Cha Tae-hyun
Cha Tae-hyun | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 25, 1976 |
| Education | Seoul Institute of the Arts Broadcasting Kyonggi University Multimedia Art Chung-Ang University Graduate School of Mass Communications |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Singer, Radio DJ |
| Years active | 1995-present |
| Spouse | Choi Suk-eun (m. 2006) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 차태현 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Cha Tae-hyeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch’a T’ae-hyŏn |
Cha Tae-hyun (born March 25, 1976 in Dangjin, South Chungcheong) is a South Korean actor and singer. Internationally he is best known for his lead roles in the comedies My Sassy Girl and Speedy Scandal.
Career
Cha Tae-hyun started his career as a silver medalist in a 1995 KBS Talent Contest. Over the next several years he would star in a large number of TV dramas such as Sunflower and Happy Together, while also appearing in numerous TV commercials.[1] He was the radio DJ for KBS 2FM's FM Popular Music with Cha Tae-hyun from 1999-2000, and made a minor film debut in the comedy Hallelujah.[2]
Then in 2001 he burst onto the film scene with a bang, in the hugely successful romantic comedy My Sassy Girl opposite Jeon Ji-hyun. Cha's expressive acting established him as a recognized star in Korea as well as the Asian region at large,[3] and he extended his fame by releasing his debut album Accident. His next film Lovers' Concerto (2002), a tragic melodrama with actresses Son Ye-jin and Lee Eun-ju, also proved to be a popular success.[2]
From 2003, however, Cha's casting choices proved to be less inspired. He appeared in three comedies -- Crazy First Love, Happy Ero Christmas and Two Guys—that were widely criticized by audiences for their weak scripts and lack of creativity.[2] He released his second album The Book later that year.
His 2005 films—the relationship film Sad Movie with an all-star ensemble cast, and melodrama My Girl and I opposite Song Hye-kyo, the remake of Japanese hit film Crying Out Love in the Center of the World[2]—were box office disappointments. 2007's Highway Star, in which he played a masked trot singer, was a moderate success.
Cha hosted KBS Cool FM's Mr. Radio from 2007-2008, and was awarded Best Radio DJ at the 2007 KBS Entertainment Awards alongside Ahn Jae-wook.[4] He then portrayed the town's jester who has the intelligence of a six-year-old in BABO (which means "fool" in Korean), a film adaptation of Kang Full's popular online comic.[5]
Cha regained his top star status when his comedy flick Speedy Scandal became the number one film of 2008, attracting 8.2 million moviegoers and ranking number seven among Korea's biggest hits of all time. The film centers on a radio talk show host who must face unforeseen consequences of his days of philandering as a teen idol star when he discovers that he already has a daughter (Park Bo-young) and a grandson (Wang Seok-hyun) at the age of 30.[6] As a result of the film's success, the advertising industry named Cha as the top male celebrity endorser of 2009.[7]
He reunited with BABO director Kim Young-tak in 2010's Hello Ghost, a film about a man who after several failed suicide attempts, becomes possessed by four different ghosts.[8] It was another box office success at 3 million tickets sold, and Cha's performance led him to be dubbed as "Korea's Jim Carrey."[9]
Based on a true story, his 2011 film Champ depicts the relationship between a recently injured racehorse named Woo-bak and the jockey who tries to tame her.[10] Cha spent time with the horse before and during filming, luring his four-legged partner with a combination of carrots and sugar cubes.[11]
In 2012 he became a season 2 regular cast member of the variety program 1 Night & 2 Days. The show, which focuses on introducing various places in Korea to the viewers while the cast takes on different missions, has consistently scored high viewership ratings.[12][13]
Cha played his first historical role in The Grand Heist, as the leader of a Joseon era group of thieves who band together to steal ice.[14][15] The action-comedy film was produced by his brother Cha Ji-hyun. He returned to that time period as the titular character in TV series Jeon Woo-chi, an impish Taoist wizard who becomes an unlikely hero.[16]
Personal life
His father Cha Jae-wan was an assistant director for special effects at KBS, and his mother Choi Su-min, now retired, once did voice-overs.[17]
Cha married his high school sweetheart, pop lyricist Choi Suk-eun on June 1, 2006.[18] They dated for 13 years; she was his first and only girlfriend.[19] They have two children, a son Cha Soo-chan and a daughter Cha Tae-eun.
He is close friends with singers Kim Jong-kook and Hong Kyung-min, and actor Jang Hyuk.
