Biography
Who is Yoo Ji-tae?
Early life and education
Yoo Ji-tae was born in Seoul, South Korea, and was raised by his mother who worked as a nurse. During his university years, he lived with comedian Kim Joon-ho as a roommate. He attended Whimoon High School before pursuing higher education.
He graduated with a Bachelor's degree from the Department of Theatre and Film at Dankook University. He later earned a Master's degree in visual arts from Chung-Ang University and a second Master's degree in social welfare from the Catholic University of Korea. He is currently working toward a doctorate in visual arts at Chung-Ang University.
Career beginnings
His professional career in the entertainment industry began in 1995 when he worked as a fashion model. He walked runways for the Seoul Fashion Artist Association collections. He transitioned into acting in 1998 and quickly gained fame with his role in the 1999 hit film Attack the Gas Station and the 2000 success Ditto.
During this early period, he was known for changing his hair color frequently to match his film roles, including white, blue, and blonde. In 2001, he took on a more serious role in the film One Fine Spring Day. This performance was praised by critics and marked a significant shift in his career toward more dramatic work.
Acting and directing highlights
In 2003, he appeared in the acclaimed Park Chan-wook film Oldboy, where he played a wealthy man fixated on revenge. This role brought him international recognition. He has also appeared in works by director Hong Sang-soo, including Woman is the Future of Man. In 2005, he founded his own production company called Yoo Movie.
Other well-known acting projects include the thriller Into the Mirror, the action film Running Wild, and the suspenseful movie Midnight FM. He also starred in the 2013 thriller Human Trust alongside international actors and took on the role of a tenor in the biopic The Tenor - Lirico Spinto.
Academic work and personal life
He contributes to academia through teaching. He taught in the Department of Film and Video at Konkuk University for several years before being appointed as a full-time professor there in September 2023.
Yoo Ji-tae married actress Kim Hyo-jin in 2011. The couple first met in 2003 as models for a clothing brand. They announced their engagement in August 2011 and married at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul. The date of their wedding marked their fifth anniversary as a couple. They have two sons together, born in 2014 and 2019.
Birthday and age
Yoo Ji-tae was born on April 13, 1976, which makes Yoo 50 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Yoo shares the date with 30 other famous people.
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