Oh Man-seok
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Oh Man-seok (born January 30, 1975) is a South Korean actor. Best known for playing the titular transgender singer in rock musical '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'', Oh's acting career spans theater, television and film.


Career


Theater beginnings

Oh Man-seok graduated from the School of Drama at
Korea National University of Arts Korea National University of Arts is a national university in Seoul, South Korea. Korea National University of Arts was established in 1993 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea as the only national university of arts with an a ...
with a BFA in Acting. He made his stage debut in ''
Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...
'' in 1999. One of his early notable roles was as the
androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics i ...
court jester Gong-gil who becomes the object of obsession of the tyrant King Yeonsan in ''Yi'', which would later be adapted into the hit 2005 film ''
King and the Clown ''The King and the Clown'' (, lit. ''The King's Man'') is a 2005 South Korean historical drama film, starring Kam Woo-sung, Lee Joon-gi, and Jung Jin-young. It was adapted from the 2000 stage play, ''Yi'' ("You") about Yeonsangun of Joseon, a Jo ...
''. Highly acclaimed for his portrayal of Gong-gil, Oh was awarded Best New Actor by the National Theater Association of Korea for the play's first run in 2000, and he reprised the role four more times in 2001, 2003, 2006, and 2010. More roles followed in ''
The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple ...
'' (2001), ''
Return to the Forbidden Planet ''Return to the Forbidden Planet'' is a jukebox musical by Bob Carlton, based on Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest'' and the 1956 science fiction film '' Forbidden Planet'', which, in turn, is loosely based on ''The Tempest''. The show features ...
'' (2002), '' Grease'' (2003), ''
Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd Charis ...
'' (2004), ''
The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises t ...
'' (2004), ''
Woyzeck ''Woyzeck'' () is a stage play written by Georg Büchner. Büchner wrote the play between July and October 1836, yet left it incomplete at his death in February 1837. The play first appeared in 1877 in a heavily edited version by Karl Emil Fr ...
'' (2004), and ''
Assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. Assassin may also refer to: Origin of term * Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins Animals and insects * Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviida ...
'' (2005).


''Hedwig and the Angry Inch''

But Oh became a bonafide
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
superstar in 2005, when he was cast as the titular East German
transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
singer in the first Korean staging of the rock musical '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch''. As the first "Korean Hedwig," Oh received sensational reviews for his performance and he won Best Actor at the Korea Musical Awards. After its run, a sold-out concert featured four of the actors alternating in the lead role, namely Oh,
Cho Seung-woo Cho Seung-woo (born March 28, 1980) is a South Korean actor and singer. He is best known for his leading roles in the films '' The Classic'' (2003), '' Marathon'' (2005), '' Tazza: The High Rollers'' (2006), and ''Inside Men'' (2015), as well as ...
,
Kim Da-hyun Kim Da-hyun (born Kim Se-hyun on January 1, 1980) is a South Korean actor and singer. Kim made his entertainment debut in 1999 as the lead vocalist of the rock band ''Yada'' (which disbanded in 2004). Since then, he has been actively engaged i ...
and Song Yong-jin. In succeeding years, the rock musical's popularity remained enduring in Korea, attracting other actors to the role in later runs, such as
Um Ki-joon Um Ki-joon (born March 23, 1976) is a South Korean actor. Career Um Ki-joon made his acting debut in 1995 in the stage play ''Richard III'', though he later became best known as a musical theatre actor, starring in ''Singin' in the Rain'', ''The ...
,
Jo Jung-suk Jo Jung-suk (born December 26, 1980) is a South Korean actor. He began his career in theater, starring in '' Spring Awakening'', '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'', and the stage adaptation of '' The Harmonium in My Memory'', among many other musi ...
,
Song Chang-eui Song Chang-eui (born January 24, 1979) is a South Korean actor. Though better known as a musical theatre actor, notably in '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' and ''Gwanghwamun Love Song'', Song has also starred in television dramas such as ''The Sc ...
,
Yoon Do-hyun Yoon Do-hyun (born February 3, 1972) is a South Korean hard rock/folk rock singer, musician, and songwriter. He is the founder and lead vocalist of the Yoon Do-hyun Band (YB) since 1996. Yoon is also an MC on TV variety programs (notably ''Yoo ...
,
Kim Dong-wan Kim Dong-wan (; born November 21, 1979) is a South Korean entertainer, known as a member of South Korean boy band Shinhwa. He has been acting since 2002, and has starred in television dramas such as ''A Farewell to Sorrow'' and ''Children of He ...
and
Park Gun-hyung Park Gun-hyung (; born November 1, 1977) is a South Korean actor. Park made his acting debut in musical theatre in 2001 and has since been active on both television and stage. He starred in the ballroom dancing film ''Innocent Steps'' (2005), ...
. When
John Cameron Mitchell John Cameron Mitchell (born April 21, 1963) is a two-time Tony Award winning American actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer and director. He is best known as the writer, director and star of the 2001 film '' Hedwig and th ...
, who wrote, directed and played the original Hedwig in the 1998 musical and the 2001 film, went to Korea in 2007 to hold a concert, Oh was one of his guest performers, along with other Korean ''Hedwig'' actors. Oh was also able to talk to Mitchell one-on-one, without an interpreter, for one and a half hours. Both agreed that the role was emotionally and physically consuming, and Oh added that he used to sit absentmindedly with a cigarette for 20 minutes after finishing his performance. A year later in 2008, Mitchell returned to Korea, and he and Oh headlined a concert to commemorate ''Hedwigs 10th anniversary. In 2012, seven years after the role made him famous, Oh reprised ''Hedwig'' for the rock musical's seventh run in Korea. At a press conference, he jokingly talked about shaving his legs again and being banned from his favorite activities like eating meat, working out, and drinking alcohol, but said that the role was "certainly worth the ordeal." Oh said, "This musical tells us that to love someone is to accept him exactly the way he is. It also tells us that everyone deserves to be loved, and every individual is meaningful and important. I think that's the essential message of this piece."


