Before he became one of k-drama’s highest-paid stars, Ji Chang-wook was an actor in musical theater. That’s right—the action star who performs his stunts and never uses a body double was a singer first.
Photo from 1st Look
Born in Anyang, South Korea, Ji studied theater at Dankook University before diving into the world of acting. He made his onscreen debut in a 2006 film called Days and then had a small role in the 2008 k-drama You Stole My Heart. It didn't take long for him to grab the attention of directors and producers. His breakout came relatively early with supporting roles in various dramas and movies, such as in the popular 2009 weekend family drama, My Too Perfect Sons. But it wasn't until the 2010 daily drama Smile Again where he played a short-track speed skater, his first lead role, that Ji became a household name in South Korea.
He played the titular character in the high-rating historical Warrior Baek Dong-soo in 2011, then played the antagonist opposite Ju Ji-hoon in 2012’s Five Fingers. His growing popularity eventually reached a frenzy when he starred as Ta Hwan in the 50-episode historical juggernaut Empress Ki.
Arguably one of his most iconic roles came in 2014 with the drama Healer, where Ji played a mysterious errand guy involved in a more complex web of truths than he could have ever imagined. The character was a combination of a hacker, a fighter, and an undercover reporter. The drama was a hit, and it catapulted Ji Chang-wook to international stardom.
In 2017, Ji returned to the small screen in Suspicious Partner as Noh Ji-wook, a prosecutor who becomes a private attorney. On the silver screen, Ji amped up the action in Fabricated City (2017) as Kwon Yoo, a jobless young man wrongfully accused of murder.
Ji would later tackle more unconventional roles that showed more heart than handsome. In the 2020 drama Backstreet Rookie, he portrayed a convenience store manager, providing a lighter, comedic side that we hadn't seen before. Opposite Kim Ji-won, he later played an architect in the interview-format Netflix romance Lovestruck in the City. Then he returned to his musical roots as the magician Ri-eul in 2022's The Sound of Magic. In If You Wish upon Me, he played a reformed gangster who is obligated to help fulfill the wishes of the dying. He portrayed a competent weather forecaster with a chaotic past with Shin Hye-sun's character in the 2023 Netflix small-town drama Welcome to Samdal-ri. He loaded his gun once again in the 2023 Disney+ gangster series The Worst of Evil co-starring Wi Ha-joon and took on a villainous role opposite Cannes darling Jeon Do-yeon in this year's crime thriller film Revolver. Most recently, he left fans broken-hearted in part 1 of the epic sageuk (historical show) Queen Woo.
From playing stoic mercenaries to musical magicians, this actor, singer, and model has successfully carved out a niche for himself that reverberates in the hearts of his fans worldwide. Whether he's your "Healer" or your "Suspicious Partner," or even if he becomes “The Worst of Evil,” one thing is certain—Ji Chang-wook is a force to be reckoned with, a chameleon of an actor who can seemingly do it all.
Read more about him.
Photos from 1st Look/HanCinema
Here, we’ll look at this amazing actor's more popular drama hits.
Warrior Baek Dong-soo (2011) | Empress Ki (2013) | Healer (2014) | The K2 (2016) | Suspicious Partner / Love in Trouble (2017) | Lovestruck in the City (2021) | The Sound of Magic (2022) | If You Wish upon Me (2022) | The Worst of Evil (2023) | Queen Woo Part 1 (2024)
Warrior Baek Dong-soo (2011)
Available on Kocowa, Viki (territories and periods vary)
Based on the 2010 comic by Lee Jae-heon, the coming-of-age tale follows the destiny of an ordinary boy as he grows from a top swordsman to a revered historical figure. The historical hit about Joseon folk hero Baek Dong-soo dominated TV ratings in 2011 and made Ji Chang-wook a bona fide drama star. It also made stars of the young Yoo Seung-ho (who played his skilled equal and future nemesis), Shin Hyun-been, and Yeo Jin-goo. So popular was this action-packed historical that SBS decided to extend the show from 24 to 30 episodes.
Empress Ki (2013)
Available on Apple TV+, Kocowa, Netflix, Prime Video, Viki, Viu (territories and periods vary)
Photo from MBC/HanCinema
Fresh from the wild success of Warrior Baek Dong-soo, Ji Chang-wook traded his ragged folk wardrobe for extravagant royal garb in 2013’s Empress Ki. As Ta Hwan/Toghon Temur, Ji portrayed his growth from a weak royal to the emperor of the Yuan dynasty.
Ji’s lucky ratings streak continued, with Empress Ki hitting an incredible average of 35% for each episode. Thanks to his passionate performance as a besotted—and later lovelorn—emperor, he would win awards for acting and make his mark in the industry as a reliable and hard-working actor.
