Kwak Tae-geun's parents were both educators, and they expected him to also enter the teaching profession. But in his sophomore year in high school, his father bought him a VCR and the first movie he rented was Rain Man. Dustin Hoffman's acting left such an impression on him that he decided to become an actor, despite his father's objections.[1][2] He later studied Theater and Film at Hanyang University.
Career
1999–2002: Beginnings
Ji Sung first auditioned for the 1999 campus drama KAIST, where he met screenwriter Song Ji-na. Song took an interest in the young upstart and wrote a new character for him, leading to his acting debut.[1] Upon the suggestion of his then-manager, he began using the stage name Chae Ji-sung, then decided to drop the surname "Chae," and became known simply as "Ji Sung"[1] After several minor roles, he began playing bigger parts, notably in the television dramasWonderful Days (2001) and Sunshine Hunting 2002),[3][4] as well as the North-South romantic comedy film Whistling Princess (2002).[5]
2003–2004: Breakthrough
Ji was then cast in the 2003 gambling drama All In.[6] Producers were having difficulty casting the second male lead because most actors were afraid to be compared to lead actor Lee Byung-hun. Ji Sung approached director Yoo Chul-yong, saying he wanted the role.[1]All In was a big hit, and Ji Sung's popularity rose and became known as a Hallyu star.[7] Wanting to challenge himself, he next appeared in his first period dramaThe King's Woman, playing Gwanghaegun of Joseon.[8]
Ji Sung enlisted on 7 June 2005, for his mandatory military service. Though he initially enlisted as an ordinary soldier,[13] the Military Manpower Administration transferred him to the military promotion ("entertainers") unit in February 2006, for which he served as "public ambassador of military affairs".[14] He was discharged on 6 June 2007.[15]
2008–2014: Comeback and lead roles
He made his comeback in the medical dramaNew Heart (2007–08), playing a cardiothoracic surgeryresident.[16] During a scene where his character cries after failing to save the life of a former comfort woman, Ji Sung said he thought of his maternal grandmother who'd recently died, remembering that she'd told him her only pleasure was watching him in reruns of All In. Contrary to his cheeky, playful character, Ji Sung said that he's taciturn and shy in real life, but that the drama made him find a different side of himself.[17]
He then made an extended cameo as the sophisticated right-hand man of the mob boss in actionnoirFate (2008).[18]
In 2009, Ji Sung collaborated again with writer Choi Wan-kyu and director Yoo Chul-yong of All In in the revenge drama
Swallow the Sun, adapted from the novel by Kang Chul-hwa, and shot on location in Jeju Island, Las Vegas and South Africa. Ji Sung trained hard to play the tough, strong-willed protagonist who goes to prison for his boss and later becomes involved in the city development of Jeju.[19][20]
In 2011, Ji Sung starred alongside Yum Jung-ah in Royal Family, about the power plays within a chaebol family.[25] Later that year, he was cast in the workplace romantic comedy Protect the Boss.[26] In a departure from his usual serious roles, Ji Sung played a dorky man-child with a panic disorder, who matures and learns to run his father's business after meeting a feisty secretary (played by Choi Kang-hee).[27][28][29]
From 2012 to 2013, Ji Sung played a gifted seer/geomancer in The Great Seer. His fictional character becomes a "kingmaker" to Yi Seong-gye (played by Ji Jin-hee), the general who leads the overthrow of Goryeo and establishes the Joseon Dynasty, becoming its first king Taejo.[30]
In late 2012, he starred in adult romantic comedy My PS Partner, playing an aspiring singer-songwriter trying to get over a breakup, who becomes the wrong recipient of a phone sex call from a woman (played by Kim Ah-joong) trying to seduce her boyfriend into proposing.[31] Ji Sung said he found the script intriguing, despite the discomfort of appearing in bed scenes. And after he saw Love & Other Drugs, he wanted to be in a movie that portrayed a romantic relationship in a realistic manner.[32]
In 2013, Ji Sung starred in melodrama Secret Love. He said he chose the drama because he found the script "fresh, honest, and sophisticated."[33] He played a chaebol "bad boy" whose girlfriend is killed, then falls for the woman who went to prison for the crime.[34] Ji Sung next appeared in Confession, a 2014 neo-noir film that brutally explores the aftermath of three men's friendship after the death of one's mother.[2][35]
However, Ji's next work Entertainer, where he played a cunning and self-centered manager of an entertainment company, failed to be successful.[41] Ji bounced back in 2017 with legal thriller Innocent Defendant, which was a hit and topped viewership ratings.[42] Ji earned acclaim for playing the diverse emotions of the character, an amnesic prosecutor who finds himself on a death row.[43] He received the Grand Prize award at the SBS Drama Awards.[44]
In 2018, Ji starred in the fantasy romance comedy drama Familiar Wife.[45] The same year he starred in the period comedy film Feng Shui.[46]
In 2019, Ji starred television series Doctor John.[47] It is his first medical drama in 11 years.[48]
In 2021, Ji Sung starred in the mystery legal drama The Devil Judge with his previous co-star Kim Min-jung who he worked together 13 years ago in the drama New Heart. In August 2021, Namoo Actors' contract expired and Ji Sung decided not to renew it.[50][51]
In January 2022, Ji-sung signed an exclusive contract with Surpass Entertainment.[52] He starred in a mystery drama called Adamas, which aired from 27 July to 15 September 2022. Ji Sung played the roles of the twin brothers who pair up to uncover the mystery of a murder that occurred 22 years ago.
Personal life
He met actress Lee Bo-young on the set of 2004 TV series Save Last Dance for Me, and they confirmed their relationship in 2007.[53][54][55][56] On 2 August 2013, the couple announced their engagement by uploading handwritten letters on their respective official fan sites.[57][58][59][60][61] They married at Aston House, W Seoul Walkerhill Hotel on 27 September 2013.[62][63][64] Their first child, a daughter named Kwak Ji-yoo, was born on 13 June 2015.[65] Their second child, a son named Kwak Woo-sung, was born on 5 February 2019.[66]
^Kim Jin-seok (10 August 2021). [단독]지성, 11년 인연 나무엑터스와 계약 종료 [[Exclusive] Jisung ends 11-year relationship with Namoo Actors]. JTBC (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
^Hwang Hye-jin (10 August 2021). 나무엑터스 측 "지성과 계약만료, '악마판사'까지 업무 지원"(공식) [Namoo Actors side "Jiseong and contract expiration, business support until 'Devil Judge'" (official)]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
^Kim Seon-hee (27 January 2022). 지성, 써패스이엔티와 전속계약 [공식] [Jisung, exclusive contract with Surf ENT [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Na-young (19 January 2022). 지성 1인 2역→tvN '아다마스' 서지혜·이수경 캐스팅 확정 (공식) [Ji-sung, 1 person, 2 roles → tvN 'Adamas' Seo Ji-hye and Lee Soo-kyung casting confirmed (official)] (in Korean). MK Sports. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022 – via Naver.
^Kang Seo-jung (11 December 2023). 지성･전미도, 믿고 보는 조합..SBS '커넥션' 출연 확정[공식] [Ji-seong and Jeon Mi-do, a trustworthy combination... Confirmed to appear on SBS' 'Connection' [Official]] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Retrieved 11 December 2023 – via Naver.
^Ham, Na-yan (1 January 2020). "[2019 SBS 연기대상] 이승기 최우수상 "이 상은 '배가본드'가 받은 상" [[2019 SBS Drama Awards] Lee Seung-gi Grand Prize "This award was won by 'Vagabond] (in Korean). Sports DongA. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022 – via Naver.