From stage to screen

Besides portraying ''Hedwig'', 2005 was also significant in Oh's career because of his appearance in the critically acclaimed period drama ''Shin Don'' set in
Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...
. He had played minor roles in film and TV before, but the Buddhist monk Wonhyeon was his first major supporting role. (Oh later made a cameo in the 2010
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
drama ''
Road No. 1 ''Road No. 1'' () is a 2010 South Korean television series, starring So Ji-sub, Kim Ha-neul and Yoon Kye-sang. The story revolves around two young soldiers, the woman they both love, and the Korean war that tears all their lives apart. The drama ...
'' as a favor to ''Shin Don'' director Kim Jin-min.) In 2006, Oh achieved mainstream fame with the television series ''
The Vineyard Man ''The Vineyard Man'' () is a 2006 South Korean television series adapted from Kim Rang's bestselling book. Synopsis The story revolves around the life of Lee Ji-hyun (Yoon Eun-hye), a city girl who wants to show the world that beneath her seemi ...
'' (also known as ''The Man of the Vineyard''), in his first onscreen leading role as a country guy in charge of a vineyard, who gradually falls for a hapless city girl determined to work there in order to inherit it. The romantic comedy initially had low ratings, but it later surprisingly held its own against ratings juggernaut ''
Jumong Chumo (Hangul: 추모, Hanja: 鄒牟), posthumously Chumo the Holy (Hangul: 추모성왕, Hanja: 鄒牟聖王), was the founding monarch of the kingdom of Goguryeo, and was worshipped as a god-king by the people of Goguryeo and Goryeo. ''Chumo ...
'', unlike other
Korean drama Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea. They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...
s in the same timeslot. Oh won Best New Actor and the Popularity Award at the 2006 KBS Drama Awards, and he and costar
Yoon Eun-hye Yoon Eun-hye (; born October 3, 1984) is a South Korean actress, singer, entertainer and model. She debuted as a member of girl group Baby Vox, staying with the group from 1999 to 2005. Yoon has since moved on to acting and is best known for st ...
were voted as the Best Couple among the network's dramas. Later that year, Oh took on a very different role in ''Hyena'', a risque cable drama about the love lives of a group of four male friends. Oh played a successful, urbane man with such high standards for "the perfect woman," that he's overly fastidious and critical to his dates. In 2007, he was cast in his first big-screen leading role as a
crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
novelist in the thriller ''
Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 thro ...
''. This was followed by the historical drama ''
The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the childre ...
'', which centered on the tragic love between King Seongjong, his royal concubine and a self-sacrificing
eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...
(played by Oh, for which he won Best Actor in a Serial Drama at the SBS Drama Awards). From 2009 to 2010, Oh starred in the daily drama ''
Jolly Widows ''Jolly Widows'' () is a South Korean romance musical drama starring Shim Hye-jin, Lee Jong-soo, Park Hae-mi, Lee Chung-ah, Park Han-byul and Jo An. It aired on KBS1 from June 29, 2009 to January 29, 2010 on Mondays to Fridays at 20:25 for 155 ep ...
'', and he received another Best Actor award from the
KBS Drama Awards The KBS Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by the Korean Broadcasting System The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean te ...
.


