Shin Hyun-joon (born October 28, 1968) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Bichunmoo (2000), Guns & Talks (2001), Marrying the Mafia II (2005) and its sequel, Barefoot Ki-bong (2006), as well as the television series Stairway to Heaven (2003–2004). He is also known as the photographer in the popular music video "Because I'm A Girl" by KISS. In the Korean press, he is nicknamed the "Arab Prince" due to his foreign look and long eyelashes.

Career

Shin Hyun-joon was an athletics major at Yonsei University before starting a career in modeling and acting in 1989. His film debut came in director Im Kwon-taek's Son of a General series, set during Japanese occupation in the 1920s. He continued working with Im until the mid '90s and also acted in Hwa-Om-Kyung, Jang Sun-woo's award-winning film based on the Avatamsaka Sutra. In recent years Shin has turned more towards popular cinema, finding his greatest success in fantasy/sci-fi works such as The Gingko Bed, The Soul Guardians, and the Korean-Chinese co-production Bichunmoo, as well as gangster comedies Marrying the Mafia II and Guns & Talks. In one of his most iconic roles, Shin played a 40-year-old marathon runner with the mental faculties of an 8-year-old boy in Barefoot Ki-bong. A devout Christian, he published a photo-essay book Shin Hyun-joon's Confessions in 2008, which documented his personal insights into life and faith. The first printing sold out in two days, and the book was also released in China and Japan. Confessions contained a foreword from Hong Kong star Jackie Chan as well as religious testimonies from other Korean celebrities such as Choi Ji-woo, Kim Won-hee and Nam Hee-seok. He is also known for his missionary work, volunteer work, and charitable endeavors. In addition to his work as an actor, Shin currently hosts the entertainment news program Entertainment Weekly on KBS2, the KBS Nine O'Clock News segment KBS Entertainment 925 on KBS1, and the Channel A talk show Show King. He has written two children's books: Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (2012) and Clown with Smiles and Tears (2013). He has also been an acting professor at Induk University since March 2010. Shin established the production company HJ Film and is the CEO of 3J Cosmetics.

Personal life

Shin married Kim Kyung-mi (Linda Kim), a Korean American woman 12 years his junior, at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on May 26, 2013. His wife studied for a doctorate in music in the U.S., and Shin said on his show Entertainment Weekly that he bumped into her in the doorway of a building and fell in love with her at first sight. The couple has three children.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Variety show

Music video appearances

Books

Recognition

Awards