Cover image via tinypic.com
Gong Yoo, the lead character in the hit zombie movie, gained more followers, after Train To Busan
We first met him in the hit series Coffee Prince, but there's more that we didn't know about the hunky actor. Gong Ji-chul was born on July 10, 1979, making him 37 now. (OMG, GOOD GENES!)
Gong graduated with B.A. Theater degree at Kyung Hee University. He started his showbusiness career with bit parts in dramas and films. In 2005, he landed his first lead role in SBS's Biscuit Teacher and Star Candy opposite Gong Hyo-jin. His acting talent caught the attention of casting directors and audiences, with critics stating that he is an actor to watch for. Gong Yoo was then cast in MBC romantic comedyThe 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, which became his breakout role. The popularity of the drama not only solidified his status as a leading man, but also made him a hallyu star.
Gong Yoo then enlisted the mandatory service on January 14, 2008, which ended on December 8, 2009
He then initiated and pursued production of a theatrical adaptation of Gong Ji-young's novel The Crucible, a gift from his senior as congratulations for his promotion during enlistment. This movie was internationally released under the title Silenced. Upon its release on September 22, 2011, the film sparked public outrage. This led to a reopening of the investigations into the incidents on which the novel and film are based. Public demand for legislative reform reached the National Assembly, where a revised bill to target sex crimes against minors and the disabled, dubbed the Dogani Bill after the Korean title of the film, was successfully passed in late October 2011.
In November 2013, Gong Yoo was appointed as a special representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Korea
In conjunction with a celebration of the 24th year since the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted. Following his appointment, he will visit countries around the world to raise awareness of the situation of children in underdeveloped countries.