Theatre director

He continued to be popular in musicals, appearing in the next several years in ''Finding Kim Jong-wook'' (he later made a cameo in its 2010 film adaptation ''
Finding Mr. Destiny ''Finding Mr. Destiny'' (; lit. ''Finding Kim Jong-wook'') is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy starring Im Soo-jung and Gong Yoo. It is a film adaptation by playwright-turned-director Jang Yoo-jeong of her hit 2006 musical. The film was a me ...
''), ''A Day'', and ''
Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others,G ...
''. Inspired by the 2007
Lee Joon-ik Lee Joon-ik (born September 21, 1959) is a South Korean film director and film producer, producer. He is best known for directing and producing ''King and the Clown'' (2005), one of the List of highest-grossing films in South Korea, highest gros ...
film, Oh made his debut as a
theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
with ''
The Happy Life ''The Happy Life'' () is a 2007 South Korean film directed by Lee Joon-ik. The film sold 1,263,835 tickets nationwide . Synopsis Sang-woo, the leader of college rock band Active Volcano, dies and sets up a reunion for Gi-yeong and the other m ...
'', which ran from 2008 to 2009. He was also the musical's lyricist and polished the script. The title is
ironic Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into ...
, since the story centers on two characters, a high school music teacher (played by
Yoo Jun-sang Yoo Jun-sang (born November 28, 1969) is a South Korean actor and singer. Yoo is best known for starring in the Hong Sang-soo films '' Ha Ha Ha'' (2010), '' The Day He Arrives'' (2011), and '' In Another Country'' (2012). He was also praised for ...
and Im Choon-gil) and a younger man who's recently been orphaned (played by Ryan and
Kim Mu-yeol Kim Mu-yeol (born May 22, 1982) is a South Korean actor. Following a successful career in musical theatre, Kim was first cast in minor parts on film and television. But after getting good reviews in his supporting roles in '' The Scam'' (2009) an ...
), who live dull, depressing lives, but the only thing that makes them feel alive and gives them joy is music. Calling it a musical that's "both cheerful and emotionally weighty," Oh said directing made him feel a huge sense of responsibility, fear, and nerves, but he did his best with the actors "to create something."" For his second directorial project, Oh chose '' The Organ in My Heart''. A stage adaptation of the 1999 film ''
The Harmonium in My Memory ''The Harmonium in My Memory'' () is a 1999 South Korean film based on the best-selling Korean semi-autobiographical novel ''Female Student'' by Ha Keum-chan. Plot In 1962, South Korea. Kang Soo-ha, a 21-year-old teacher from Seoul, takes his f ...
'' set in the 1960s about a 17-year-old sixth grader who develops a crush on a 21-year-old male teacher newly assigned to her village school, Oh had previously starred in the musical's original run in 2008. For the musical's run in 2011, Oh cast Tim and Kim Seung-dae in the lead role. He then directed '' The Toxic Avenger'' (called ''Toxic Hero'' in Korean) in 2011. Oh had headlined the comedy musical in 2010, playing a nerd who is reborn as a giant green mutant with superpowers, who fights against corruption and environmental pollution. Oh was praised for successfully transforming into a grotesque, comical character, shedding the gentle image he frequently portrayed in previous musicals and television dramas. Afterwards, he starred in '' True West'' (2010) and ''200 Pounds Beauty'' (2011). The latter is a musical adaptation of the same-titled 2006 romantic comedy film, about an overweight
ghost singer A playback singer, also known as a ghost singer, is a singer whose singing is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras; the actual singer does not ap ...
who undergoes extensive
cosmetic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...
to become a pop star; Oh played her love interest, a music producer.


Back to television

Oh played a professor in '' What's Up'',
Song Ji-na Song Ji-na (born September 12, 1959) is a South Korean screenwriter. She is best known for writing ''Eyes of Dawn'' (1991) and '' Sandglass'' (1995), two of the most influential and highly rated Korean dramas of all time. Career 1980s: Early w ...
's drama about college students in a musical theatre department, which aired on cable in 2011. He also held a series of mini-concerts in 16 cities in Japan that year. About his supporting turn as a talented but sidelined baseball player in '' Wild Romance'' (2012), Oh said, "It's not easy to depict subtle changes in the character's mind. I wanted to portray how unsuccessful people in their 30s and 40s are living in this generation." Oh described appearing in the short drama format (such as MBC's ''Best Theater'' and KBS's ''
Drama City Drama City (''Deurama Siti'', 드라마 시티) is the KBS to broadcast via KBS2TV in a collection of usually single episode short dramas, shown weekly. Each episode is a different story, and the cast changes every week. 1984's "Drama Game" ...
'') as a "meaningful experience" for him. He starred in the single-episode ''That Man's Jealous'' (2006), ''Transformation'' (2007), and ''Spy Trader Kim Chul-soo's Recent Condition'' (2010), as well as the four-episode series ''Special Task Force MSS'' (2011), and ''The True Colors of Gang and Cheol'' (2012).


