Athough Gong Yoo is one of the most popular Korean actors today, fans still know a little bit of his private life. He was born from an affluent family in Busan, and his real name isn't Gong Yoo, its Gong Ji Cheol.
He loves cats, playing basketball, knows how to speak English, and he has no social media accounts. And despite his popularity, no one has ever heard he was involved in any sandals or romantic relationships as he prefers to keep his life private.
In August 2017, Gong Yoo appeared in CNN Talk Asia where he revealed the reason why he wants to draw the line between the actor and the person that he is.
"As an actor, you have to face the public all the time. It's a job that gives people fantasies but also creates prejudices. These prejudices are the scariest things, people judge a personal life or your image and it can affect the characters I play. Therefore, I try not to showcase my personal life too much," the 39-year-old actors said.
He also revealed that he has no Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts as it's gotten very hard to see things as they were when magnified on social media.
Gong Yoo has been quoted several times claiming saying he didn't plan on becoming an actor at all. Everything only started when he entered at Kyung Hee University (KHU) where he graduated with a Theater Arts degree. He said in his past interviews that he didn't major in Theater to become an actor, but he met a few friends and made him realize that he could take the acting path to bring characters to life.
But, ever since his acting career started, Gong Yoo has been very picky in choosing his projects. He focused less on the roles he needed to play as he wanted the dramas and movies that have promising stories instead.
Gong Yoo's biggest break is perhaps the Coffee Prince, wherein in tackled homophobia in a country where same-sex relationships are still considered taboo. He gained high praised for portraying the role of rich playboy Choi Han Kyul. After Coffee Prince, Gong Yoo left the industry for a while as he needed to fulfill his mandatory military enlistment.
During those two years in the service, he gained lessons as an actor and as a man as he spent his time with younger, non-showbiz guys. He said that he had no regrets in leaving his career as he met friends and brothers in the service.
He also mentioned that he had no regrets leaving at the height of his career because though he entered as a celebrity, he left the army as a friend and a brother.
After his enlistment, Gong Yoo made a huge comeback with the rom-com film Finding Mr. Destiny. But, the notable project from his comeback was the 2011 film adaptation of The Crucible - novel based on real-life events that transpired in a school for hearing-impaired children in Gwangju, South Korea.
The movie, titled Dogani (Silenced), grossed a total of KRW35 million within 10 weeks and had opened the doors for the legislation of human rights bills for people with disabilities. The huge success of the film has been followed by different projects that solidified the credibility of Gong Yoo as a high caliber actor. He fulfilled his roles in movies such as A Man And A Woman, Train To Busan, and The Age Of Shadows.
But, his role as Kim Shin in Goblin made a huge impact only for him as initially turned down the role of the almighty Goblin, but accepted it, and later on, won a Best Actor Award at the Baeksang Arts Awards. He portrayed the role well and made series all the more believable.
"I'm someone who likes creativity," he said during his interview with Esquire Kores. "When I first started, the projects I chose were for my own satisfaction, my own sense of achievement. I didn't know Goblin or Train to Busan would receive so much attention from the world. I feel proud in that aspect."
Perhaps, Gong Yoo's social awareness, silent diligence, and humility made him one of the best actors in Asia.
