O Yeong-su (Korean오영수; born October 19, 1944), birth name O Se-kang, is a South Korean actor. He began acting in theatre in the 1960s, and, according to himself, appeared in over 200 productions. He later began acting in film and television, often portraying monks due to his experience with Buddhist plays. In 2021, he portrayed Oh Il-nam in the first season of the Netflix survival drama Squid Game, which gave rise to his worldwide popularity and won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film, as well as a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

O Yeong-su
Born
O Se-kang

(1944-10-19) October 19, 1944 (age 80)
OccupationActor
Years active1967–2022
Children1
Korean name
Hangul
오영수
Hanja
Revised RomanizationO Yeongsu
McCune–ReischauerO Yŏngsu

In 2022, O was indicted on sexual misconduct charges relating to an incident in which he had sexually assaulted a woman in 2017. He was accused of various cases of sexual misconduct in which he had inappropriately hugged, made lewd comments towards, laid in the same bed with, and kissed the victim across multiple incidents. Although he was charged in 2017, he was indicted five years later in 2022, and was found guilty. O was sentenced to an eight-month suspended prison term and was ordered to attend 40 hours of classes on sexual violence.

Early life

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With the name O Se-kang,[2] O was born in Kaepung County, Keiki Province, Korea, Empire of Japan (now in Kaepung District, Kaesong Special city, North Korea) in 1944.[3][1][4] O's grandfather was a local educator and landlord. After the 38th parallel line was drawn across Korea, he and his family moved to Paju on the southern Korean side controlled by the American army. During the Korean War that followed shortly, his father was killed and his brother was kidnapped by North Korean forces.[3]

Career

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Theatre

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O began acting in 1963 as part of a theatre crew called "The Square".[5] He was a member of the National Theater Company of Korea from 1987 to 2010, where he worked with actors such as Jang Min-ho,[6] whom he considers his mentor.[7] Throughout his career, he did productions of A Confession for a Black Prostitute (흑인 창녀를 위한 고백, Albert Camus's play adaptation of the novel Requiem for a Nun by William Faulkner[8]), A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Merchant of Venice, among many others. According to O, he had appeared in over 200 productions by 2013.[9]

In his thirties, he played Faust in Goethe's Faust. In retrospect, he said he was probably too young for the role at the time.[9] In his fifties, he played the titular Richard III. He said he was never satisfied with his performance because he felt like he was too old for the role.[9] In his sixties, he expressed an interest to play Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.[9]

In 2014, O played Prospero in a National Theater of Korea production of William Shakespeare's The Tempest celebrating the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth.[10]

O played a Yeonguijeong in the play Prince Yeonsangun, and appeared in The Problematic Figure in July 2015 and as Vasíly in the play Fathers and Sons, based on the novel of the same name in August 2015.[6]

In 2017, he played the titular King Lear in a production with the Daegu Metropolitan Theater Company. He had previously done a production of King Lear at the Daejeon Museum of Art in 2010.[7] In 2021, it was revealed that he would play the role of Sigmund Freud in the play "Freud's Last Session" by Mark St. Germain which is expected to start its first performance in Daehangno on January 7, 2022.[11]

Film and television

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O often portrayed monks on-screen.[6] He credited his experience with Buddhist plays for getting him similar roles on film and television.[12]

In 2021, he played Oh Il-nam in the first season of the Netflix original series Squid Game. The series, which became the most-watched show on Netflix worldwide in its first month of airing, drew newfound attention to O.[13] In January 2022, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, Television for his role in the series.[14] He became the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe.[15]

In November 2021, he narrated an episode of the documentary program "Documentary Three Days."[16]

Personal life

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On the first day of the 2021 Korean Series, O threw the first pitch.[17]

In 2022, O was appointed ambassador for Korean performance tourism by Park Bo-gyoon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.[18]

Sexual misconduct case

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On November 25, 2022, prosecutors in Suwon, South Korea announced that O had been indicted on sexual misconduct charges relating to an incident in which he had sexually assaulted a woman in 2017.[19] He was accused of various cases of sexual misconduct in which he had inappropriately hugged, made lewd comments towards, laid in the same bed with, and kissed the victim across multiple incidents. Although he was charged in 2017, he was indicated five years later in 2022.[20]

During his trial in February 2024 for such charges, the prosecution sought a one-year jail term for O, who reportedly denied the charges.[21] A month later, O was found guilty. He was sentenced to an eight-month suspended prison term and was ordered to attend 40 hours of classes on sexual violence.[22][23]

Filmography

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Commercials

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  • "Episode 18, the relationship that grows as we stay" (제18화 머물수록 커지는 인연; 2015) (ad for SK Telecom, with Kim Seol-hyun)[24][25]
  • South Korean government's regulatory innovation policy (넷플릭스 드라마 '오징어 게임'을 통해 '깐부 할아버지'로 널리 알려진 배우 오영수 씨가 정부의 규제혁신 정책광고 모델에 선정됐습니다)[26]

Theatre

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Year Play Role Notes Ref.
1994 Defend and Defend and Defend [27]
2010 I Love You [28]
King Lear King Lear [7]
2013 Sendoff [9]
2014 The Tempest Prospero [10]
2015 Prince Yeonseon, the Problematic Figure Yeonguijeong [6][29]
Fathers and Sons Vasily [6]
2016 Seagull [30]
2017 How Cheon Deok-gu Lives [7][31]
King Lear King Lear [7]
2022 Last Session [32]
Love Letter Andy [33]

Film

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Year Film Role Notes Ref.
1998 The Soul Guardians Toemarok [28][34]
2003 A Little Monk Temple Master
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring Old Monk [6]

Television

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Year Film Role Notes Ref.
1981 1st Republic Military prosecutor [35]
1988 The Fairy Of Shampoo Commercial director [36]
2009 Queen Seondeok Monk Wol-Cheon
The Return of Iljimae Monk Yeol-gong
2012 God of War Monk Su-gi
2019–2020 Chocolate Mr. Kim Cameo (Episode 5)
2021 Squid Game Oh Il-nam

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2021 Documentary 3 Days Narrator Documentary [37]

Accolades

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Awards

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Award-giving body Year Category Nominee/work Result Ref.
APAN Star Awards 2022 Excellence Award, Actor in an OTT Drama Squid Game Nominated [38]
Baeksang Arts Awards 1994 Best Actor (Theater) Pigojigo Pigojigo (피고지고 피고지고) Won [39]
Dong-A Theatre Awards 1979 Best Actor Crime on Goat Island (백양섬의 욕망) Won [9]
Director's Cut Awards 2022 Best New Actor in series Squid Game (오징어 게임) Nominated [40]
Gold Derby Awards Best Drama Supporting Actor Nominated [41]
Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Won [42]
National Theater Association Of Korea 2000 Best Actor Abi (아비) Won [43]
Primetime Emmy Awards 2022 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Squid Game Nominated [44]
Seoul Theater Festival 2006 Best Actor Jangpan (장판) Won [45]

State honors

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Country or organization Year Honor Ref.
South Korea 2019 Order of Cultural Merit (Hwagwan, 5th Class) [46]

See also

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  • Late Blossom (2011)—A film adaptation of the play I Love You (2010) that O was in.

References

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