Kim Nam-gil

Kim Nam-gil is a South Korean actor, producer, director, singer, and philanthropist. Recognized for his artistic versatility, he balances commercial ventures with creative projects. In 2020, Forbes placed him 17th among the top 40 most powerful stars in Korea. Beyond his acting career, Kim established the non-profit organization Gilstory to preserve cultural heritage, promote the arts, and manage special relief funds. In February 2021, he launched the entertainment company Gilstory ENT alongside production executive Han Jae Deok.

Kim began his television career in 1999 with a minor role in the KBS series School 1. After passing MBC's annual Talent Audition in 2003, he appeared in various supporting roles under the stage name Lee Han, a moniker chosen to prevent confusion with another actor. His early television work included appearances in Goodbye Solo, Lovers, and When Spring Comes. He made his feature film debut in the 2004 gangster movie Low Life and later starred in the 2006 indie drama No Regret. After appearing in Public Enemy Returns in 2008, he reverted to his birth name and earned his first leading role in a major feature film, Portrait of a Beauty.

His major breakthrough occurred in 2009 when he portrayed Bidam in the historical television drama Queen Seondeok. His performance brought him wide public recognition and multiple awards. Following this success, he starred in the 2010 film Lovers Vanished and the drama series Bad Guy. Later in 2010, he enlisted for mandatory military service, working as a public service worker for two years following four weeks of basic training at Nonsan.

After concluding his military duty in 2012, Kim produced the classical music mockumentary Ensemble and directed the short film Hello, Mom in 2013. He returned to television in the drama Shark, followed by prominent film roles in the 2014 adventure feature The Pirates, the 2015 thriller The Shameless, and the period film The Sound of a Flower.

Between 2016 and 2019, Kim starred in several high-profile feature films, including the disaster movie Pandora, the thriller Memoir of a Murderer, the romance One Day, and the comedy The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale. On television, he starred in the 2017 medical drama Live Up to Your Name and the 2019 crime comedy The Fiery Priest. His performance in The Fiery Priest earned him significant praise, a Best Actor nomination at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards, and the Grand Prize at the 2019 SBS Drama Awards.

Kim continued his screen career with roles in the 2020 horror film The Closet and the 2022 crime drama Through the Darkness, where he played a criminal behavior analyst. In 2025, he starred in the action thriller series Trigger as a former military sniper turned police officer, as well as the neo-noir crime thriller film Nocturnal.

Outside of acting, Kim published the photo memoir Way Back to the Road in 2012, launched a debut single in Japan in 2013, and released the interview book CUP vol.1 in 2022. Having engaged in international volunteer work since 2010, he founded the non-profit organization Gilstory to pursue long-term social contributions. In 2024, Gilstory launched the Together campaign in partnership with KB Kookmin Bank to provide mentorship and creative funding for young artists transitioning out of care.