K-actor Yoo Ah In may court or elicit controversy but as an actor he’s been fairly impeccable in role selection across movies and dramas. If his latest movie Burning breaks out next year it may be thanks to its selection by South Korea to represent the country as the entry for Best Foreign Language Picture award at the 2019 Oscars. I don’t think he cares about accolades but his talent is undeniable and the more trophies he racks up the more impervious he can towards the mercurial and demanding stipulations of K-netizens, such as his exemption from the military last year after not passing his 5th physical or even the rumors of his personal life inclinations. South Korea should be proud of having such a home grown boy talent who is now a man with many facets, all of which are shown off very handsomely in the pages of the September issue of Grazia magazine.
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The greater cause of concern is his behaviour on SNS. Squabbling with slow-witted people, making cryptic posts to entice more hatered, being ostentatious and an ocassional hypocrite.
As much talented he is and as much big his military ‘controversy’ is, I just hope he can keep his common sense while constructing his public persona.
I’ve never seen a talented K celebrity with bright future ahead being this much reckless.
@female I agree.Eccentric personality, overly opinionated, too sensitive to criticism and “haters” , is a deadly combination of personality traits for someone like him.This is why SNS is a thorn for him.Its clear he wants attention and gain more public adulation.Hence, why he does all the pseudo-activism on social justice, and trying to sound philosophical.But instead of gaining the respect he wants from his SNS posts, he lands into needless controversies.I really think his core fans would still like him even if he kept his SNS professional with just magazine photo/video shoots, behind the scenes photos with co-stars on drama/film sets and maybe the occasional selfie to add that personal touch.
I wish him success I really do because I think he is passionate and talented unlike many of his same age popular counterparts. But one thing he needs to keep in his mind is that he should never try to appear more intelligent than he really is. His superiority lies in his acting prowess and that’s what people would like to see. He was extremely popular in his country in 2015 and people had favourable things to say about him but he ruined it for now.
I don’t think much about his military issue because many actors have retained their career despite involving in it in the past even worse the actors who were accused of sexual misconduct are roaming freely and making dramas.
He can recover but only if he develops maturity and self-awareness.
I Have geninuely never seen a note-worthy break-out role or project for YAI. I hear people saying this or that was good example the ‘Veteran’ and he was not the lead and had very minor easy role. I haven’t seen another role or project for him that turn hit or eye-catching. I guess maybe his respected for minor roles in SK but he has surely not caught the eye elsewhere
It depends on your definition of noteworthy breakout role. Like Oldboy for Choi Min Shik or Coffee Prince for Gong Yoo or Hiers for Lee Min Ho?
I think Yoo Ah In’s filmography is one of the best of his generation(Korean) regardless of how much public attention he has got and he is well regarded for his abilities. He has many good movies which either were critically praised, won him awards or performed decently on box-office like Punch, Skeleton in the Closet, Antique, The Veteran, The Throne, Burning etc. He didn’t have that much presence in the dramas but some of his work was very popular like Sungkyuwan Scandal, Secret Love Affair, Six Flying Dragon.
I think it’s fantastic for a 32 years old Korean actor. As for extraordinarily well written, well directed, well recieved role, the actors need to have great luck and being a movie actor his prime will be in late 30s and 40s.
I don’t see him being a popular Hallayu star like Kim Soo Hyun, Song Joon Ki etc but a consistent movie actor who really loves working instead of protecting his stardom.
2015 was best year for him with The veteran, The Throne and SFD.
I don’t thing his length of the roles matters in the movies because having ensembled cast is an extremely common feature in the Korean movies.
Unfortunately he has tattered his image right now and only way to recover from it is to have a really successful work which could bring him success and recognition. Many Korean actors even don’t get a proper break at age of 32.
what are you talking about?! he is an outstanding actor. KSH and SJK are nice looking guys and average actors but YAI is in a totally different league. and the global comunity has already noticed him. and he should express his opinions and he should be an activist for what he beleives in. actors should be much more that puppies.
