Oh Ji-ho, more than a
genetic lottery winner
By Fung L. Yong
November 8, 2012
South Korean actor
Oh Ji-ho is more than a genetic lottery winner with a chiselled face handsomely
supported by a six-foot frame with barely two percent body fat. In a recent television show, the gorgeous
actor, who seems to be always modest and courteous, disclosed that he has lived
a relatively relaxed life since childhood, being a top student at school and
getting his 2000 ‘La Belle’ debut role shortly after joining show business, at
barely 24 years of age. While
he is happy to be perceived as strikingly debonair as it has certainly helped
him in his modelling and entertainment career, Oh Ji-ho is aware that he cannot
depend solely on his physical appearance to thrive in show business.
Coming from a family of good looking
individuals, Oh Ji-ho, popularly known as Zio, has undoubtedly won a lottery in
terms of attractive genes. While it
might be true that he could procure more offers due to his masculine
pulchritude, he has always implied that he would not allow his stunning looks
to define him forever.
Zio has always demonstrated
great tenacity to elevate his acting skills to achieve greater heights in the
movie industry. While his wholesome
physique and winsome personality might have helped him get his feet wet in the entertainment
industry, he has struggled for several years to infuse new life into his acting
and to secure more impressive roles.
Originally from Mokpo, he has also spent several years to acquire the
dialect and accent that movie producers deem more appropriate. In the
beginning of his career, he was frequently rejected at auditions because of his
accent; he would be halted as soon as he started reading the script.
Zio still recalls that he has never
encountered harsh comments in his entire life until he debuted in ‘La Belle’
more than a decade ago. He was criticized
so much for his performance that he even wondered whether the acting profession
was suitable for him at all. Fortunately, perseverance prevailed and since
then, he has been working consistently to expand his repertoire.
Nevertheless, Zio emphasizes that he has no interest in gaining popularity
for popularity’s sake as he is only motivated in enhancing his acting skills. He also remembers that he used to be typecast
as someone only suitable for romantic comedy and was discouraged from doing
historical dramas, once again because of his physical attributes. Nevertheless, his tenacity has not only
helped him get a gripping role in the historical drama ‘The Slave Hunters,’ but
also earned him a 2010 KBS male excellence award.
Survivor of lookism
In the early 2000s, Zio’s career was greatly
influenced by his own image; while some producers perceived him merely as a
sexy star, others assumed that he was only suitable for romantic comedy. Further, he was also dismissed
by some people who had perceived his looks as ‘greasy,’ a term used to describe
someone who is so effusively
polite that he or she appears superficial. He still remembers that a management company
once remarked that he was ‘dripping with oil,’ a term used to describe someone
who appears obsequious.
Zio once admitted that his looks had limited the
characters that he could play. He once remarked,
“For instance, if I played a playboy, I’d come off really sleazy, wouldn’t I?” After debuting in ‘La Belle’ in 2000, he had heard that he looked ‘buttery’ or
insincerely flattering until he started acting in the comedy genre a few years
later. Since then, he has excelled not
only in romantic comedy but also in two historical pieces recently. However, now fast approaching age 37,
he wants to secure soul-stirring roles that can touch viewers’ hearts, gaining
their lasting support and respect in consequence.
CEO of Namja Kimchi
In
2010, Zio demonstrated that he is an enterprising individual as well; he established
an online food business with three friends, selling handmade kimchi and creating
a boom in kimchi sales. Known as Namja
Kimchi, it became one of the leading kimchi distributors in a short time,
earning about four million US dollars in its first six months.
Unfortunately,
torrential rainfall in the same year shortened the harvesting time for napa
cabbage and other main ingredients for kimchi in South Korea. A major spike inevitably occurred in the
price of kimchi ingredients and kimchi itself.
Some people even considered it as a national tragedy as the government
had to temporarily reduce its tariffs on imported cabbage during the kimchi-making
season that year.
