Actor You Need to Know: Nam Joohyuk

In the South Korean entertainment industry, a model turned actor is not uncommon. However, there are a few who excel in both fields. As a seasoned model, the 28-year-old is a specialist on the ramp, and as a K-drama hero, he stands out, thanks to the diverse range of characters he plays on screen.

Nam’s acting career began with Who Are You: School 2015, a KBS adolescent drama in which he portrayed Han Yian, a school’s top swimmer who is in love with his long-time best friend Go Eunbyul (Kim Seohyun). The following year, the Cheese in the Trap actor starred alongside several other actors in the historical drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo as Wang Wook (Baek Ah). Nam rose to fame as a member of the reality show Three Meals a Day, in which the cast spends three days a week in a rural hamlet, surviving on the food that is available and preparing three meals a day while various artists make guest appearances for dinner.

Nam’s success as an actor came with Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bokjoo. He was paired with Lee Sungkyung in the MBC drama series, a coming-of-age story. The audience appreciated Nam’s portrayal of Kim Bokjoo’s lover Jung Joonhyung, and he quickly rose to prominence.

In 2017, Nam co-starred with Shin Sekyung in the fantasy romance comedy The Bride of Habaek. He portrayed a narcissistic God in pursuit of his rightful throne. The following year marked a significant milestone in his career, as he made his feature film debut in The Great Battle, a period saga. At the prestigious ‘Blue Dragon Awards’, his depiction of ‘Sa Mul’ in the film earned him the ‘Best New Actor’ award.

The actor’s performance in the 2019 fantasy romance movie The Light in Your Eyes received positive feedback. Nam appeared with Jung Yumi in Netflix’s supernatural crime thriller The School Nurse Files in 2020, as well as Bae Suzy and Kim Seonho in the tvN romantic series Start-Up, one of the top K-dramas of 2020. In the same year, he appeared in Josee, a Korean version of the Japanese film Josee the Tiger and the Fish, alongside Han Jimin, who had previously worked with him in The Light in Your Eyes.

As Baek Yijin in the tvN drama Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Nam earned rave reviews once again. The narrative follows a teen fencer (Kim Taeri as Na Heedo) with big dreams who befriends the hardworking and diligent Baek (Nam), striving to rebuild his life in difficult times. The progression of their relationship from adolescence to adulthood is depicted in the story. Next up, Nam will be seen in the film Remember and the upcoming television series, Here.