Netflix has just released the anticipated second season of the thrilling spy series The Recruit, bringing back actor Noah Centineo, famed for his role in To All The Boys I've Loved Before, as Owen Hendricks. After navigating a web of espionage as a green CIA lawyer in Europe during its December 2022 debut, the latest chapter transports Hendricks to South Korea for fresh adventures.
BAFTA-nominated Teo Yoo joins the cast as the enigmatic new character Jang Kyun, and fans are eager to delve into the on-screen action.
However, there's a story to be told about Yoo's upbringing off-screen as well. Hailing from Cologne, Germany where he was born in April 1981, Yoo's background is both humbling and inspiring.
His parents relocated from South Korea in the seventies, his mother serving as a nurse while his father worked as a miner, reports the Mirror.
Yoo shared personal reflections with The Hollywood Reporter, detailing his formative years: "I grew up in a Korean community in Germany - we were there through a labour agreement between the countries, and our dads worked in the coal mines or [in construction] building up the post-war Germany in the '70s. All our mothers were nurses."
His connection to film burgeoned upon viewing Chungking Express on German television, an encounter that stirred deep emotions: "I saw Chungking Express on German television, and it was the first time I felt a kind of melancholy and feeling out of place."
Though the seminal 1994 work, hailed as a cornerstone of Korean cinema, moved him profoundly, Yoo didn't envision a career in acting until his twenties.
The 43-year-old actor, Teo Yoo, initially had aspirations of becoming the first Korean NBA player. However, after a ruptured Achilles tendon, he pivoted towards the arts.
After completing high school, Yoo relocated to New York City and enrolled at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, an institution that counts Uma Thurman, Angelina Jolie and Miles Teller among its alumni.
Following his time in New York, he furthered his acting studies at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
You may recognise him from...
Despite having 29 IMDB credits to his name, Yoo is most recognised for his role in Celine Song's romantic drama, Past Lives.
This 2023 hit film, boasting a near-perfect 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating, catapulted Yoo into mainstream stardom.
In Past Lives, Yoo portrays Hae Sung, a shy man who reunites with his childhood friend in New York, two decades after she emigrated from South Korea.
The film was praised by audiences and critics alike for its authentic depiction of growing up and the loss of key aspects of one's identity.
One fan took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts, saying: "Two childhood friends reconnect throughout several decades in this harrowingly realistic tale of 'true' love. Past Lives is by far the most heart-breaking film I've seen this year. It's incredibly raw, extremely well acted and shot. This film is art. Keep tissues nearby."
For his performance in Past Lives, Yoo earned his first BAFTA nomination in the Best Leading Actor category.
Is Teo Yoo married?
Yoo exchanged vows with artist Nikki S. Lee in 2007.
In a heartfelt conversation with cinema fans in 2021, the actor opened up about his 14-year marriage, revealing: "We often say 'we are one body.'" He went on to share insights into their deep bond, saying: "We've lived together for 14 years, communicated, and overcame difficulties together, so there is this partnership of knowing each other to the bones. Even though we talk a lot, it took a decade for us to become one."
The Recruit is out now on Netflix.