Since
its inception, Namja Kimchi has been flourishing not only in South Korea, but also
in Japan. In early 2012, during a two-hour live broadcast via Japan’s SHOP
channel, its revenue reached about US $354,000. Available through online
shopping malls and phone orders, the celebrity brand has become very popular
among working adults, with a repurchasing rate of 50 percent.
Before launching their product, the four celebrity entrepreneurs market tested it among consumers and bloggers. To promote the brand, they held food-tasting sessions, exhibitions, and autograph sessions. They not only demonstrated a keen interest in customer responses, but also ensured that part of the proceeds went to charity. In addition, they also released a parody video, advertising their product as a trendy metrosexual brand with a traditional touch and homemade taste. They plan to expand their kimchi distribution network gradually, popularizing it throughout Asia.
Namja Kimchi is popular for several reasons. Considered as one of the world’s healthiest foods, kimchi is an excellent source of vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and iron. Some people consume it regularly because of its nutritious ingredients, mainly napa cabbage seasoned with onions, garlic, and chili peppers. Others even associate kimchi consumption with the rapid socioeconomic development of South Korea.
Furthermore, one study claimed that chickens infected with avian flu recovered after eating food containing the same bacteria found in kimchi. During the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, many people even believed that kimchi could prevent infection, contending that their national delicacy was responsible for South Korea's lack of SARS despite its close proximity to China, where the virus originated.
Mr Calgary Stampede 2012
In July 2012, Zio travelled to
Canada as the goodwill ambassador for the world's biggest rodeo, the Calgary
Stampede, which celebrated its centenary in its namesake city to honour the
historical settlement of the Canadian frontier.
Officially known as Mr Calgary
Stampede, he participated in the event that allowed him to experience the
cowboy culture in Calgary, Canada's second largest business centre. While in Calgary, Zio participated in various
activities, such as partaking pancake breakfasts, barbequing, making boots, barn-dancing,
and horseback-riding. All his exhilarating, culturally-rich experiences
were broadcast on television as well as published in a magazine in his home
country.
Because
of Zio’s active contribution, many fans now know that the Calgary Stampede is a
rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Canada. The ten-day event, one of the greatest
outdoor shows on earth, attracts over one million visitors every year. Besides featuring one of the world’s largest
rodeos, it also includes parades, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions,
chuck-wagon racing, and exhibitions. As one
of Canada's largest festivals and popular tourist attractions, its rodeo and
chuck-wagon racing events are televised throughout the country. The rodeo, which is the main highlight of the
Calgary Stampede, attracts more than 20,000 fans daily. It offers a $100,000 grand prize to the
winner of each discipline, including bull riding, barrel racing, steer
wrestling, tie down roping, and bareback riding.
Known as “Stampede City” and
nicknamed “Cowtown,” Calgary exudes a party atmosphere during the much-anticipated
event; many office buildings and storefronts are cowboy-themed, with
enthusiasts wearing country and western gear. The official opening of the Calgary Stampede
is marked by a breathtaking parade featuring dozens of marching bands, over 150
floats, and hundreds of horses from different countries. Many local politicians, business leaders,
cowboys, dancers, and clowns join the parade in celebration.
In August 2012, Zio’s
historical action-comedy ‘The Grand
Heist’ enjoyed brisk ticket sales, reaching three million on Day
12. Reaching the three million mark faster
than the other four blockbusters in South Korea, its ticket sales reached 4.7
million after 19 days.
Zio’s role in this commercially successful movie was that of an unfairly
dismissed guard who helped a minister’s son rob the royal ice box
from its securely guarded location. In
the final years of the Joseon era, a villainous minister gained exclusive
control on ice, which was considered more precious than gold as it symbolized
political power. Zio’s
character was an actual figure born to an aristocrat father and a concubine
mother; he belonged to the ‘jungin’ class whose status was in between an
aristocrat and commoner.
