Gong Yoo is an iconic figure in the Korean drama industry.

Some probably may have seen him in his hit drama "Goblin," looking for his one true love that can save him from his curse, or some may have seen him fighting off zombies in the thrilling film "Train to Busan."

But wherever you may have discovered this superstar, you certainly fell in love with his to-die-for looks and his acting skills instantly.

Today is the perfect day to talk about the iconic figure because genuine fans know how important today, the 10th of July, is - Gong Yoo's birthday!

To celebrate his 41st, here are facts defining his career moments and his roles throughout his career.

Facts

Even though Gong Yoo has seemingly a private personality and is not active on any social media sites, we have gathered a few facts about Gong Yoo just for you!

Gong Yoo fans know that "Gong Yoo" is not his real name. His real name is Gong Ji Cheol. He has two cats that he loves dearly, and he is the actual representation of the "Coffee Prince," which his fans call him because besides his hit drama, "Coffee Prince," because he loves drinking coffee.

Gong Yoo also really loves music and books. He says that he dreams of owning a book café.

Starting His Career

Gong Yoo's acting career started unintentionally when he went to Kyung Hee University, a university that ranked 8th in South Korea, where he graduated with a Theatre Arts degree. He began as a model and had no intention of becoming an actor.

During his college years, he met many friends who made him realize his love for acting and bringing life to the characters that he plays. He started his acting career by becoming a VJ and a host for Mnet and MBC from 2000-2004. He then played small roles in several Korean dramas, including "School 4," "Hard Love," and "Screen."

Then, he climbed his way to the top on the career ladder and got his big break in his role in the hit drama "Coffee Prince" in 2005. This breakthrough became an opportunity for him to land new roles.

Iconic Roles

Starting his career by playing the rich, playboy, Choi Han Kyul in his breakthrough drama "Coffee Prince," he gained recognition by millions of people.

After his military enlistment, he came back with a new film called "Finding Mr. Destiny," where he plays a man with OCD. However, the film that marked his comeback was "Dogani" (Silenced), which is a film adaptation of the novel "The Crucible," which tells real-life events about hearing-impaired children in Gwangju, South Korea. The role that he played was able to give light to real human rights issues and made him realize how important his responsibility as an actor is.

Huge roles in other projects, such as "Big" and "The Suspect," poured in that allowed him to gain more recognition and several awards, such as Top Excellence Award by an Actor in Film during the 2014 Korea Culture Awards.

Three years later, he came back with majestic roles in films, "A Man and a Woman," "Train to Busan," and "The Age of Shadows." He then portrayed a role in today's one of the most top rated tvN drama called "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," commonly known as "Goblin."

Gong Yoo is one of the most loved and popular South Korean Actors today and age, and we absolutely love him. Sadly, we cannot greet him a happy birthday because he doesn't have any social media account, but we do hope the very best for him throughout his life and career!

Happy 41st Birthday to our Coffee Prince, Gong Yoo!