Ji Chang Wook is a South Korean actor under Glorious Entertainment. He rose to fame playing the leading role of Dong Hae in the daily drama series Smile Again (2010–2011) and has since had roles in Warrior Baek Dong Soo (2011) and Empress Ki (2013–2014). Chang Wook has headlined the popular television series Healer (2014–2015), The K2 (2016), and Suspicious Partner (2017), as well as the crime-action film Fabricated City (2017).
Ji began his career in musical theatre. He made his on-screen debut in the 2006 film “Days…” and had a minor role in the 2008 television drama You Stole My Heart. He only officially debuted in the 2008 film Sleeping Beauty.
Ji began his mandatory military service on August 14, 2017. He first underwent basic training at the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division at Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. Upon completion, he was awarded a prize for high performance.
In 2017, Ji Chang Wook lent his voice the character “Tachibana Taki”, with Kim So Hyun voicing the character “Miyamizu Mitsuha” for the Korean version of the internationally acclaimed Japanese animation movie “Your Name (2016).”
After being assigned to the Army’s 5th Artillery Brigade at Cheorwon, Gangwon Province for the rest of his military service, Ji was appointed as a Platoon Leader. He was later promoted twice and ranked as a Sergeant at his discharge on April 27, 2019.
Facts
- Debut: 2007 in the film Sleeping Beauty.
- Education:
- Shinsung High School
- Dankook University: Theater and Film (Master of Performing Arts)
- Languages: English (Fluent), Korean (Mother Tongue) and Chinese (Fluent)
- Religion: Buddhism
- He rose to fame in the lead role of the dramas “Smile, Dong Hae” followed by historical dramas, “Warrior Baek Dong Soo” and “Empress Ki”.
- He didn’t always want to be an actor. “During high school, I wanted to work in architecture or engineering,” Ji said. “When I was even younger, my dreams kept changing. I wanted to be in the police force, be a teacher, a judge, lawyer, doctor and other jobs. Of course, my direction changed when I started to face reality.” He wasn’t a great student in high school, but he studied harder and eventually achieved a rank where he was going to win applause. Apparently, the desire for applause did not disappear .
- People think he looks like British actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers. “My school friends performed the movie play “atch Point” and for some time my nickname was Jonathan,” he said.
- He can knit cross stitch . He learned both trades from his role in “The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House” although he admits he is not very good at them.
- Late last year on an episode of the SBS series “Good Morning” he admitted that he had been in six different relationships since high school. My first relationship was when I was in high school,” he said. Rumors have linked him romantically with T-ARA’s Ham Eun Jung and Yoon Bo Ra. It was at the beginning of the filming of “Five Fingers,” he said, although he declined to name any of the women he was involved with.
- He is quite flexible as to what could be considered his ideal type of woman. I don’t have an ideal type based on looks,” he said. I like someone I can talk to comfortably, someone I can connect with and who is fun to be with, and we have to have interesting conversations, but I’m not going to say that I don’t look at physical appearance.
- He once confessed that actress Song Hye Kyo was his dream girl.
- Chang Wook started his career as a struggling actor in musicals. He made his screen debut in the 2006 film “Days …” and had a role in the 2008 TV drama “I Like You” (also known as You Stole My Heart). In 2009 he appeared in “The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House”, the family drama received 40% ratings, and shot Chang Wook to stardom.
- In August 2014 he appeared as a guest on the hit South Korean TV show Running Man during episodes no. 211 and no. 212, in both episodes he teamed up with Lee Kwang Soo.
- He took martial arts lessons for his role as a mysterious errand man in the series Song Ji Na Penned.
- In a recent interview with Osen News Network, Chang Wook talks about the many romantic scenes he filmed for “Healer,” which contains a lot of skinship and kissing. He made the interviewer laugh saying, “When I looked at the scripts and saw that a kiss was written, I sighed and thought, ‘Again?
- Healer had the most romantic scenes of all the dramas he has done so far, to the point that he would say to Park Min Young ‘We have to hug again’. He also said that these were the most endearing scenes he has ever had.”
- He explained that intimate scenes can be complicated for the actors involved. “When I do romantic scenes with skinship or kissing, my friends ask me, ‘Was it good?’ It can be nice, but as an actor, it can be a scene that makes us very nervous and we’re very careful.”
- He gave a specific example of the amount of effort he puts into a romantic scene, sharing, “Simply put we’re not really boyfriend and girlfriend so the female actress might not like it [filming those scenes]. Which makes me worry. For example, I might think finger linking would look better, but if the script says ‘they shake hands’ but I link fingers my co-star might think it’s weird?”
- Although it might have been difficult, fans of “Healer” are surely grateful for the attention Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young put into the couple scenes.
- After the drama was aired, Chang Wook’s popularity began to skyrocket in China. He began to expand his career into China, starring in dramas such as Tornado Girl and Mr. Right.
- The popularity and affection of audiences in South Korea and the rest of Asia rewarded Ji Chang Wook by being the only actor requested by the production companies of the drama Mr. Right for the main character of the story.
- Chang Wook is a top-notch actor, and the production must ensure that he has superior equipment and elements that will allow him to perform as he has always shown, said the representatives of the partner companies for the production of Mr. Right.
- He was involved in a car accident at Shinsa Intersection in Gangnam at around 5:50am. Chang Wook and his manager were on their way to the studio when their car collided with a truck.
- After starring in the drama The K2, his co-star Im Yoon Ah became his ideal type of woman.
- After The K2 drama, rumors arose about a possible relationship between the two, both companies denied it, and Ji Chang Wook stated regarding their relationship that “it would be perfect to describe us as a close oppa and dongsaeng.”
- At the end of March 2017, it was announced that he had joined the cast of the new drama Suspicious Partner” where he will bring lawyer No Ji Wook to life. The drama previously was known as “Be Careful of This Woman.”
- The director of Suspicious Partner praised him for his acting and said he was perfect for the character.
- His agency announced that he will join as an active duty soldier in August. They stated “He will enter Cheorwon County Training Center in Gangwon Province on August 14, 2017 and once he finishes his basic military training he will work hard to fulfill his military duty in his official assignment.”
- On April 27, 2019, he was discharged from his mandatory military service.
- On July 26, 2021, a source from his agency Glorious Entertainment revealed to SPO TV News, “Ji Chang Wook tested positive for COVID-19. According to the health authority’s guidelines, he is quarantined and receiving treatment.”
