Biography of Hyun Bin
Early Life & Education
Hyun Bin was born in Seoul, South Korea to a typical Korean family on September 25, 1982. He had a dream of becoming a detective when he was a child. He was a quiet & calm kid who used to watch a lot of detective series. He enjoyed enacting his favourite detectives with his brother.
Except for the fact that he was considered to have beautiful looks, Hyun Bin led a fairly ordinary life. When he was in high school, a senior student advised him to audition for the theatre club and practise acting because of his good looks. After his performance in the school play, he realized that acting was his passion and something he wanted to pursue professionally. When he found his purpose in life, there was nothing that could stop him. He would practise for hours at a time to improve his skills.
Another fortunate occurrence took place to encourage him to pursue acting. One day, when he was travelling on the back of a friend’s motorcycle, a man stopped them. His friend did not stop his motorcycle as he did not have a driver’s licence at the time. The man then chased them on his motorcycle till the road came to an end. Apparently, he was a manager of a talent management company. He gave him his card and asked Hyun Bin to call him. This was pure coincidence, and Hyun Bin believed he was destined to be in the entertainment industry.
However, initially, his parents disagreed with his desire to become an actor. They wanted him to have a secure career, and it took Hyun Bin two years to convince them. They told him to join at Chung-Ang University as they believed that it was the ideal institution for learning acting. They were ready to support his career decision if he was accepted to that university. Fortunately, he got admission to Chung-Ang University. He worked under lighting and supervised the school theatre at Chung-Ang University. He also took part in various school dramas.
Career & Achievements
Hyun-Bin debuted as an actor in the 2003 KBS drama, ‘Bodyguard’. His initial character was merely a supporting one. He was also chosen for the wildly successful MBC drama ‘Nonstop 4’ in the same year. He was able to polish his comedic timing through his work on that show. His performance on ‘Nonstop 4’ caught the attention of renowned screenwriter In Jung-Ok, who had previously written the screenplays for the MBC dramas ‘Sunflower’ and ‘Ruler of Your Own World’. In Jung-ok introduced him to PD Kim Jin-Man.
In 2005, he got an opportunity to play in the drama ‘My Name is Kim Sam Soon’, which quickly gained popularity among teenagers in South Korea and made Hyun a superstar. He received recognition for his acting abilities as well as his beautiful looks, earning him his first professional award, the Top Excellence Award at the MBC Drama Awards.
Following the popularity of ‘My Name is Kim San Soon’ came the film, ‘A Millionaire’s First Love’, which was not well welcomed by audiences or reviewers but later developed a cult following. The film, which began as a romantic comedy but finished like a tragic romance movie, is still regarded as one of Hyun’s best pieces of work. Even though the film didn’t make a hit at the box office, he became a well-known Korean star by that time.
Later, he did a television series, ‘The Snow Queen’, which was also a failure. This made him reconsider his decisions. In 2008, he chose to play a strong dramatic role in the TV show, ‘The World That They Live In’, and that same year, his film, ‘I Am Happy’ was chosen to be screened at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival.
He underwent a significant image makeover the following year when he appeared in the 2009 film- ‘Friend, Our Legend as a Psychopath’. The film was a hit and gained international audiences. It was a remake, and he watched the original movie almost 30 times to adapt to the character.
He received a lot of praise for the 2010 television series ‘Secret Garden’, and he had great time in the award ceremonies that year. For his outstanding performance, he was given the Baeksang Arts Award and the SBS Drama Award. After making his big comeback to the romantic comedy genre with the television series, he began to pick characters much more carefully.
In 2011, he appeared in three film projects, one of which was the English-language drama ‘Late Autumn’, a remake of an older Korean movie. The movie was a worldwide hit and still holds the record for highest grossing Korean movie ever, after breaking the record in China. At the 61st Berlin International Film Festival, Hyun also had the opportunity to walk the red carpet, which he considers the best moment of his life.
The next year, he starred in the historical drama ‘The Fatal Encounter’, which received harsh criticism for both the storyline and the performace and is now regarded as one of his biggest failures. Unfortunately, the bad luck continued in 2015, with the critical failure of the TV series, ‘Hyde, Jekyll, Me’.