In 2011 Cha confessed on the SBS talk show Healing Camp that he suffers from a panic disorder.[20]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Hallelujah | Bad youngster in church (bit role) |
| 2001 | My Sassy Girl | Gyun-woo |
| 2002 | Lovers' Concerto | Lee Ji-hwan |
| 2003 | Crazy First Love | Son Tae-il |
| 2003 | Happy Ero Christmas | Byung-ki |
| 2004 | Who's Got the Tape? | Jap-beom (cameo) |
| 2004 | Windstruck | Man at train station (cameo) |
| 2004 | Two Guys | Kim Hoon |
| 2005 | Sad Movie | Jung Ha-suk |
| 2005 | My Girl and I | Kim Su-ho |
| 2007 | Highway Star | Bong Dal-ho / Bong Pil |
| 2008 | Horton Hears a Who! | Horton the Elephant (Korean dubbing) |
| 2008 | BABO | Seung-ryong |
| 2008 | My Mighty Princess | Pigeon man (cameo) |
| 2008 | Speedy Scandal | Nam Hyun-soo |
| 2009 | Maybe (Rabbit and Lizard) | Yeong-nam (cameo) |
| 2009 | Triangle | cameo |
| 2010 | Hello Ghost | Kang Sang-man |
| 2011 | Sunny | Poster model of insurance company (cameo) |
| 2011 | Champ | Seung-ho |
| 2012 | Never Ending Story | Song-kyung's friend (cameo) |
| 2012 | The Grand Heist | Lee Deok-mu |
TV series
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | KBS2 Our Sunny Days of Youth | uncredited |
| 1996 | KBS2 Papa | Jang Jung-moon |
| 1996 | KBS2 Looking Into Each Other's Eyes and Loving Each Other | |
| 1996 | KBS2 Daughter-in-law's Three Kingdoms | |
| 1997 | KBS2 First Love | Chan-woo's friend |
| 1997 | MBC Ready Go! | Park Chan-ki |
| 1998 | MBC Shy Lover | Hwang In-soo |
| 1998 | MBC Sunflower | Dr. Heo Jae-bong |
| 1999 | SBS Happy Together | Ha Shin-yeop |
| 1999 | MBC I'm Still Loving You | Park Young-jae |
| 1999 | MBC Into the Sunlight | Kang In-ha |
| 2000 | SBS Juliet's Man | Jang Gi-poong |
| 2004 | MBC Prince's First Love | Choi Gun-hee |
| 2007 | KBS2 Flowers for My Life | Yoon Ho-sang |
| 2008 | MBC General Hospital 2 | Choi Jin-sang |
| 2008 | MBC My Husband Got a Family | Tae-bong (cameo, ep 26)[21] |
| 2011 | MBC Lights and Shadows | Drunkard (cameo, ep 2)[22] |
| 2012 | KBS2 Jeon Woo-chi | Jeon Woo-chi |
Variety show
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | MBC Family Camp | MC | |
| 1998 | SBS Happy Saturday | MC | |
| 2000 | Mnet Music Video Festival | MC | Co-host: Kim Hyun-joo |
| 2001 | Mnet Music Video Festival | MC | Co-host: Song Hye-kyo |
| 2002 | MBC Campus Song Festival | MC | Co-host: Yoon Do-hyun |
| 2003 | MBC Campus Song Festival | MC | Co-host: Lee Hyori |
| 2003 | Mnet Music Video Festival | MC | Co-host: Sung Yu-ri |
| 2007 | MBC Campus Song Festival | MC | Co-host: Lee Hyori |
| 2008 | SBS Family Outing Season 1 | Guest | ep 23-24 |
| 2009 | SBS Family Outing Season 1 | Guest | ep 66-67 |
| 2010 | MBC ESPN Hit the Ball, Home Run King | Guest | |
| 2010 | SBS Running Man | Guest | ep 10 |
| 2011 | SBS Running Man | Guest | ep 57-58 |
| 2011 | SBS Healing Camp | Guest | ep 6 |
| 2012–present | KBS2 1 Night & 2 Days Season 2 | Regular cast |
Radio program
| Year | Station | Program | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | KBS 2FM | FM Popular Music with Cha Tae-hyun | DJ |
| 2007-2008 | KBS 2FM | Mr. Radio | DJ |
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Accident | debut album |
| 2003 | The Book | 2nd album |
Singles
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "어디로 갈까" | Juliet's Man OST |
| 2001 | "I Love You" | Accident album |
| 2002 | "I Don't Know" | Lovers' Concerto OST |
| 2002 | "Photograph" | Lovers' Concerto OST |
| 2003 | "Again to Me" | The Book album |
| 2003 | "I'm Happy, Thanks" | The Book album |
| 2005 | "Forget Me" | Sad Movie OST |
| 2005 | "Don't Let Go of My Hand" | Sad Movie OST |
| 2006 | "Love Story" | 인연 Valentine Day 연인 |
| 2007 | "Ichaseon Bridge" | Highway Star OST |
| 2007 | "Wind Wind Wind" | Highway Star OST |
| 2008 | "Because I Love You" | Speedy Scandal OST |
| 2010 | "With You" | Hello Ghost OST |
| 2011 | "Happiness" | Champ OST |
Commercials
- 1999: Samyang Food Suta Noodles
- 1999: Hansol PCS One Shot 018
- 2000: Fruit Land
- 2001: Lotte World Cone
- 2001: Lotte Chilsung Water Jelly
- 2001: InkTec
- 2001: 700-5782
- 2001: Samsung Anycall
- 2001: Lotte Sand
- 2002: Domino's Pizza
- 2003: TBJ
- 2003: Binggrae D.r Capsule
- 2003: Hyundai Marine Hi-Car
- 2004: KT Nespot Swing
