Cha In-pyo


Cha In-pyo is a South Korean actor.

Early life

Cha graduated from Rutgers University in the U.S. with a degree in economics. His father ran a shipping company and had intended for Cha to take over the family business.

Career

After working at Hanjin Shipping for several years, he quit his job to pursue acting full-time. In 1993 he joined MBC and made his debut in the television series Under the Same Roof before enlisting and completing his mandatory military service. His major breakthrough came in the 1997 television series Star in My Heart, one of the first Korean dramas to be broadcast overseas and widely acknowledged to be the "first generation" of the Korean Wave, earning him public recognition. He has since garnered an extensive filmography in both film and television, including Crossing which was South Korea's entry for the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and earned him several nominations for various awards. He has also collaborated with Korean-American director Benson Lee in the period drama-comedy indie film Seoul Searching, which was screened at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and features a diverse cast and crew drawn from the worldwide overseas Japanese, Chinese and Korean diaspora.

Personal life

Cha met his future wife, co-star Shin Ae-ra, on the set of the drama Love in Your Heart and they married in March 1995. As two of the top television stars of the 1990s, their marriage received extensive media coverage and was one of the most reported events of the year. They have a son and two daughters. Their decision to adopt their daughters was met with praise, especially given the rarity of adoptions by local Korean families compared to overseas families.

Filmography

Television series

Films

MC