프 | Shin Dong-woo | |||
2018 | My Healing Love | 내사랑 치유기 | Choi Jin-yoo | ||
2019 | Possessed | 빙의 | Oh Soo-hyeok | [64] | |
2020 | Lie After Lie | 거짓말의 거짓말 | Kang Ji-Min | [65] |
Television show
Year | Title | Korean Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Top Gear Korea Season 1 | 탑 기어 코리아 시즌1 | Host | ||
2012 | Top Gear Korea Season 2 | 탑 기어 코리아 시즌2 | |||
Top Gear Korea Season 3 | 탑 기어 코리아 시즌3 | ||||
2019–present | 2 Days & 1 Night Season 4 | 1박2일 | Cast member | [66] |
Discography
Album information | Track listing |
---|---|
몇번을 헤어져도
|
Track listing |
Yeon Jung-hoon Vol. 1 | Track listing
|
Commercials
Year | Product |
---|---|
2003 | Lotte Weezzle |
2004 | Union Bay |
2005 | KTF |
Haitai Vegetable-Fruit 100 Drink | |
2010 | Samsung Hauzen Bubble Washing Machine |
Awards and nominations
Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
APAN Star Awards | 2013 | Best Dressed | Pots of Gold | Won | |
Baeksang Arts Awards | 2004 | Best New Actor – Television | Yellow Handkerchief | Nominated | |
Ferrari Challenge Race | 2014 | 4th round win in Asia Pacific region | Yeon Jung-hoon | Won | |
Grimae Awards | 2015 | Best Actor | Mask | Won | |
KBS Drama Awards | 2003 | Best New Actor | Yellow Handkerchief | Won | |
KBS Entertainment Awards | 2020 | Best Entertainer Award in Show/Variety Category | 2 Days & 1 Night (season 4) |
Won | [70] |
2021 | Excellence Award, Show/Variety Category | Won | [71] | ||
MBC Drama Awards | 2008 | PD Award | East of Eden | Won | |
2013 | Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | Pots of Gold | Won | ||
Popularity Award, Actor | Nominated | ||||
Best Couple Award with Han Ji-hye | Nominated | ||||
2018 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | My Healing Love | Won | [72] | |
SBS Drama Awards | 2010 | Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Planning Drama | Jejungwon | Nominated | |
2015 | Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | Mask | Nominated | ||
Seoul International Drama Awards | 2021 | Outstanding Korean Actor | Lie After Lie | Nominated | [73][74] |
References
- ^ Han, Sang-hee (19 August 2008). "TV Dramas Gear Up for Post-Olympics Race". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Choe, Min-ji (15 September 2011). "Stills for Vampire Prosecutor Revealed". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
- ^ Hong, Lucia (25 July 2012). "Yeon Jung-hoon to return for 2nd season of OCN's Vampire Prosecutor". 10Asia. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Kim, Erika (8 August 2012). "Official Poster and Character Cuts for Vampire Prosecutor 2 are Out". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
- ^ Hong, Ji-hye (29 October 2014). "Yeon Jung Hoon, Venturing Into Hollywood With Jackie Chan and Fan Bing Bing". BNTNews. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
- ^ "Top Gear South Korea Coming In August". Final Gear. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Hea, Jung-min (5 April 2012). "Yeon Jeong Hun Reveals Top Gear Korea is Stronger Than Ever". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
- ^ "중견 연기자 연규진 가족 이야기". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 19 November 2008.
- ^ a b c "본 듯한 얼굴이라 했더니…". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 23 March 2006.
- ^ a b "연규진-정훈 부자 '드라마 바통터치'". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 28 January 2003.
- ^ a b c "2003년을 빛낼 유망주! 방송, 영화, 연극계 3인 연정훈, 공유, 이종혁". Woman Dong-A (in Korean). 15 April 2003.
- ^ a b 글로벌 한식 토크 쇼킹 Episode 27. 13 June 2012. Channel A
- ^ "[명지대]인문·자연과학, 균형발전 돋보여" (in Korean). University News Network. 8 December 2008.
- ^ a b "연정훈 "한가인과의 결혼생활, 배우로서의 꿈, 2세 계획" 첫 공개". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 19 November 2008.
