Yoo Ah-in: 2015’s Hottest Actor in Korea

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With the success of the two recent films “Veteran” and “The Throne,” Yoo Ah-in has once proved his star-appeal and is being thrust into greater fame. He’s been named a “box office success” and “2015’s Hottest Actor” in Korea. 

If you still remember in the popular Korean Teen Drama “Sharp1,” Yoo Ah-in played the too-perfect-to-be-true high school heartthrob. “Sharp1” was Yoo’s debut performance. His guileless smiles in the drama captured the hearts of so many female viewers. Later, in “Sungkyunkwan Scandal,” Yoo’s portrayal of the masculine yet caring and thoughtful Moon Jae-shin was a a huge sensation.

Since Yoo began appearing on the big screen, his popularity shot up after acting in “Punch” and “Tough as Iron,” winning the trust of his viewers. Possessing the innocence of youth but with a wild, rebellious streak, Yoo’s versatility has allowed him to be cast in all types of roles suitable for his age.

This year has been a breakout in Yoo Ah-in’s career. The films “Veteran” and “The Throne (Crown Prince Sado)” excelled past works. Yoo Ah-in once again conquered the audience with his versatile acting.

In “Veteran,” Yoo plays the heartless, conglomerate heir Jo Tae-ho. The character Jo is the epitome of a villain who is ruthless, cares not the least for anyone but himself, and fears no consequences for the evils he’s committed. Yoo was so deeply in character throughout the performance that the audience, as they watched the film, felt the urge to smack some morality into him.

The awe-inspiring effect of “Veteran” had still not fully blown over yet when Yoo presented to the audience yet another major big-screen period drama–“The Throne (Crown Prince Sado).”

Yoo’s spot-on acting left the audience in heartrending grief. King Yeongjo condemned his own son, Sado, to death, by locking him up in a rice box for eight days. The story of crown prince Sado was one of the greatest royal tragedies in the history of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. In the film, Yoo Ah-in meticulously portrays the dramatic ups and downs of this tragic character, a remarkable prince, under rigorous disciplines and immense pressure from his father, as he gradually starts to lose his nerves and ends up ending his life in the rice box. Yoo Ah-in’s great acting in “The Throne” is evident not only in the use of language and physical gestures, but Yoo utilized changes in his voice to achieve a deeper level of understanding for his character.

Hallyu World is an E*Star Entertainment production focusing on Korean Celebrity and Lifestyle Trends.