Sung Dongil is an actor whose performance freely crosses comedy and tragedy. A blank expression, laughter, and fatigue of life can pour out of his face one by one. We are always impressed by his talent that controls the levels and depth of his performance. It is also why many creators continuously call for Sung Dongil. The actor’s desire for acting was brewing inside him after he debuted as a stage actor in 1984 and entered the broadcasting industry as a TV star in 1991 through the first SBS public recruitment. TV series Eunsil in 1998 was the first to bring out Sung’s desire for acting. He was loved by the entire nation for his dexterous portrayal of the character Red Sock who showed the very nature of a human being. The character was supposed to appear only in three episodes but got some extra time in the show as it gained popularity. He became a scene-stealer. In the movie Take Off (2009), which attracted 8.5 million viewers nationwide, Sung showed off his comic and impressive presence as Coach Bang, who led the national ski jumping team.

After focusing on comic performances, Sung started to bring out colorful expressions from the drama series Chuno (2010). In the drama, he created an irresistible villain who was mean and humane at the same time. The actor won the Best Supporting Actor that year by proving his experience through his facial expressions. Since then, he has become a supporting actor who outperforms the main characters both on TV and on screen, sometimes playing a central role who leads the entire plot. With his philosophy that says ‘Acting what I can do well is more important than being the main character under the spotlight,’ his filmography is a mixture of leading roles, supporting roles, and cameo appearances. In particular, he became a favorite actor of all ages, showing the ‘father of the era’ in the Reply series, each installment of which received well by evoking nostalgia. Along with his imposing charms, Sung makes every single line he speaks sounds so ‘human.’

Maybe that’s why the characters Sung Dongil plays create the illusion that he would be our real neighbor. In Pawn (2020), he once again proved that he is optimized for delivering emotions by showing a character who looks cold outside but has affection deep inside. He describes himself as a ‘technician’ and rarely rests. Sung sincerely jumps into a film or TV series. Nevertheless, his talent is never consumed. It is because he believes in the power of his experience and trains himself. It makes him a real professional who deserves respect. His next TV series is Cliffhanger. Written by Kim Eunhee, it will feature Gianna Jun and Ju Jihoon along with Sung Dongil, already making a splash as one of the most anticipated drama series in 2021. Jung Siwoo