KIM Hak-cheol, born in 1959, graduated from the Seoul Institute of the Arts in dramatics before trying to make a name for himself in theater. Despite having his share of critical success, he struggled to make a living from it and had to resort to many an odd job to make ends meet. Even though he moved to the small screen, with a first appearance in 1985 as an extra in the TV series <Joseon Dynasty 500 Years>, his situation only improved when he made his film debut in &l...
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KIM Hak-cheol, born in 1959, graduated from the Seoul Institute of the Arts in dramatics before trying to make a name for himself in theater. Despite having his share of critical success, he struggled to make a living from it and had to resort to many an odd job to make ends meet. Even though he moved to the small screen, with a first appearance in 1985 as an extra in the TV series <Joseon Dynasty 500 Years>, his situation only improved when he made his film debut in <The Rules Of The Game> (1994), co-starring with PARK Joong-hoon. In 1996, his portrayal of police inspector Javert in the TV series <Thief>, a modern adaptation of “Les Misérables”, got him noticed by the public. The same year, his film career took off with his successive appearances in hit fantasy romance <The Gingko Bed>, action-comedy <The Real Man>, and action-drima <Born To Kill>, the latter of which earning him the Blue Dragon Award for Best Supporting Actor. He shot to stardom thanks to his comical interpretation of a famous general, a real standout in the large cast of nationwide sensation historical TV series <Taejo Wang Gun> (2000-2002), therefore receiving many offers for similar roles and becoming somewhat of a fixture in period dramas. Although he played in thrillers and melodrama films, he is mostly remembered for his comical roles, particularly those of young rookies or ridiculous bad guys. On the big screen, he has notably appeared in JANG Jin’s black comedy <Guns And Talks> (2001), but remained mainly focused on his thriving theatre career. In 2017, indie thriller <TRUE FICTION> (2017) gave him his first lead role in a film in 23 years.
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