Celebrated for his captivating portrayals across diverse movies, Song Kang-ho has ascended to national, as well as international acclaim with a string of critically acclaimed performances, garnering numerous awards and recognition.
The actor is now all set to make his small screen debut with ‘Uncle Samsik.’ The K-Drama is all set to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on May 15. Ahead of the show’s release, have a look at some of this best silver screen works that have captivated audiences worldwide.
1. ‘No. 3’ (1997)
Directed by Song Nung-han, the actor plays the role of a stuttering gangster, Jo-pil. He emerged as the standout actor of that year, claiming both the Best New Actor Award at the 35th Grand Bell Awards and the 18th Blue Dragon Film Awards.
2. ‘Joint Security Area’ (2000)
Directed by Park Chan-wook, the actor plays the role of a North Korean Army sergeant, Oh Joong-pil. His performance established him as one of the country’s leading actors, and also earned him the Best Actor Award at the 38th Grand Bell Awards as well as the Most Popular Actor (Film) Award at the 36th Baeksang Arts Award.
3. ‘Memories of Murder’ (2003)
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the actor plays the role of an incompetent rural detective, Park Doo-man. With it, he swept the Best Actor Award at various prestigious awards ceremonies, including the 40th Grand Bell Awards, 2nd Korean Korean Film Awards, 6th Director’s Cut Awards and many more.
4. ‘The Host’ (2006)
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the actor plays the role of a clumsy misfit vendor, Park Gang-du. With this film, he joined the league of 10-million-view actors, expanding his global recognition. He was named Best Actor at the 1st Asian Film Awards. ‘The Host’ is notably the sixth highest-grossing domestic film in South Korea.
5. ‘Secret Sunshine’ (2007)
Directed by Lee Chang-dong, the actor plays the role of a local mechanic, Kim Jong-chan. He won Best Actor at the 6th Korean Film Awards, and 10th Director’s Cut Awards. He clinched the same award at the 19th Palm Springs International Film Festival for his performance.
6. ‘The Attorney’ (2013)
Directed by Yang Woo-suk, the actor plays the role of a former Judge, Song Woo-suk. With this film, he joined the league of 10-million-view actors, expanding his global recognition. He earned many Best Actor accolades at the 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards, 14th Director’s Cut Awards, as well as a Daesang at the 50th Baeksang Arts Award.
7. ‘The Age of Shadows’ (2016)
Directed by Kim Jee-won, the actor plays the role of a police captain, Lee Jung-chool. He won the Best Actor Award at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Award for his performance. The movie’s success, with over 7.4 million viewers, made him the first leading Korean actor to have over 100 million people watch his films throughout his career.
8. ‘A Taxi Driver’ (2017)
Directed by Jang Hoon, the actor plays the role of a widowed taxi driver, Kim Man-seob. The movie made its debut on the international stage at the Fantasia International Film Festival, where he received the Best Actor Award for his performance, and domestically also a few.
9. ‘Parasite’ (2019)
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the actor plays the role of the main family’s father, Kim Ki-taek. It’s no surprise that the film bagged the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and the Best Picture Award at the 92nd Academy Awards, but individually, the actor earned the Excellence Award at the 72nd Locarno International Film Festival, Best Actor at 19th Director’s Cut Awards, Best Supporting Actor at Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, a Daesang at the 40th Golden Cinema Film Festival and many others.
10. ‘Broker’ (2022)
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, the actor plays the role of the owner of a hand laundry, Ha Sang-hyeon. He won the Best Actor Award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, marking him as the first Korean to achieve this honour at the esteemed event, as well as the Étoile du Cinéma at the 27th Busan International Film Festival.
While these are some of his accolades for films, one can only hope that he takes on more roles in television series, and bags awards for those as well. Meanwhile, are you looking forward to Song Kang-ho’s performance in his television debut? Do share your thoughts with us.