- ^ a b "연정훈 한가인 결혼설 나와". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 4 January 2005.
- ^ "2003 KBS 연기대상에 김혜수 씨 선정" (in Korean). Korean Broadcasting System. 1 January 2004.
- ^ "연정훈, '슬픈연가' 송승헌 대타 확정". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 1 November 2004.
- ^ a b "'연정훈 5일 비자발급 인터뷰' 슬픈연가 출연 여부 판가름". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 4 November 2004.
- ^ "'슬픈연가', 日 후지TV 첫 방영 10.3%…한류 최고 시청률". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 2 May 2005.
- ^ "연정훈, "나는 인생을 즐길 줄 아는 사람" (인터뷰②)". 10Asia (in Korean). Korea Economic Daily. 3 August 2015.
- ^ "제대 8개월 만에 大作 드라마로 안방 컴백 앞둔 연정훈". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 1 July 2008.
- ^ "연정훈, 복귀작 '에덴의 동쪽' 위해 10kg 감량". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 13 June 2008.
- ^ "연정훈, MBC 시대극 '에덴의 동쪽' 검사로 돌아오다". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 30 June 2008.
- ^ "'제중원' 연정훈, "내 악역 연기 스승은 미실"". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 27 January 2010.
- ^ "연정훈, 액션 연기 위해 이소룡 제자에게 직접 절권도 배워". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 30 September 2011.
- ^ "'뱀검' 연정훈, 절권도 액션 '카리스마 발산'". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 30 September 2011.
- ^ "'뱀파이어 검사', 2011년 최고시청률 케드 '등극'". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). November 21, 2011.
- ^ "MBN '사랑도 돈이 되나요' 로맨틱 가이로 컴백 연정훈". mk.co.kr (in Korean). 15 February 2012.
- ^ "연정훈, '사랑도 돈이 되나요' 티저서 마초적 남성미 과시". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 17 February 2012.
- ^ "연정훈·한지혜 열연 금 나와라 뚝딱! 치솟는 시청률, 결말 놓고 행복한 고민". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 26 August 2013.
- ^ "'금 나와라 뚝딱', 동시간대 드라마 시청률 1위 기록". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 29 April 2013.
- ^ "부문별 수상자 — 2013 MBC 연기대상" (in Korean). Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. 30 December 2013.
- ^ "연정훈·한지혜 열연 금 나와라 뚝딱! 치솟는 시청률, 결말 놓고 행복한 고민". Woman DongA (in Korean). 26 August 2013.
- ^ "Korean actor is Linda Chung's man". AsiaOne. January 27, 2014.
- ^ "[인터뷰①] '가면' 연정훈 '악역끝판왕' 성공기". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 2 August 2015.
- ^ "'가면' 연정훈, 악역 연기의 끝판왕 등극하나?". JoongAng Ilbo. 25 June 2015.
- ^ "연정훈, 美中합작 '스킵트레이스' 개봉 5일만에 830억 돌파". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 27 July 2016.
- ^ "연정훈, 레니할린 감독-성룡과 호흡 '스킵트레이스' 캐스팅". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 9 October 2014.
- ^ "'맨투맨' 연정훈, 이유 있는 악역 변신에 몰입도 상승". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 18 May 2017.
- ^ "'맨투맨' 연정훈, 이유 있는 악역 변신 '서늘한 존재감'". 10Asia (in Korean). Korea Economic Daily. 18 May 2017.
- ^ "한가인-연정훈, 내년 5월 둘째 맞이". The Korea Herald (in Korean). December 31, 2018.
- ^ "[종합]"김선호·연정훈 기대↑"…'1박2일' 新멤버, 핵심 포인트는 '인성'". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 6 December 2019.
- ^ Cho, Hae-min (6 November 2019). "New cast for variety show '2 Days & 1 Night'". The Korea Times.
- ^ "이유리X연정훈 '거짓말의 거짓말', 최고 9.7% 채널A 드라마 시청률 역대 1위 [공식]". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 25 October 2020.
- ^ "연정훈ㆍ한가인 결혼". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 26 April 2005.