He appeared in the 2017 movie, ‘Confidential Assignment’ as a North Korean detective after recovering from the disastrous professional phase. Both in terms of critical acclaim and box office earnings, the movie was a success. He then co-starred with Yoo Ji-tae in the crime action movie ‘The Swindlers’, which was also a hit.
In 2018, Hyun played a villain for the first time in the crime thriller, ‘The Negotiation’. He also played a role in the zombie blockbuster Rampant which was co-produced by VAST Entertainment. In the same year, he and Park Shin-Hye made a comeback to television in the fantasy suspense drama, ‘Memories of the Alhambra’, which was a sensational TV series at that time.
One of his recent hits is ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019-2020), which is currently streaming on Netflix. He portrayed a North Korean Army Captain who falls in love with a South Korean Woman. The drama was a major hit, ranking third in cable television history, and Hyun was acclaimed for his varied range of emotions and acting skills. He won the Grand Prize at APAN Star Awards for his acting in that drama
Military Service & Social Life
Hyun Bin completed his compulsory military training while taking a six-month break from acting, and in March 2011 he enlisted in the Marine Corps to fulfil his twenty-one-month military service. He performed his tasks flawlessly in what was regarded as the most challenging service branch. When he was released from duty in December 2012, the military honoured him for being a model soldier.
He is also an animal lover. He has always raised his voice against animal cruelty on national and international platforms.
Personal Life
He is married to actress Son Ye-jin, who was his co-actor in the drama ‘Crash Landing on You’. Their marriage took place on 31st March 2022, in an intimate wedding ceremony in Seoul. His agency VAST Entertainment shared a photo of the couple alongside the caption “Today, actor Hyun Bin and actor Son Ye-jin are getting married and taking the first step as a married couple”, on Instagram. The couple were seen in the pictures holding hands while posing in their wedding attire. Hyun sported a white suit, while Son wore a lovely white dress. Their wedding photo made a great impression on their fans. Later, on November 27, 2022, the celebrity couple welcomed their son into the world.
Before that, there were so many rumours about his private life. Hwang Ji-hyun was his first recognised girlfriend. They began dating right away after they got together during a shoot in 2006. He then began dating Song Hye-kyo in 2009, and just when the public began to believe that their relationship was serious and may lead to marriage, the two announced their breakup in 2011. He was in a relationship with actress Kang So-ra before getting married to Son Ye-jin.
Net Worth & Lifestyle
Interesting Facts about Hyun Bin
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His childhood dream was to be a detective. Young Hyun Bin adored watching thrillers and wanted to be a detective. During childhood, he and his brother used to play games by enacting their favourite detectives.
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The Vast Entertainment agency was founded by him in 2016 in partnership with his mentor, CEO Kang Kun-taek. Earlier, he was the CEO of AM Entertainment and O& Entertainment, which he founded in 2012 with Shin Min-ah.
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The military honoured him for being a model soldier when he completed his required military service between March 2011 and December 2012.
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He calls himself an introvert. He defined himself as, “a somewhat introverted person” in an interview with KBS World.
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He is an animal lover. In 2016, he participated in a photo shoot to promote awareness towards animal cruelty.
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He is well known for his volunteer work and charity donations. He gave 200 million won to the Community Chest of Korea to aid in the nation’s fight against the spread of COVID-19.
FAQs
- Who is Hyun Bin’s wife?
Hyun Bin is married to actress Son Ye-jin, who was his co-actor in the drama, ‘Crash Landing on You’. Their marriage took place on 31st March 2022, in an intimate wedding ceremony in Seoul. - What is Hyun Bin’s net worth?
Hyun Bin has an estimated net worth of $21 million. - Does Hyun Bin have a child?
Yes. On November 27, 2022, the celebrity couple Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin became parents to a baby boy. - How old is Hyun Bin?
As of 2023, he is currently 41 years old. He was born on 25 September 1982. - Does Hyun Bin have an Instagram account?
No, Hyun Bin does not have an official Instagram account. His fan page is ‘@hyunbinactor_‘.