He was great in “The Throne”. It was hard to hold attention when sharing the screen with powerhouse veteran like Song Kang Ho but YAI was terrific.
I dont like his personality but his acting is something else. Beside his actig ability, hes good at selecting scripts, and brave enough to try different roles. I can see his love for acting.
Veteran hit box office because hwang Jung min,the throne hit because song kang ho. Chicago typewriter was rating flop and burning also flop in box office.just because nominated Oscar doesn’t mean he would win. And i beat sovereign default will hit in box office because Kim hye soo was lead.
Lols. The movies and dramas are collaborative efforts. Movies’ success largely depends on the directors, not like the stardom of the actors don’t play it’s role. Both Ryu Seung Wan and Lee Joon-ik are known for making successful movies so actors themselves must be keen to be the part of their projects.
Both Thorn and Veteran brought greatest accolades to YAI as compared to other actors. Not like he should get most of the credit for it. His success came from the effort of the whole team. He was 29 then and you know at his age both HJM and SKH’s struggled for the work. It’s not like SKH, HJM and Kim Hye Soo always get success on the box office they are also dependent on the quality of the work they recieve.
That’s true. His movies and dramas never get good box office or ratings when he is the main lead. Even Burning flopped at the box office despite being directed by acclaimed director.
Lee Chang Dong is an art house film director whose movies don’t do well at the box office.
Even so, Burning’s box office was much worst than Lee Chang Dong’s previous films. It doesn’t help that all three leads are disliked by the SK public.
YAI may be considered a good actor, but he never draws high viewership without other heavyweight veterans in his films.
Like Female said, Lee Chang Dong is a (renown) art house director. Every serious actor out there wouldn’t think twice about being in his movies if given the opportunity.
Lee Chang Dong’s work has been praised and honored in Korea and worldwide.
Cannes is bigger than the so called Oscars and he won best screenplay there for Poetry and Jeon Do Yeon won best actress in his movie Secret Sunshine. 3 of his movies competed for the Oscars.
The success of a film doesn’t depend entirely on its box-office earnings. There has been a lot of crappy hit movies out there that are not worth praising.
Burning will be remembered as a critically acclaimed film that competed for the best in Korea and the world. Who knows, it might be Korea’s first win at the Oscars.
I know about Lee Chang Dongs’s work and his acclaim in the film industry. I am saying YAI doesn’t pull in the numbers when he is the lead, not even in a Lee Chang Dong film, which generally don’t do well in the box office, but Burning fared worse despite the high score by film critics.
@another abc
You can read my previous comments where I’ve tried to point out some features of Korean movie industry.
First, almost all of the audience drawer are matured actors/actresses who have built their reputation over years. Even now and then younger crops draw the viewers but it’s mainly because of the movie itself not because lead actor was the draw. Kang Dong Won and Won Bin may excuse because they are famous mainly because of their looks(and tbh are not that good as their fans believe.).
Second to get the movie roles the actors need to build a powerful network of connection. Like Jeon Do Yeon, Song Kang Ho, Hwang Jung Min etc. Doesn’t matter how much talent you have got, you have to work from behind the scene. And it seems YAI was working on it that’s why some reputed directors casted him.
Third, you have to maintain your rhythm while working in the movie industry, neither you may be ruthlessly thrown out. Like see what happened to Han Suk Kyu. Despite being the biggest movie star(and extremely talented on top of that) few years ago, he had hard time finding work. I read his interview and he said because of the hiatus, his rhythm was broken and people tend to forget you so soon in the movie industry. YAI had just started buliding his rhythm and was in good position in 2015, which means if he had done the military service and had stayed out of his SNS nonsense people would have gone to see his movies. He could have been the most reliable box office draw of his generation but his chance was marred due to his stupidity. But since he is young he may have another chance to regain his rhythm.
