Choi Min-sik
Film & Theater Personalities

Choi Min-sik Net Worth

Choi Min-sik is a South Korean actor who is best known for his role in the internationally acclaimed thriller 'Oldboy'. He began his career in theatre and then moved on to low budget films and TV series. His career peaked with 'Oldboy' and he went on to star in successful films such as 'I Saw the Devil' and 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents', which became the most successful South Korean film of all time. He has won numerous awards for his performances and has also ventured into the American film industry with the science fiction film 'Lucy'.
Choi Min-sik is a member of Film & Theater Personalities

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Actor
Birth Day May 30, 1962
Birth Place Seoul, South Korea, South Korean
Age 61 YEARS OLD
Birth Sign Gemini
Occupation Actor
Years active 1989–present
Agent C-JeS Entertainment
Hangul 최민식
Revised Romanization Choe Min-sik
McCune–Reischauer Ch'oe Minsik

💰 Net worth: $700 Thousand (2024)

Choi Min-sik, a prominent South Korean actor, is estimated to have a net worth of $700,000 by 2024. Known for his exceptional talent and versatile performances, Choi Min-sik has garnered substantial acclaim and popularity throughout his career. With his remarkable acting skills, he has captivated audiences not just in South Korea, but also internationally. From his breakthrough role in the critically acclaimed film "Oldboy" to his memorable performances in movies like "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" and "I Saw the Devil," Choi Min-sik has cemented his position as one of the leading actors in the South Korean film industry. Alongside his talent, his net worth further reflects his success and contribution to the world of acting.

Biography/Timeline

1997

In 1997, he played a police investigator in Song Neung-han's No. 3, and then accepted a role in Kim Jee-woon's debut film The Quiet Family. The first real success came with his role of a North Korean agent in Shiri in 1999. The film was not only critically acclaimed but also achieved box office success. Choi received the Best Actor award at Grand Bell Awards for his portrayal. In the same year he also took part in a stage production of Hamlet, and then starred in Happy End, where he portrayed a man who is cheated on by his wife. In 2001 he took the role of a gangster opposite Cecilia Cheung in Failan.

2003

A year later he portrayed Jang Seung-eop, a Joseon Painter in Im Kwon-taek's Chihwaseon, which was awarded the Best Director prize in Cannes. In 2003 he starred in Park Chan-wook's Oldboy, which made him popular not only in South Korea but also won him international recognition.

2004

He continued displaying his versatility in 2004 and 2005, playing a trumpet player in Springtime, a struggling former boxer in Ryoo Seung-wan's Crying Fist, and a child murderer in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, the last film in Park Chan-wook's revenge trilogy.

2005

In 2005 he and Song Kang-ho were accused by Director and Cinema Service head Kang Woo-suk of being greedy for money and demanding profit share for "contribution" when no contribution was done. Kang later rescinded the statement and apologized.

2006

At various points during 2006, Choi (and other South Korean film industry professionals, together and separately from Choi) demonstrated in Seoul and at the Cannes Film Festival against the South Korean administration's decision to reduce the Screen Quotas from 146 to 73 days as part of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. As a sign of protest, Choi returned the prestigious Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit which had been awarded to him, saying, "To halve the screen quota is tantamount to a death sentence for Korean film. This medal, once a symbol of pride, is now nothing more than a sign of disgrace, and it is with a heavy heart that I must return it."

2007

In the next four years, Choi went on a self-imposed exile from making films, begun in protest over the screen quota but also partly due to the studios' reluctance to hire the outspoken and politically active actor. Instead he returned to his theater roots in the 2007 staging of The Pillowman, his first play in seven years.

2008

During the retrospective on Choi held at the 14th Lyon Asian Film Festival in November 2008, the actor was asked his reaction to the upcoming remake of Oldboy, and he admitted to the French reporters present that he was upset at Hollywood for using what he described as pressure tactics on Asian and European filmmakers so they could remake foreign movies in the United States.

2009

Choi made his comeback in Jeon Soo-il's 2009 art film Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells, in which he was the only South Korean actor working with locally cast Tibetan actors.

2010

Though Kim Jee-woon's 2010 action thriller I Saw the Devil drew criticism from some quarters for its ultra-violent content, reviewers agreed that Choi's performance as a serial killer was memorable and the film emerged as a Box Office success.

2011

He did voice acting for Leafie, A Hen into the Wild, which in 2011 became the highest grossing South Korean animated film in history. In his 2012 follow-up Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, Choi played another complex, layered antihero, and the Yoon Jong-bin film was both a critical and box office hit. and earned him the Best Performance by an Actor award at the 2012 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

2013

Choi's next film was Park Hoon-jung's New World, a 2013 noir about an undercover cop in the world of Gangsters, which also became successful critically and commercially.

2014

For his English-language debut, Choi appeared in Luc Besson's Lucy (2014), in the role of a gangster who kidnaps a girl and forces her to become a drug mule (Scarlett Johansson), but she inadvertently acquires superhuman powers.

2017

Cho had two films in 2017; he played an unscrupulous mayor in the political film The Mayor, and headlined the remake crime thriller Heart Blackened.

Some Choi Min-sik images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.