Healer (2014)
Available on Apple TV+, Kocowa, Netflix, Prime Video, Viki, Viu (territories and periods vary)
Photo from Top Star News/HanCinema
In 2014, Ji Chang-wook joined Hallyu legend Yoo Ji-tae and rising star Park Min-young in an action-packed story of truth and journalism. As a “night courier” who goes by the moniker “Healer,” Ji used his martial arts training and stunt skills to carry out the dangerous tasks he’s been assigned. While on a mission, "Healer" crosses paths with a veteran journalist and a spunky young reporter with whom he eventually falls in love. Although the show’s ratings didn’t hit the highs his old dramas used to, it did make Ji a big star overseas, especially in China.
The K2 (2016)
Available on Apple TV+, Prime Video, Viki, Viu (territories and periods vary)
Photo from tvN/HanCinema
Ji Chang-wook stars as Kim Je-ha, the lead in tvN’s action-thriller extravaganza The K2. As a former mercenary soldier forced to work as a chaebol's bodyguard, Kim finds himself being drawn to the chaebol’s daughter An-na (Yoona) and entangled with the family’s politics and affairs. While Kim Je-ha enjoyed a good romance with An-na, fans of the series could also argue that he shared a much more flammable connection with the chaebol’s wife (Song Yoon-ah).
In The K2, Ji flexed his taekwondo, aikido, and jiujitsu skills. He reportedly performed all the stunts and fight scenes himself, without a body double. As a result of all his hard work and the show’s steady ratings, Ji was the highest-paid actor in a tvN drama that year.
Suspicious Partner / Love in Trouble (2017)
Available on AppleTV+, Kocowa, Netflix, Viki, Viu (territories and periods vary)
Photo from SBS/HanCinema
The rom-com thriller follows prosecutor Noh Ji-wook (Ji Chang-wook) and judicial trainee Eun Bong-hee (Nam Ji-hyun) as they navigate a complex murder case while dealing with a serial killer. While already considered a top action star, Ji Chang-wook's portrayal of the passionate and conflicted prosecutor earned him more widespread acclaim for his versatility. His kissing scene and all other romantic scenes were so intense that viewers thought the leads were dating in real life.
While it had average domestic ratings, the show topped the critical 20 to 49-year-old viewer market segment, including many other charts for several successive weeks.
Check out the popular kissing scene from this k-drama and more from others in our Kiss List.
Lovestruck in the City (2021)
Available on Netflix (territories and periods vary)
Ji Chang-wook is Park Jae-won, an architect and one of six people talking about their love lives in this multi-story k-drama. He hasn’t gotten over his ex (played by Kim Ji-won), and fate doesn’t want him to. You'll probably swing between rooting for the couple and thinking they shouldn't be together (and even be tempted to drop it). But if you stick with it to the end, you'll (hopefully) understand their whys and what it means to love another person.
Read our full review here.
The Sound of Magic (2022)
Available on Netflix (territories and periods vary)
Two high-school students find themselves drawn to the magical world of a mysterious magician, Ri-eul (Ji Chang-wook) who lives in an abandoned theme park up on a hill. Is his magic powerful enough to make them dream for themselves again? Or is he a crazy fraud who just refuses to grow up and live in the real world?
See our review here.
If You Wish upon Me (2022)
Available on Viki, Viu (territories and periods vary)
Ji Chang-wook returned to melodramatic territory in 2022 with a rather heavy role. Inspired by a real foundation in the Netherlands that fulfills the dying wishes of cancer patients, If You Wish upon Me casts Ji as an ex-convict working at a hospice who tries to fulfill the last wishes of their dying patients.
Check out our review here.
The Worst of Evil (2023)
Available on Disney+ (territories and periods vary)
Photos from Disney+/HanCinema
Ji Chang-wook joins Wi Ha-joon (Squid Game) in this violent gangster drama. He returns to his action-star roots as police officer Park Joon-mo, who goes undercover to infiltrate a drug gang led by the charismatic Jung Ki-cheol, played by Wi Ha-joon.
See our recommendations of similar k-dramas here.
Queen Woo Part 1 (2024)
Available on Paramount+, Viu (territories and periods vary)
Photo from TVING/HanCinema
The gripping historical drama is set in the Goguryeo era, following the fierce struggle of Queen Woo (Jeon Jong-seo, Burning) to maintain her throne amidst political turmoil after her husband's sudden death. With a budget of USD 22 million and an R-21 rating, it has broken k-drama norms and captivated audiences with its intense plot and high production values. Although viewers are divided on several controversial aspects of the epic k-drama (scenes depicting violence against women, among others), they agree on one thing—Ji Chang-wook delivers a raw and gritty performance in the first episode that impacts succeeding ones.
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