- ^ "숱한 화제 뿌리며 결혼식 올린 톱스타 커플 한가인·연정훈". Dong-A Woman (in Korean). 1 June 2005.
- ^ "한가인ㆍ연정훈, 4월 결혼… "양가 상견례 마쳐"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 4 January 2005.
- ^ Lee, In-kyung (27 February 2012). "Yeon Jeong Hun Says He Hardly Sees His Wife, Han Ga In, Nowadays". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Sunwoo, Carla (15 June 2012). "Yeon Jung-hoon has a curfew and a strict wife in Han Ga-in". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Sunwoo, Carla (14 September 2012). "Yeon Jung-hoon says he wants a child next year". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "'Moon Embracing the Sun' actress gives birth to baby girl". Yonhap News Agency. 13 April 2016.
- ^ "연정훈♥한가인, 둘째 득남→결혼 14년만 이룬 두 아이 부모 "기쁜 마음"(전문)[종합]". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 13 May 2019.
- ^ "한가인·연정훈 부부, 득남…첫 딸 출산 3년 만에 경사". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 13 May 2019.
- ^ "연정훈 군대가던 날!" (in Korean). Korean Broadcasting System. November 2, 2005.
- ^ a b "연정훈 훈련소 입소 "충실하게 군복무"". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 1 November 2005.
- ^ "연정훈, 이달 31일 군 복무 마치고 제대". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). October 17, 2007.
- ^ "군 복무 연정훈 PX서 '팬 서비스'". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 12 January 2006.
- ^ "연정훈 "한가인과 길거리 활보하고 싶다"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 31 October 2007.
- ^ "시민권·영주권 포기하고 '자원입대' 연예인은?". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 17 September 2015.
- ^ "통제·편견에 무너진 '삶' 그려". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 28 March 2002.
- ^ "2002.07.07: 비엔나 커피처럼". Korean Broadcasting System (in Korean). Retrieved 2014-01-27.
- ^ "오락 <드라마시티> 이혼한 딸 향한 애틋한 모정". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 6 July 2002.
- ^ "Cheo-yong 2 뱀파이어 검사 ′연정훈′, 피 마시는 경찰이 되다?! 150913 EP.5". YouTube (OCN official channel). 13 September 2015.
- ^ "In 'Possessed,' Go Joon-hee is spirit medium while Yeon Jeong-Hun plays villain". Kpop Herald. 26 February 2019.
- ^ "이유리-연정훈, 채널A '거짓말의 거짓말'서 호흡". yna.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Update: "2 Days & 1 Night" Confirms New Cast Including Kim Jong Min, VIXX's Ravi, DinDin, And More". Soompi. November 5, 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
- ^ "슬픈연가". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2014-01-27.
- ^ "Yeon Jung-hoon Poised to Advance to Japan". KBS Global. 5 August 2005. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "1집 연정훈". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2014-01-27.
- ^ Lee Ji-hyun (December 24, 2020). "[KBS 연예대상] 연정훈, 베스트 엔터테이너상…아내 한가인에 "사랑해" 눈길" (in Korean). Retrieved December 24, 2020.
- ^ Yeon, Hwi-seon (December 25, 2021). "'우수상' 연정훈 "♥한가인 서포트에 감사" [2021 KBS 연예대상]". OSEN (in Korean). Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ^ Jung, Yu-jin (December 31, 2018). 소지섭 ‘데뷔 23년 만에 첫 대상’(mbc연기대상)[포토엔HD] [So Ji-sub Soo'First Debut in 23 Years' (mbc Drama Awards)[Photo and HD]]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 31, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2020 – via Naver.
- ^ Lee Han-lim (August 20, 2021). "서울드라마어워즈 2021', 한류드라마상 온라인 투표 진행" [Seoul Drama Awards 2021', online voting for Hallyu Drama Awards]. TheFact (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ "Excellent Actor Prize". twitter (in Korean). August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
External links
- Yeon Jung-hoon on Instagram
- Yeon Jung-hoon at DBM Entertainment (in Korean)
- Yeon Jung-hoon at HanCinema
- Yeon Jung-hoon at IMDb
- Yeon Jung-hoon at the Korean Movie Database