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Cho Seung-woo

Cho Seung-woo

Actor · Born March 28, 1980 (46) · Seoul, South Korea

Cho Seung-woo (조승우; born March 28, 1980) is a South Korean actor widely regarded for his versatility across film, television, and musical theatre. He made his screen debut in Chunhyang (2000), where he was selected from hundreds of candidates, marking the beginning of a career defined by careful role selection and consistent critical acclaim. In cinema, he established himself through performances in works such as Marathon (2005), Tazza: The High Rollers (2006), and Inside Men (2015), demonstrating a wide acting range that moves between restrained realism and intense character-driven roles. His filmography reflects a preference for complex narratives and morally layered characters. On television, he gained broader recognition through his role as Hwang Si-mok in Stranger (2017–2020), a performance noted for its controlled emotional expression and precision. The role further reinforced his reputation as an actor capable of conveying depth through subtlety. In addition to his screen work, Cho Seung-woo is one of the most prominent figures in Korean musical theatre. He has led major productions including Jekyll & Hyde and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, earning acclaim for his vocal ability and stage presence, and contributing significantly to the popularity of musicals in South Korea. Across mediums, he is recognized for his disciplined approach to acting and his ability to fully inhabit diverse roles, maintaining a career that balances critical recognition with enduring public respect.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 28, 1980 (46)
From
Seoul, South Korea
Works as
Actor
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 26 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 16% in 30 days

What are Cho Seung-woo's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Power.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
29%
Power
18%
Survival
16%
Self
13%
Morality
13%
Ideas
10%
Family bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFate2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 3 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 0 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

10 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 9 of 10 analyzed roles.

Hero
9 of 10
Mentor
1 of 10
Show the 10 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Melancholic
4
Hopeful
3
Contemplative
3
Dread
2
Other
9

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Cho Seung-woo's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Cho Seung-woo's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

26 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The East Palace(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · as King

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Divorce Attorney Shin(2023)

    Show 12 episodes · as Shin Sung-han

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Sisyphus: The Myth(2021)

    Show 16 episodes · as Han Tae-sul

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • Feng Shui (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Park Jae-sang

  • Life(2018)

    Show 16 episodes · as Koo Seung-Hyo

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Stranger(2017)

    Show 32 episodes · as Hwang Si-mok

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Inside Men(2015)

    as Woo Jang-hoon

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Assassination(2015)

    as Kim Won-bong

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • God's Gift - 14 Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 16 episodes · as Ki Dong-chan

  • Lee Sang That Lee Sang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Lee Sang

  • The Peach Tree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Sang-hyun

  • The King's Doctor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 50 episodes · as Baek Kwang-hyun

  • Perfect Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Choi Dong-woon

  • The Sword with No Name(2009)

    as Mu-myeong

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Go Go 70s (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Composer · as Sang-ku

  • Tazza: The High Rollers(2006)

    as Go-ni

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Love Phobia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Cho Jo-kang

  • Marathon(2005)

    as Yoon Cho-won

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Low Life(2004)

    as Choi Tae-woong

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Classic(2003)

    as Joon-ha

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • H (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Shin Hyun

  • YMCA Baseball Team (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Horseman

  • Who Are You? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Hyung-tae

  • Wanee & Junah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Yeong-min

  • Ahmijimong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Ahn Ji-hoon

  • Chunhyang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Mongryong Lee

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 26 titles from 2000 to 2026; peak year 2005.

Biggest box office

Inside Men (2015)

$62M worldwide

Highest rated

Stranger (2017)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

The East Palace (2026)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
20002026

Peak 2005 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 6 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 2000Screen debut· Chunhyang
  • 2005First top-billed film· Marathon
  • 2006Breakout· Tazza: The High Rollers
  • 2017Career best· Stranger

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting26 of 26: 25 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score82ndMusic1 of 26: 0 only music, 1 with another role

By decade

2000s13 · 13 acting · 1 crew2010s10 · acting2020s3 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 38% of 8 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Cho Seung-woo's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 88th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th4

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 12 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor

The Sword with No Name (2009)

50th percentile spread · 14% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Stranger (2017)

Midcredits 98th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the acting 81/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Cho Seung-woo's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 42 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Cho Seung-woo work with?

People who share at least 2 of Cho Seung-woo's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kim Sang-beom shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers