Jung Woo did not have it easy in high school. But that turned out to be a good thing.

Although he attracted attention for his role as a lovable villain in the film "Spare," he did not become a star until he portrayed his unhappy high school years in the 2009 film "Wish."

Lee Sung Han directed "Spare" and he knew he wanted Jung Woo for his next film. That film turned out to be one that Jung Woo wrote about his own experiences as a delinquent. When attending Busan Commercial High School the young Jung Woo joined a gang and wanted to become the school's number one fighter. Such goals were in direct contrast to those of his high achiever siblings and that naturally created plenty of conflict.

Jung Woo was not embarrassed to say the film was based on his own life story. The character that Jung Woo plays in the film "Wish" uses his real name Kim Jung Guk and even his nickname, Jjanggu. The movie was filmed in Busan and the director hired some of Jung Woo's friends to play his character's friends.

Although "Wish" is a film focused on high school, its broader statement about violence in Korean society resonated with many viewers. It became the official selection at the 2009 Busan International Film Festival. And Jung Woo's role in "Wish" earned him a Best New Actor Award at the Grand Bell Awards.

Because of the success of "Wish" Jung Woo wants to write more films. In a 2010 interview with the magazine Arena Homme, the actor spoke about studying screenplays to improve his screenwriting skills.

"I wanted to know what the actors are thinking and feeling from the director's perspective," he said. While studying screenplays, I am able to see the whole picture. I look for scripts of interesting works, such as 'Oldboy.' By frequently comparing the actual movie and the scripts, the different aspects of the work can be seen."

By doing so he could see how actors interpreted the script and how directors helped bring it to life. It stimulated his imagination.

"While studying, I structured and wrote the script and I think it helped in some way. I finished writing a script in this manner. Someday, I want to make a movie."

His Busan memories inspired a script and his Busan accent came in handy when he won the role of Trash in the drama "Reply 1994." He won praise for his performance in that drama, as well as his work in "You're The Best Lee Soon Shin" and the film "Red Family."

He can currently be seen in the film about the 1960s folk music scene in Seoul, "C'est Si Bon."