‘The Grand Heist’ was Zio’s second historical
piece, his first being ‘The Slave Hunters’ that had earned him the 2010 KBS
excellence award for novella drama. In
‘The Grand Heist,’ he portrayed a warrior with a deep sense of justice;
however, he tried to make his character as human and entertaining as possible
to maintain the audience’s interest. According to Zio, a warrior is often
stereotyped as masculine, courageous, and other magnificent attributes that
could cause boredom after some running time.
Zio maintains that viewers nowadays are no longer
interested in seeing heroes performing kind deeds throughout the movie as
highly moral-ethical human beings. Although
his warrior character in ‘The Grand Heist’ appeared hilarious in certain
situations, he managed to uphold his own prestige. Although respectable, he could be gauche or whimsical
too. By humanizing his character
and making him appear adamant and flawed, Zio allows the audience to identify better
with the character while simultaneously being entertained.
Since the movie enjoyed an excellent box office debut with over a million
viewers on the first weekend, Zio hopes that it will be the stepping stone for
his next film. He is happy about its
success because it is rare opportunity for an actor to get a movie with the potential
of four million viewers within a short time.
Zio is especially satisfied with his role in ‘The Grand Heist’ as it is very different from his previous ones. The movie is also considered as the best that he has acted in so far. He admitted not having any films that he could consider his own, except for ‘La Belle’ and ‘I Love You’ in which he was still a very young actor trying to get his foot in the door.
‘The Grand Heist’ has provided Zio with the opportunity
to act in some very dynamic scenes, for instance, fighting with a sword on an
icy water body that cracked under his feet. In retrospect, he
observed that acting in ‘The Grand Heist’ was no longer the same as doing the
previous movies; he has embarked on the movie project with adequate knowledge
and careful planning rather than merely accepting it with a young passionate heart.
Now Zio hopes to procure a role that will allow him to
simultaneously express what is inside and outside of him. He believes that ‘The
Grand Heist’ could serve as a catalyst for him to get an inspiring role. Further, he aspires to act in different
genres, such as thrillers and human dramas. It has been over a decade since he
debuted; now he wants a film that he himself could consider as a masterpiece.
Because of his infectious charm, Zio hardly gets
the opportunity to play an antagonist, except in the 2005 ‘Super Rookie’
whereby he acted as a selfish, insecure, and unfaithful salesperson. He has asked several directors to cast him as
a villain; however, they insisted that he is just too good looking for such a
role. Nevertheless, Zio believes that playing a cruelly malicious character
would be another feather in his cap.
Zio has his own opinion on what a good commercial film is. He defines it as a film that is entertaining, funny,
engaging, and visually stimulating. He
believes that starring in good commercial films is only a process to attain his
ultimate goal, which is to act in an inspiring human drama, something that
projects great authenticity and essence. His role model is Denzel Washington, who has received much
critical acclaim for his portrayals of such real-life figures as Steve Biko,
Malcolm X, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Melvin B. Tolson, Frank Lucas,
and Herman Boone.
Now, almost 15 years into his career, Zio
demonstrates greater confidence over the direction of his life and the acting profession.
The assiduous heartthrob revealed, “I
tend to plan things ahead. I wake up early, and when I think some things need
to be done that day, they will be done that day.” Further, Zio also prefers to go with the flow
and believes that adapting to the times is the best option for him. He rarely becomes nostalgic about bygone
events, nor does he dwell on previous problems. He is a persistent individual
who just focuses on how best he can adapt to the ever-changing trends of the
entertainment world.
Year of the dragon
Zio
was born on 14 April 1976, which was the year of the dragon according to the
Chinese zodiac. He seemed to have done
exceptionally well in the subsequent dragon years. In 1988, he emerged as one of the best
students at school, excelling in the abacus and mental mathematics. In 2000, he revealed his acting potential in his
debut movie ‘La Belle,’ which was subsequently shown as an art film at the
Busan Film Festival, besides being nominated for the Blue Dragon Film Awards. In 2012, his latest movie ‘The Grand Heist’
became a box office hit that attained four million
ticket sales after 19 days. The next
dragon year 2024 certainly augurs well for someone who is as diligent,
dedicated, and dashing as Zio.
