After playing a Japanese officer in the drama "Bridal Mask" and North Korean spy in the hit film "Secretly Greatly," Park Ki Woong is ready to take on the role of a spoiled prince in the upcoming saeguk drama "Swine Escape."
This August, Park was one of the 13 male celebrities voted as noteworthy in Cosmopolitan Korea's 13th anniversary issue.
How much do you know about this accomplished young actor? Here are a few fun facts.
1) At one point he was convinced that fans only liked him when he played villains. He does play villains well.
He played a bad prince in the film "The Bow," and his transformation from nice guy Kimura Shunji to ruthless torturer and murderer Kimura Shunji in "Bridal Mask" was very impressive. According to Park that was his most difficult role and one that taught him a lot. But he never saw Kimura Shunji as pure evil. He was in some ways a victim of the times. It was inevitable that although he and Kang To, played by Joo Won, were friends, they would become enemies.
"He started out with a pure heart, but the situation brought on his dark side," said Park
2) Acting emotional scenes with Joo Won helped to make them friends in real life. The scenes were so dramatic that tears often overwhelmed the actors. In their last scene, when the characters shared a drink, filming had to stop because they could not stop crying.
He and co-star Joo Won have remained close.
"When we acted together we would lift each other up," said Park. "And although filming schedules make it hard for us to meet these days we are always glad to see each other."
3) When he heard that he and Joo Won earned the DramaFever award for "Best Bromance," he could not keep the news to himself.
"I got an award," Park tweeted. "Five hundred thousand people from DramaFever voted and I got 'Best Bromance of the Year' with Joo Won."
He thanked viewers for selecting him and took a photo with the award, calling it "the trophy that flew in from America."
4) He once said that Bridal Mask co-star Han Chae Ah is his ideal woman but they never progressed beyond being friends.
"I have no time for dating," said Park. "I have been dating my work."
He's not terribly social except for sports.
"Mostly I like my quiet time," he said. "I think it is important to have quiet time alone."
But he does like exercise and belongs to a basketball and soccer team.
5. He signed on for the role in "Secretly Greatly" because he wanted to act with Kim So Hyun, Lee Hyun Woo, Son Hyun Joo and Jang Gwang. It turned out to be a smart move as the film broke box office records. And Kim So Hyun was fun to work with.
On a broadcast of "Younha's Starry Night," Park said that Kim Soo Hyun was shy at first.
"But when you get to know him, he's a prankster."