Fourth, he generally doesn’t do the fun, cool, zappy, zany, weepy audience drawer movies. He worked in many art house movies(so few dramas) which never draw the audience. So he needs to chance upon a audience drawer offer.
Fifth, Korean movies necessarily have ensambled cast. Even likes of Hwang Jung Min, Song Kang Ho(or he worked with Bong Joon Ho) were in star studded movies or with star directors which means they are not always the only audience drawers. Infact the idea of ensambled cast originated in the fact that Korean movies were doing poorly on the box office with single stars.
Sixth, if your movies poorly performs on the box office then it doesn’t mean you are a looser actor and will be wiped away from the industry. Like Jeon Do Yeon and Sol Kyung Gu are not audience drawer but they are considered great and they always get work. Choi Min Shik’s most movies are flop but he is one of the most successful movie actor. Ha Jung Woo too had his dry spells.
You can’t compare Oscar and Cannes, please. Cannes is seriously for arthouse movies whereas Oscar taking consideration on both critical and commercial value. And don’t go saying that it’s all down to arts that matters. A movie is pointless when no one is watching and the point of doing movies is to tell story.
SECRET LOVE AFFAIR was the first highest rated cable drama in 2014 and JTBC’s first highest rated drama. SIX FLYING DRAGONS also ranked first for 6 months of its airing. His films VETERAN and SADO were huge box office. Do some research first. And don’t say those two were because of Hwang Jung Min and Song Kang Ho. He won best actor for both films, not them. And up until now his VETERAN character has become the most iconic villain in Korea with many people and stars keep talking about it. Facts.
@female, what’s the point of your essay? I merely said YAI doesn’t attract viewers when he is the main lead. Never said he’s a bad actor or loser because of that.
@another abc
I didn’t misunderstood your comment and didn’t say that you had negative implications.?
The point of my huge essay was just to discuss the probable reasons of lackluster performance of YAI’s most of the movies at the box-office. ?
Fair enough and thank you for your analysis. TBH, I could care less whether his movies perform well or not. To me, he is more famous for being a pseudointellectual than a great actor.
Pseudointellectual? Lol talk to yourself. He’s politicakly opinionated since a fetus. Hollywood got used to it but Korea never. Hence your oppas are afraid to speak up. YAI and his art gallery STUDIO CONCRETE have done a lot of things for youth and art communities withouth showing off much. Watch Nina Simone and you’ll probably get it.
@Alexa
I never said anything about art being the only thing that matters in a film.
Art films is obviously not for the mass audience.I don’t think it’s pointless. It’s made for film festivals etc.
Most of the films that were competing in Cannes also compete at the Oscars foreign film category.
Burning was shown in 739 screens and it made 4.1 million in Korea. It sold to over 100 countries. I’m not sure what the budget was but it might have been around 1 or 2 million like Poetry.
Maybe it’s not a flop as some make it out to be. We don’t have all the numbers, just an estimation.
he was amazing in burning.
Just watched Burning. YAI gave a wonderful performance. I didn’t care for the movie. It was way too long and I wished I had skipped through to the end.
He’s really a good actor! He always chooses his next role about what he can bring to the role and not about the fame the role will bring.
I like that he gives his point of view about some subjects and he assumes it. And if some people doesn’t like it or his opinion, it’s their right but it doesn’t mean that he has to stop. They don’t have to read or to watch his movies.
Whatever people may say about him, YAI is authentic. it is not his fault for being exempted from the military duties and also not his issues if his films not racking $$..
The fact that he is still getting offers here & there despite whatever negative opinions on him..speaks volume.
I don’t want to judge him as I don’t know him in person…so I can only look at his works and he is indeed the best in acting department compare to the other young actors.
@ockoala you’re cute by not telling people that this is GRAZIA CHINA. You don’t wanna connect the dot about what you did in Shanghai earlier? That he wasn’t there for some rendevouz as what you gathered from some random weibo gossip-mongers and had the audacity to write here (because hey this is just a gossip blog)? I applauded your journalism.