Here Are 5 Random Facts You Didn’t Know About Actor Gong Yoo… But Now You Do
With the highly anticipated sequel Peninsula in the works, we are watching the K-Movie Train To Busan again (and again and again 🙃). Years may have passed since the release of this Korean zombie blockbuster, but one thing remains clear: Actor Gong Yoo is heaven-sent. We can’t get enough of him — with or without zombies chasing in the background. And so, without further ado, here are 5 random but important facts about Gong Yoo you didn’t know before — but now you do. Thank us later!
1. His Name
Actor Gong Yoo’s full legal name is actually Gong Ji Cheol. The stage name Gong Yoo is a combination of his parents’ last names. From his father’s last name “Gong” and his mother’s “Yoo” came the name “Gong Yoo” which also means “Share” in Korean. He once mentioned that he takes this alternate meaning to his name very seriously and that he strives to “live a life of sharing positivity.” In a previous interview, Gong Yoo also pointed out that having a stage name comprised of his parents’ last names give him a stronger sense of responsibility to be a good person.
2. His Accomplishment
Back in 2017, for the first time in the history of the fashion magazine Esquire, Gong Yoo graced the covers of the June edition in 7 Asian countries: Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. In fact, though not on the cover, the June editions of Esquire in Vietnam and the Philippines also featured Gong Yoo’s pictorials. This means, among the 10 Asian countries in which Esquire is published, 9 simultaneously promoted Gong Yoo. Superstar indeed!
3. His Dating Scandal
After co-starring in the 2010 movie Finding Mr. Destiny with actress Im Soo Jung, the two found themselves in a massive dating rumor. While it isn’t too out of the ordinary for co-stars of a rom-com to receive a lot of suspicion — especially if their chemistry on screen is fire, Gong Yoo and Im Soo Jung’s scandal took on a whole new level. Some Korean press began reporting that the two had allegedly gotten married in the United States, in a secret ceremony. Their agencies denied the allegation of course, but this remains one of the wildest dating rumors out there. Since then, Gong Yoo became involved in more dating rumors with his female co-stars, including actresses Jung Yu Mi and Kim Go Eun, too.
4. His Role Models
In an interview for the July 2005 edition of the fashion magazine Vogue Girl, Gong Yoo picked his father, Michael Jordan, and the former president Park Chung Hee as the “Coolest Men” in his life. This interview resurfaced once Gong Yoo reached stardom — stirring somewhat of a controversy because Park Chung Hee is someone who ruled South Korea under complete dictatorship for 5 terms between 1963 to 1979. Since then, Gong Yoo has opted to mention only his parents when asked to reveal his role models.
5. His Characters
Gong Yoo is, perhaps, one of the most eligible bachelors in Korea but the has frequently portrayed the role of a father. And in such movies — Silenced, A Man and A Woman, The Suspect, Train to Busan, and Kim Ji-young: Born 1982 — he boasted an undeniable “Good husband and dad” material aesthetic that made the viewers swoon.
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