There have been a few breakout performances this year but Kim Woo Bin's may top the list, especially if you measure his success by the number of product endorsements he has earned.
He and "School 2013" co-star Lee Jong Suk are receiving the most offers for kdrama roles this year. But Kim Woo Bin may be getting more modeling offers. His offers have almost doubled since he played Lee Min Ho's rival in "The Heirs."
Kim Woo Bin debuted as a model in 2008. He already models for seven major companies but according to his agency, Sidus HQ, he received offers from six more companies since the show began.
The model-turned-actor became popular after appearing in "School 2013" earlier this year but his name really became a household word after he played "The Heirs" bad boy Choi Young Do. Not only have the offers doubled, so has his modeling fee. After playing Choi Young Do, his fee jumped from around $200,000 per spot to over $400,000 for each appearance.
As a model he has a lot going for him, a long lanky frame, distinctive features and a very expressive face. His strength in "The Heirs" was his ability to express a variety of emotions, to portray a secret sensitive side while playing at being a tough guy.
Choi Young Do was a favorite kind of kdrama character, one who had a tough exterior but was vulnerable. Viewers may have started out not liking him but then were surprised to find they did. Creating that kind of character takes acting skill. According to Kim Young Sup of the SBS drama department, it was Kim Woo Bin's talent that made his character so memorable.
"If Choi Young Do's character had been done badly, whoever acted him might seem like a bad person," said Kim Young Sup. "But Kim Woo Bin is so good at portraying Choi Young Do that he created a villain we can give our hearts to."
Playing a bad guy in the drama has given him an edge as far as some advertisers are concerned and playing the son of privilege has given him some upscale appeal for hawking more mainstream products.
Kim Woo Bin remains humble about the sudden interest he now excites. When "The Heirs" wrapped up, he released the following statement through his agency.
"It was really good to be with such awesome people, and I'm happy that everything wrapped up without any big accidents," read his statement."
According to industry experts, his success is no accident.