2013-present

He returned to theater in early 2013. Based on the
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
of the same name by
Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geor ...
and the 1940 film by
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
, the gothic musical ''
Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...
'' takes place in
Manderley Manderley is a fictional estate in Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel '' Rebecca'', owned by the character Maxim de Winter. Located in southern England (often said to be Cornwall as this was where the author lived, and explicitly stated as such in ...
, a stately mansion owned by aristocratic widower Maxim DeWinter (played by Oh), whose memory of Rebecca, his beautiful dead wife who drowned in a boating accident, keeps haunting him and his new bride.
Jukebox musical A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known popular music songs, rather than original music. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while others confine themselves to songs perf ...
''Those Days'' (also known as ''The Days'') featured folk-rock singer
Kim Kwang-seok Kim Kwang-seok (Hangul: 김광석 ; January 22, 1964 – January 6, 1996) was a popular and influential South Korean folk rock singer. He debuted in 1987 as a member of Noraereul Channeun Saramdeul, an activist folk band. He achieved widespread ...
's music, in a story about the president's daughter who goes missing along with her bodyguard, on the day of the 20th anniversary of Korea-China diplomatic relations. Oh played the head of the presidential security service who slowly unravels the mystery of where they've gone. On television, Oh played the slacker husband of the second eldest daughter in weekend drama ''
Wang's Family ''Wang's Family'' () is a 2013 South Korean television series starring Oh Hyun-kyung, Lee Tae-ran, Lee Yoon-ji, Jo Sung-ha, Oh Man-seok and Han Joo-wan. It aired on KBS2 from August 31, 2013 to February 16, 2014 on Saturdays and Sundays at 19: ...
''. He then starred as
drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...
Lola in the 2014 Korean staging of '' Kinky Boots'', the first international adaptation of the musical since its Broadway premiere in 2013. In 2018, he starred in the last few episodes of the MBC drama ''
Partners for Justice ''Partners for Justice'' () is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Jung Jae-young and Jeong Yu-mi. The first series aired on MBC in May 2018 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 ( KST) time slot. In October 2018, MBC announced that it wa ...
'' as Do Ji-han, an experienced Prosecutor. He later reprised his role in the sequel '' Partners for Justice 2'', this time as a major character. In 2019, he played the character of Cho Cheol-gang in the tvN series ''
Crash Landing on You ''Crash Landing on You'' () is a 2019–2020 South Korean television series written by Park Ji-eun, directed by Lee Jeong-hyo and starring Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Seo Ji-hye, and Kim Jung-hyun. It is about a successful South Korean businesswom ...
''.


Other activities

Oh is also the vocalist of a band called ''Little Wing''. He owns the OD Musical Entertainment Company, which produced several of the musicals he's starred in.


Personal life

Oh met Jo Sang-gyeong when both were students at the
Korea National University of Arts Korea National University of Arts is a national university in Seoul, South Korea. Korea National University of Arts was established in 1993 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea as the only national university of arts with an a ...
. After dating for a year and half, they married in 2001. Jo went on to a successful career as a
costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume ...
, for films such as '' Oldboy'', '' Tazza: The High Rollers'', '' The Host'' and ''
Modern Boy ''Modern Boy'' () is a 2008 South Korean film about a rich, hedonistic playboy played by Park Hae-il who cannot care less that his country was colonized, and falls head over heels in love with a beautiful independence fighter. Plot Seoul, 1937 ...
''. The couple divorced in May 2007 but remain friends. They have a daughter named Oh Young-joo. Oh dated ''
Jolly Widows ''Jolly Widows'' () is a South Korean romance musical drama starring Shim Hye-jin, Lee Jong-soo, Park Hae-mi, Lee Chung-ah, Park Han-byul and Jo An. It aired on KBS1 from June 29, 2009 to January 29, 2010 on Mondays to Fridays at 20:25 for 155 ep ...
'' costar
Jo An Jo Kyung-jin (born November 14, 1982), known professionally as Jo An, is a South Korean actress. She is best known for the films ''Lifting King Kong'' (2009) and ''My Little Hero'' (2013), as well as the family drama '' Jolly Widows'' (2009) an ...
for nearly two years, before breaking up in late 2011. In 2017 it had been reported that Oh Man Suk was in a relationship with a non celebrity, the couple tied the knot in early 2018 and the news was revealed later by his agency in June 2018.


Filmography


Television series


Film


Variety show appearances


Theater


Musical


Play


As theatre director


Discography


Concerts


Awards and nominations


References


External links

*
Oh Man-Seok
at the Queen AMC * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oh, Man-seok 21st-century South Korean male actors 21st-century South Korean male singers South Korean male musical theatre actors South Korean male stage actors South Korean male television actors South Korean male film actors Korea National University of Arts alumni 1974 births Living people 20th-century South Korean male actors