- 2004: Genesis BBQ
- 2004: Lotte Chilsung Vita Power
- 2005: Glade
- 2006: LG Card
- 2007: Nintendo Korea Mario Kart DS
- 2007: Nong Shim GunMyunSeDe Noodles
- 2008: Coca-Cola Georgia Coffee
- 2009: Hi-Mart
- 2009: Shinhan Financial Group
- 2010: Nintendo Korea Nintendo WII
- 2012: Genesis Chicken Palace
- 2012: Otsuka ULOS
Awards
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | KBS Super Talent Contest | Silver Medal |
| 1999 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New TV Actor (Sunflower) |
| 1999 | SBS Drama Awards | Best New Actor (Happy Together) |
| 1999 | MBC Drama Awards | Best New Actor |
| 2000 | SBS Drama Awards | SBSi Award Popularity Award Big Star Award (Juliet's Man) |
| 2001 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actor (My Sassy Girl) |
| 2002 | Grand Bell Awards | Popularity Award |
| 2002 | Golden Cinematography Awards | Best New Actor (My Sassy Girl) |
| 2002 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Popularity Award |
| 2003 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Popularity Award |
| 2005 | Savings Day Presidential Citation | Recipient |
| 2007 | KBS Entertainment Awards | Radio DJ Award |
| 2009 | Max Movie Awards | Best Actor (Speedy Scandal) |
References
- ^ "10 Most Memorable Commercials (1950-2007)". The Korea Times. 24 October 2007. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ a b c d Paquet, Darcy. "Actors and Actresses of Korean Cinema: Cha Tae-hyun". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
- ^ Lim, Hye-seon (9 December 2009). "Actor Cha Tae-hyun meets with fans in Vietnam". 10Asia. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "안재욱 차태현, 최우수 라디오DJ상 수상". E Daily. 22 December 2007.
- ^ Lee, Hyo-won (29 January 2008). "Cha, Ha To Bring Tears, Laughter". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Lee, Hyo-won (23 January 2009). "Mid-Budget Film Gives Hope to Local Cinema". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "Kim Yu-na, Cha Tae-hyun Named Top Celebrities for Advertisers". The Chosun Ilbo. 14 October 2009. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "2010.12.24 NOW PLAYING". Korea JoongAng Daily. 24 December 2010. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Han, Sang-hee (9 December 2010). "A striking twist after an arduous journey". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "2011.9.9 NOW PLAYING". Korea JoongAng Daily. 9 September 2011. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Sung So-young, Song Yoon-soo (26 August 2011). "Adorable scene stealers nose their way onto screen". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Hong, Lucia (14 February 2012). "Cast of new season of "Two Days and One Night" revealed". 10Asia. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Ko, Hong-ju (24 July 2012). "Cha Tae Hyun Cares for '1 Night, 2 Days' Ratings a Lot". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Lee, Hye-ji (25 July 2012). "Cha Tae-hyun "hopes to play more comedy roles"". 10Asia. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Oh, Mi-jung (27 July 2012). "Cha Tae Hyun Returns to Comedy in 'Gone with the Wind'". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Lee, In-kyung (16 November 2012). "Cha Tae Hyun Talks About His Role Jeon Woochi for ′Woochi′". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Chun, Su-jin (12 August 2001). "Son's Success Has His Father all Fluffed Up". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "Cha Tae-hyun's grand wedding". Chine Economic Net. 3 June 2006. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Sunwoo, Carla (26 July 2012). "Cha Tae-hyun says he only had one girlfriend". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "Why Do Many Celebrities Suffer from Mental Problems". The Chosun Ilbo. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Ho, Stewart (17 May 2012). "Cha Tae Hyun to Make a Cameo Appearance on 'Unexpected You'". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Park, Hyun-min (30 November 2011). "Cha Tae Hyun Fails to be Noticed in 'Light and Shadow'". enewsWorld. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
External links
- Cha Tae-hyun at Cyworld
- Cha Tae-hyun at SidusHQ
- Cha Tae-hyun at HanCinema
- Cha Tae-hyun at IMDb