Choi Si-won

Choi Si-won never sought fame to pay the bills. His father ran one of the country's largest textile companies, and his upbringing was that of a traditional heir who was expected to inherit offices in Seoul.

In 2005, he debuted with the group Super Junior. He was a key figure in expanding Korean pop into China and the rest of Asia, as he spoke Mandarin fluently and projected an image of absolute confidence.

But film soon came calling.

The clash with on-screen reality

In 2006, he took part in the historical blockbuster A Battle of Wits. He filmed in China alongside the legendary Andy Lau and learned that respect on set is not inherited through family name or earned with gold records.

He had to work twice as hard to make critics forget his image as an advertising poster face. In South Korea, singers who act are often hit from every angle by the specialized press.

He managed to survive the initial pressure thanks to an almost military physical discipline that he applied to every script training session.

And the offers started coming in.

Before filming each scene, Si-won often isolates himself from the rest of the cast to stay focused. It's a method he perfected while filming the action series Athena: Goddess of War in 2010.

Breaking the leading man mold

For years, he played the handsome, serious guy who rescued the female lead. In 2015, everything changed with the comedy She Was Pretty. He played an eccentric, careless editor who was not afraid to look ridiculous in front of the camera.

Audiences discovered that Si-won had a natural gift for physical comedy. That performance earned him the respect of a crowd that had until then viewed him with suspicion because of his privileged background.

In 2015, he also worked with Jackie Chan on the film Dragon Blade. It was a 65 million dollar production shot in the Gobi Desert under extreme weather conditions.

The shoot was an inferno of sand and heat.

But his ability to endure long days of fight training earned him the respect of Hong Kong stunt performers. As a result, his name began to be heard in international distribution markets.

Maturity and damage control

After completing his mandatory military service, he returned with projects that demanded less muscle and more nuance. In 2019, he starred in My Fellow Citizens!, playing a professional con artist who ends up running for parliament.

In 2021, the series Work Later, Drink Now brought him back to the forefront of cable television. His role as a bearded, unkempt TV producer connected with an adult audience looking for less sugarcoated stories.

In 2024, he landed the lead role in DNA Lover, playing an obstetrician who searches for genetic compatibility in love (a script that blends light science fiction with romantic drama).

But his public image goes far beyond his fictional roles.

Since 2010, he has worked with UNICEF, and in 2015 he was named special ambassador for South Korea. He has traveled to Vietnam and Thailand to oversee early childhood education projects in rural areas without access to safe drinking water.

His contract with SM Entertainment remains one of the strongest in the industry after nearly two decades of uninterrupted partnership.

In 2023, he took part in the series Death's Game, playing a third-generation heir caught up in a family revenge plot that ends violently in the first episode.