Actor You Need to Know: Park Hyungsik

Park Hyungsik, better known by his stage name Hyungsik, is a South Korean singer, actor, and performer. He is a member of the South Korean boy band ZE:A, as well as its sub-group ZE:A Five. The idol actors’ most notable roles include Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, Strong Woman Do Bongsoon, Suits, and Juror 8 among many others.

Hyungsik’s entry into the South Korean entertainment industry began as a member of the South Korean boy band ZE:A in 2010. This led to his presence in the musical Temptation of Wolves. In 2012, he debuted as an actor in the SBS drama I Remember You, and also starred in SBS‘s Dummy Mommy as an indie band member.

Hyungsik portrayed the dual role (the teenage version) of two twin brothers with diametrically opposing personalities in the 2013 KBS2 drama Sirius. In the same year, he played ‘Ji Yong’ in his second musical theatre performance, Gwanghwamun Love Song. Subsequently, he starred as the younger version of Lee Jinwook’s character in tvN’s time-travel drama Nine.

The actor’s career skyrocketed once he joined the South Korean variety show Real Man in June 2013. Later that year, Hyungsik appeared as ‘Clyde’ in his third musical theatre piece, Bonnie & Clyde, followed by a role in the blockbuster dramedy The Heirs. He was cast as ‘D’Artagnan’ in The Three Musketeers and also joined the lead characters of What’s With This Family as ‘Cha Dalbong.’

From 2015 to 2019, Park Hyunsik’s career reached its pinnacle, catapulting him to worldwide fame. In 2015, he landed a role in SBS‘s romance drama High Society as a chaebol in love with a part-timer, and in December 2016, he co-starred with Park Seojoon and Go Ara in the historical drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth as ‘Sammaekjong’, a young and suspicious king, alongside a slew of other notable actors.

His first lead role came with JTBC’s Strong Woman Do Bongsoon. The rom-com K-drama with Park Boyoung was a massive hit, gaining phenomenal success. In December 2017, he was paired with Han Jimin in the film, Two Rays of Light. Besides, the Korean remake of the American legal drama series Suits featured the actor as the Korean parallel of ‘Mike Ross’. In the same year, he returned to the stage, as ‘Der Tod’ in the theatrical version of Elisabeth.

Hyungsik’s outstanding performance in his debut film, Juror 8, in 2019, won him the ‘Best New Actor’ award at the ’39th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards’. He was also nominated for ‘Best New Actor’ (Film) at the ’40th Blue Dragon Film Awards’ as well as the ’56th Baeksang Arts Awards’ for the same.

The 30-year-old went on hiatus after this owing to his mandatory military service. Following his military discharge last year, he made a comeback with the K-Zombie television series Happiness, alongside Han Hyojoo. The series follows Detective ‘Jung Yihyun’ (Hyungsik) and special agent ‘Yoon Saebom’ (Han Hyojoo), who are trapped in their apartment building while investigating the spread of a mysterious mad disease.

Recently, Hyungsik played the role of ‘Han Seonwoo’, a rookie photographer and a long-time friend of lyricist ‘Lee Eunsoo’ (Han Sohee) in the musical romance drama Soundtrack #1. A tale of the gradual metamorphosis of their relationship from friends to lovers.