Oh Kwang-rok

Oh Kwang-rok (; born August 28, 1962) is a South Korean character actor.

Early life Oh Kwang-rok was born on August 28, 1962. He developed an interest in dancing during his youth, attributing his early creative influence to observing his older brother and sister. While in middle school, he aspired to become a poet, a goal influenced by his Korean language teacher. He honed a critical perspective on society by reading newspaper editorials and columns.

Oh's transition into acting began following a recommendation from his high school friend, the poet Nam Ho-seop. While preparing for university entrance exams, Oh responded to a recruitment advertisement for theater actors. He subsequently joined the Samil-ro Warehouse Theater, where he became a member of the inaugural class of the Actors' Academy. His formal training was conducted under the tutelage of prominent theater figures, including Lee Won-kyung, Lee Hae-rang, and Kim Dong-won.

Oh transitioned into film with roles in short features such as The End of April and The World You See When You Close Your Eyes. He became a recognizable figure in South Korean cinema through his portrayal of Hyun-gu in Waikiki Brothers (2001) and subsequent appearances in high-profile projects like Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and Oldboy (2003). His casting in The Last Wolf (2004) was influenced by his unique nasal tone, which caught the attention of Director Koo Ja-hong during the production of Oldboy.

His later filmography includes Do You Like Spring Bears? (2003) and My Brother (2004), where he played a photography teacher nicknamed "Human Sleeping Pill."

In 2010, Oh was triple-cast in the lead role of Hahn Young-jin, alongside Lee Young-ha and Kim Chang-wan, in the play A Nap. Directed by filmmaker Hur Jin-ho and based on a short story by Park Min-gyu, the play was the second project in the "Director Comes to the Stage" series. The narrative explores a lifelong romance between the shy Young-jin and his first love, Yi-sun, alternating between the past and their twilight years. The younger version of Young-jin was portrayed by Kim Ki-bum.

Oh collaborated with director Park Chan-wook and video artist Park Chan-kyong in 2011 for the short film Night Fishing, starring opposite Lee Jung-hyun. The 30-minute film, which won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival, follows a fisherman who encounters a shamanic woman in the middle of the night. Notably, the production was shot entirely on an iPhone 4. In the same year, Oh transitioned into directing with the film A Pale Purple Bird. The work served as the opening film for the 3rd Seoul International Extreme-Short Image & Film Festival (SESIFF) held in Guro, Seoul.

Oh also appeared in Park Chul-soo's final film, the omnibus Active Life, alongside Oh In-hye and Kim Sung-min. Released after the director's passing in 2013, the film explored controversial themes involving crime and social taboos.

Personal life Incident.

Filmography

Film Year Title RoleNotes 1996 The World That I See With Closed Eyes 2000 The End of April Short film 2001 Waikiki Brothers Hyun-gu 2002 Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance Anarchist 2003 Spring Bears Love Oldboy Suicidal man 2004 The Wolf Returns Eagle A Moment to Remember Bum at station2005 How Does the Blind Dream? The blind Short film She's on Duty Bae Doo-sang A Bittersweet Life Sympathy for Lady Vengeance Se-hyun's father Mr. Socrates Special appearance Boy Goes to Heaven 2006 Vampire Cop Ricky Vampire Hunter Maundy Thursday Death row inmate 2896 A Cruel Attendance 2007 The Elephant on the Bike Dong-gyu's father Seven Days Yang Chang-goo2008 Like Father, Like Son Hyun-jinSpecial appearance Baby and I Kwang-rok 2009 Marine Boy Doctor Park Why Did You Come to My House? Suicide manSpecial appearance Take Off Pharmacist The Case of Itaewon Homicide Attorney Kim Byeon The End Short film2010 Man of Vendetta GPS technician No Doubt Professir KimSpecial appearance2011 Night Fishing Oh Kee-seokShort film Countdown Dr. Song Endless Joke Short film Persimmon Always Park Chang-soo Sunday Punch Geun-seok 2012 Dangerously Excited Bob DylanSpecial appearance The Spies Man on benchSpecial appearance The Decisive One Shot 2013 Eating, Talking, Faucking Jo Mool-joo Born to Sing Section chief Maeng Mai Ratima Junk shop ownerSpecial appearance Killer Toon Chief detective Rough Play Jo Kang-ho 11 A.M. Doctor Seo 2014 God's Eye View Jo Yo-han The Stone Lee SooSpecial appearance My Sister Detective Kim The Con Artists Professor MinSpecial appearance2015 Five Senses of Love Alice in Earnestland Art professor My Sister, the Pig Lady Jae-hwa's father 2016 If You Were Me Dr. Kim Rock N Roll Grandpa 2017 The Tooth and the Nail Theater ownerSpecial appearance Warriors of the Dawn Pockmark 2018 Beautiful Days Zhen Chen's father 2022 Return to Seoul Freddy's biological father

Television series Year Title Role Notes 2006 Dr. Kkang Dr. Bong 2007 If in Love... Like Them The Legend Hyeon-go 2008 Formidable Rivals Cha Gwang-soo 2011 Vampire Idol Kwang-rok 2012 Faith Fortune teller (cameo, episode 1) Short Family Kwang-rok 2013 Empress Ki Heuk-soo (cameo) 2014 High School King of Savvy Choi Jang-ho Love Cells Seo Rin's manager Healer Ki Young-jae 2015 The Invincible Lady Cha Oh Dal-soo 2016 Page Turner Street vendor 2017 Tomorrow, with You Shin Sung-gyu Drama Stage:Assistant Manager Park's Private Life one act-drama 2018 Devilish Charm Joo Man-sik 2020 Extracurricular Jae-ik 2021 MelancholiaJi Hyun-wook 2022 A Model FamilyPark Deuk-soo 2022–2023 Island Butler Jang 2024Uncle SamsikJoo In-tae

Theater Year Title 2010 A Nap

Accolades Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Asian Film Awards 2023 Best Supporting Actor Return to Seoul