As a dragon person, Zio tends to be flamboyant, attractive, and
full of vitality. Exuding a soft
charisma, he invariably becomes the centre of attention at red carpet events
and a frequent winner of competitions.
Possessing an active mind, he tends to show great interest in the world
around him. Besides knowing how to create
a favourable impression, Zio tends to be ambitious and perseverant; hence, going
after what he wants is second nature to him and nothing can discourage him from
achieving his goals.
Furthermore, dragon people tend to be courageous, charitable, and
empathetic. A dragon celebrity such as Zio
is someone who will help others with authority and dignity. Devoted and open-hearted, he can always be
counted on in times of distress.
Being a dragon
person, Zio tends to exhibit effective organisational skills. He knows how to gain respect, and being in
charge comes naturally. He is capable of
showing up at the right place and the right moment with an innovate idea. In addition, he is also capable of raising
money for his favourite venture and advertising it far and wide. While having staunch views on the planning
and execution of the venture, he can only attain greater success with the suggestions
and support of friends. One of Zio’s
favourite ventures was the establishment of Namja Kimchi with three friends,
which quickly branched off into Namja Pizza and Namja Tofu.
Ideal jobs for a dragon person include managing director, advertising executive, salesperson, film producer, photojournalist, artist, actor, athlete, musician, war correspondent, architect, military officer, politician, poet, environmental engineer, stockbroker, trade union leader, explorer, and barrister. Besides being a versatile actor, Zio is well known for his athletic skills, especially in baseball. He is quite an accomplished ‘musician’ too, as he has recently released a single named “Seosi” and sung the original sound track for the action drama “Strangers 6.” Furthermore, he had also completed two years of mandatory military training before putting all his eggs into the acting basket. After establishing Namja Kimchi, Zio has demonstrated that he is a capable managing director, advertising executive, and salesperson. Judging from the ideal job list, Zio’s achievements as a relatively young dragon star have been nothing less than stellar.
Ideal jobs for a dragon person include managing director, advertising executive, salesperson, film producer, photojournalist, artist, actor, athlete, musician, war correspondent, architect, military officer, politician, poet, environmental engineer, stockbroker, trade union leader, explorer, and barrister. Besides being a versatile actor, Zio is well known for his athletic skills, especially in baseball. He is quite an accomplished ‘musician’ too, as he has recently released a single named “Seosi” and sung the original sound track for the action drama “Strangers 6.” Furthermore, he had also completed two years of mandatory military training before putting all his eggs into the acting basket. After establishing Namja Kimchi, Zio has demonstrated that he is a capable managing director, advertising executive, and salesperson. Judging from the ideal job list, Zio’s achievements as a relatively young dragon star have been nothing less than stellar.
Dragon personality
With a dragon personality, Zio tends to be passionate, giving, and
totally devoted when in love. He is blind to the flaws of his loved one and
will protect the object of his affection against anyone or anything that could
bring harm. Besides determination, Zio also
projects an elegant yet free-spirited air; hence, it is not surprising that he has
many admirers from different parts of the world.
It is easy for a dragon person such as Zio to find romance; however, it
is much more difficult for him to settle down as there are often several things
that simultaneously occur in his life. He needs a partner who will allow him to
freely express his thoughts and feelings, someone who assumes an active role in
the relationship without feeling threatened by his assertive and independent
personality.
In general, the dragon person is often associated with a long list of
adjectives: Vibrant, magnanimous,
charismatic, principled, self-sufficient, discriminating, compelling,
sentimental, accomplished, noble-hearted, health-conscious, idealistic,
perfectionistic, and prodigiously shrewd. Which of these adjectives would you use to
describe Zio?
