Jo Jung Suk

Jo Jung-suk (born December 26, 1980) is a South Korean actor. He began his entertainment career in theatre before making a breakout transition to screen acting in the 2012 hit film Architecture 101. He is best known for his roles in popular television series such as The King 2 Hearts, Oh My Ghost, Don't Dare to Dream, and Hospital Playlist, alongside feature films including The Face Reader, My Annoying Brother, Exit, Pilot, and My Daughter Is a Zombie.

Jo attended the Theater department at the Seoul Institute of the Arts on a student loan. Following his father's death in 2000, he became the sole provider for his mother and was granted an exemption from military service. He left school before graduating to earn a living through musical theatre, making his professional acting debut in The Nutcracker in 2004. Over his first nine years, Jo performed in 25 musicals, including productions of Spring Awakening, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Grease, The Island, and stage adaptations of The Harmonium in My Memory and Jewel in the Palace.

After making his television debut in the 2011 series What's Up, Jo achieved his screen breakthrough in 2012 with Architecture 101 and the drama series The King 2 Hearts. His performance in Architecture 101 earned him the Best New Actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. He subsequently starred in the historical film The Face Reader (2013), winning Best Supporting Actor at the Grand Bell Awards, and took on his first onscreen leading role in You Are the Best! (2013). Over the next several years, Jo built a prominent screen career with roles in films like The Fatal Encounter, My Love, My Bride, and My Annoying Brother, alongside hit television series such as Oh My Ghost and Don't Dare to Dream.

In March 2019, Jo signed with Jam Entertainment and starred in the historical drama Nokdu Flower. That same year, he starred in the disaster comedy film Exit, which earned over $69.5 million worldwide and garnered him a Best Actor nomination at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. From 2020 to 2021, Jo starred as surgery professor Lee Ik-jun in two seasons of the medical drama Hospital Playlist. He later hosted the Jo Jung-suk Show in Seoul in September 2022.

In 2024, Jo starred in the period drama Captivating the King, returned to the stage in Hedwig, and won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actor for his performance in the comedy film Pilot. He also starred in the legal drama Land of Happiness and made his debut as a singer through the Netflix show A-list to Playlist. In 2025, Jo starred in the film My Daughter Is a Zombie, which grossed $38 million worldwide to become South Korea's highest-grossing film of the year.

In his personal life, Jo married singer Gummy in a private ceremony in October 2018. The couple welcomed their first daughter in August 2020 and their second daughter in January 2026. Outside of acting, Jo has earned recognition for numerous commercial brand endorsements and engaged in philanthropic efforts, including donating to relief funds for the Goseong forest fire.