The handsome actor made his debut as a model for fashion brand So Basic and shot an advertisement with top actress Kim Hee-sun and actor Kang Dong-won. In an interview with MBC’s Section TV, he described the actress as a “goddess” and shared that when the billboard was up, he would go and look at it every weekend.

Joon-gi’s role as a beautiful and effeminate street clown in the highly acclaimed historical film propelled him to fame and boosted his popularity throughout Asia. On an episode of variety show Knowing Bros, Joon-gi shared that the tough audition process took a month and he had to compete with 3,000 actors because the story was based on a famous play. In order to stand out, he did a handstand and split his legs at the end of his audition. The move not just made a deep impression, it even made it into a scene in the movie.

The actor may have a “flower boy” image but he is well-known for being talented in various martial arts. He seldom needs a stunt double for his action scenes and has been called South Korea’s ‘Top Action Star’. Besides being passionate about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, he also has black belts in Taekwondo, Hapkido and traditional Korean martial art Taekkyeon. For his previous dramas, he also learned Parkour, Thai kickboxing, and Systema, a Russian martial art.

The dog lover revealed his Chihuahuas “Ggabi” and “Jjoonie” on Korean reality show My Ear’s Candy in 2017. Besides showing off how cute they were, he also got the dogs to show off their training by performing tricks such as lying down and playing dead.

While it’s not uncommon for Korean actors to show off their singing chops on drama soundtracks and songs dedicated to fans, Joon-gi enjoys singing and dancing and has been consistently releasing his own music since 2006. He has also gone on Asia-wide tours and fan meetings to perform for fans. On variety show Knowing Bros, the actor revealed that he had dreamed of being a singer when he was young. He went for many auditions and even auditioned at SM Entertainment, home to girl group Girls’ Generation, but did not make the cut.

The two suave actors, who are of the same age, met each other in the army for the first time and co-starred in the military musical Voyage of Life. During the musical’s press conference, Ji-hoon said that although he thought Joon-gi would have a hard time because he was the last to join the cast and had the lowest rank, his outgoing personality helped him to get along well with the people around him.

The Korean star appeared in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter as the villain Commander Lee. Director Paul W.S. Anderson was reportedly so taken with Joon-gi’s stunt skills and charismatic gaze after watching a fan-made YouTube video of him in various action scenes, that he reached out to his agency to offer him a role without an audition. He also won praise from leading lady Milla Jovovich who was impressed that he did all of his own stunts without using any wires and called him a “scene stealer” during an interview with KBS’s Entertainment Weekly.

Joon-gi is friends with many of his co-stars and loves to show his support for them. He is known for attending singer IU’s concerts after starring with her in Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryo, and was last seen at her 2019 concert. He also had a cameo appearance in her drama Hotel del Luna, and they have sent food trucks to each other’s filming sets. Joon-gi and fellow cast member Byun Baek-hyun, who is a member of EXO, also became good friends and he went to a few of the K-pop group’s concerts. Recently, he sent a food truck to the set of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay to cheer on Seo Yea-ji, whom he worked with on Lawless Lawyer.

During the final rehearsal for the army musical Voyage of Life, Joon-gi hit his head on a steel structure and had to be rushed to the hospital hours before the show started. Although it was a serious injury which required 50 stitches, he didn’t want to disappoint his fans who had bought tickets. He pressed on and performed during the opening night with bandages on his head. After returning to the hospital after the show,  he only rested for one day before returning to the stage.

The charming actor has acted in numerous films and dramas and worked with many leading ladies. During an interview on Section TV to promote drama Lawless Lawyer, Joon-gi was asked who he would like to work with next. He replied that he has always wanted to work with A-list actress Ha Ji-won, as he thinks that he would be able to learn a lot from her.

This article was first published in Her World Online.