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Shin Sung-rok

Shin Sung-rok
Born	(1982-11-23) November 23, 1982 (age 41) Seoul, South Korea[1]
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2003–present
Agent	Sangyoung ENT
Height	1.89 m (6 ft2+1⁄2 in)
Spouse	Unknown ​ (m. 2016)​
Children	1
Korean name
Hangul	신성록
Hanja	申成祿
Revised Romanization	Sin Seong-rok
McCune–Reischauer	Sin Sŏng-rok

Shin Sung-rok (born November 23, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He frequently appears in films and television series, but is better known an active in musical theatre.

Early life[edit]

Shin had initially aspired to become a basketball player together with his brother Je-rok, who is two years younger.^[2] Both brothers attended Whimoon High School, known as one of Seoul's top high school basketball programs.^[3] An injury prompted Shin to reconsider another career and he transferred to Anyang Arts High School.^[3] He majored in Theater and Film at the University of Suwon but subsequently dropped out after being cast in a play.^[3][4][5]

Career[edit]

Shin made his acting debut in 2003, but found it difficult to find acting jobs since directors were reluctant to cast the 189 centimeter-tall aspiring actor in supporting or minor roles. Thinking he would have a better chance if he gained more acting experience and honed his craft on the stage, Shin switched gears and joined the theater company Hakchon.^[6][7]

When Shin performed in his first musical Moskito, there were only 20-25 audience members in the 500-seat hall. Despite feeling depressed and frustrated, he said the experience made him strong and helped him become an actor with plenty of guts.^[5]

While doing the musical Dracula, Shin was cast in his first substantial onscreen role, in the risqué cable drama Hyena (2006).^[6] Supporting roles in dramas and films followed, notably in Thank You (2007) and My Life's Golden Years (also known as All About My Family, 2008). He also appeared on season 1 of the MBC dating reality show We Got Married as a "fake couple" with female comedian Kim Shin-young.

Mainstream breakthrough still eluded Shin, but in theater his star was rising. In 2007, Shin was picked from 400 auditionees for the lead role Solomon in Dancing Shadows, a musical adaptation of the realist play Forest Fire by celebrated Korean playwright Cha Beom-seok.^[4] He later received a Best New Actor nomination from the Korea Musical Awards.^[8]

As Shin starred in one hit musical after another, he continued to impress critics with his acting performances, his strong and powerful baritone vocals and his delicate and clear alto notes.^[9] He is now considered a top musical star, even drawing fans from outside Korea to his shows.^[10]

Definitely Neighbors (2010) further boosted his TV profile; for his role as a difficult chef who falls in love with an older divorcee, Shin won Best Supporting Actor in a Weekend/Daily Drama at the 2010 SBS Drama Awards.^[6][11] His most popular drama yet was the romantic comedy My Love from the Star (2013), in which he appeared as a villainous businessman.^[12][13] This was followed by supporting roles in the 2014 series Lovers of Music (as a talent agency CEO), Liar Game (as the host of a reality show), and The King's Face (as a face reader).^[14][15][16]

Despite branching out to film and television, Shin has maintained that his heart will always belong to the stage, and has stated, "I feel more affection toward the stage [rather than TV]. I think it is the stage where actors learn life and understand the meaning of acting. It is where I learned how to act and where I gained confidence. I think the core of my life will remain on the stage" (The Korea Herald, 2007).^[4] "The musical is like my old home and it made me what I am now, so I can't stop performing the musicals however busy I get" (The Korea Times, 2009)^[5]

In September 2021, Shin decided not to renew his contract with HB Entertainment.^[17] Later on September 27, 2021, Shin signed a contract with Screening ENT.^[18]

Personal life[edit]

Shin has a younger brother. Shin Jae-rok is a former professional basketball player who had short stints with Anyang KT&G Kites and Changwon LG Sakers before retiring. He became a chef and has since opened his own restaurant.^[19] Both of them appeared on KBS talk show Happy Together on July 30, 2015.

Shin began dating ballerina Kim Joo-won in 2011; Kim was a principal dancer with the Korea National Ballet for 15 years from 1988 to 2003, and currently teaches at Sungshin Women's University.^[20] The pair broke up after four years of dating in August 2015.^[21]

In June 2016, Shin married a non-celebrity office worker in Hawaii.^[22][23][24] In November the same year, Shin became a father to a daughter.^[25]

Filmography[edit]

Television series[edit]

Film[edit]

Television show[edit]

Stage[edit]

Musical[edit]

Theater[edit]

Awards and nominations[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Shin Seong-rok at HB Entertainment (in Korean)
• Shin Sung-rok Fan CafeatDaum (in Korean)
• Shin Sung-rokatHanCinema
• Shin Sung-rok at the Korean Movie Database
• Shin Sung-rokatIMDb