Byun Hee-bong (born Byun In-chul on June 8, 1942) is a South Korean
actor.Byun In-chul was born in Jangseong County, South Jeolla
Province, and attended Salesian High School in Gwangju. He took up law
at Chosun University before dropping out to pursue acting. Byun
entered the MBC actor's auditions in 1965, and made his acting debut
in 1970. A year later in 1971, he became a regular on the landmark
police procedural Chief Inspector. He began using the stage name Byun
Hee-bong in 1977. Throughout the 1970s, he became known on TV as a
character actor who played eccentric men who didn't quite fit in with
mainstream Korean society. He transitioned to the big screen in the
1980s, and earlier in his film career, starred in the classic Lee
Doo-yong film Eunuch (1986) and A Surrogate Father (1993).In 2000,
Byun appeared in a memorable supporting role in Bong Joon-ho's
directorial debut Barking Dogs Never Bite, playing a bizarre apartment
maintenance man with a love for dog meat. It rejuvenated his career,
and Bong would later cast him in the short film Sink & Rise (2004),
and his seminal works crime drama Memories of Murder (2003) and
monster movie The Host (2006). The Host became the top-grossing Korean
film of all time, and Byun won much acclaim for his performance as the
strong-willed patriarch of a "loser" family, including Best Supporting
Actor awards at the Asia Pacific Film Festival and Blue Dragon Film
Awards.Among Byun's other notable roles are in martial arts fantasy
Volcano High (2001), rural dramedy My Teacher, Mr. Kim (2003), horror
comedy To Catch a Virgin Ghost (2004), body swap thriller The Devil's
Game (2008), and espionage film The Spies (2012). Byun also continues
to be active in television, with his portrayals of endearing, humorous
fathers/grandfathers, or stern, cunning professionals.
actor.Byun In-chul was born in Jangseong County, South Jeolla
Province, and attended Salesian High School in Gwangju. He took up law
at Chosun University before dropping out to pursue acting. Byun
entered the MBC actor's auditions in 1965, and made his acting debut
in 1970. A year later in 1971, he became a regular on the landmark
police procedural Chief Inspector. He began using the stage name Byun
Hee-bong in 1977. Throughout the 1970s, he became known on TV as a
character actor who played eccentric men who didn't quite fit in with
mainstream Korean society. He transitioned to the big screen in the
1980s, and earlier in his film career, starred in the classic Lee
Doo-yong film Eunuch (1986) and A Surrogate Father (1993).In 2000,
Byun appeared in a memorable supporting role in Bong Joon-ho's
directorial debut Barking Dogs Never Bite, playing a bizarre apartment
maintenance man with a love for dog meat. It rejuvenated his career,
and Bong would later cast him in the short film Sink & Rise (2004),
and his seminal works crime drama Memories of Murder (2003) and
monster movie The Host (2006). The Host became the top-grossing Korean
film of all time, and Byun won much acclaim for his performance as the
strong-willed patriarch of a "loser" family, including Best Supporting
Actor awards at the Asia Pacific Film Festival and Blue Dragon Film
Awards.Among Byun's other notable roles are in martial arts fantasy
Volcano High (2001), rural dramedy My Teacher, Mr. Kim (2003), horror
comedy To Catch a Virgin Ghost (2004), body swap thriller The Devil's
Game (2008), and espionage film The Spies (2012). Byun also continues
to be active in television, with his portrayals of endearing, humorous
fathers/grandfathers, or stern, cunning professionals.
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