Five Fun Facts About Yoo Ah In

When Yoo Ah-in, who recently played the charismatic King Suk Jong in "Jang Ok Jung," had his first leading role in the film "Punch," a co-star predicted that within ten years his would be one of the biggest names in Korean cinema.

Only two years have passed since then and the actor has already starred in a leading drama and now signed on for a film role. You might know him as the patisserie apprentice in the film "Antique" or as the protective student Moon Jaeshin in "Sungkyunkwan Scandal."

But here are some more facts you may not know about the actor.

1. He is considered one of the most outspoken actors of his generation, which makes him a favorite interview subject. He is not afraid to speak his mind about acting, his inner life or his public life.

"I became an actor because I had a lot to express," he said.

For Yoo Ah In, every role he takes offers him a chance to express another part of himself.

"My acting philosophy is to enlarge on qualities I already have inside of me and express them through the character," he said.

2. He would like to be in a relationship that he can commit to. He has no problem with the fact that he seems to appeal to older women. Nor would he be against dating one and her age might be irrelevant.

"It's all right as long as she doesn't have a cane," he said, jokingly.

3. He carries three cell phones. One has 300 contacts in it. Another has 20. The third one is just for friends.

4. Some of his favorite co-stars were Park Yoo Chun, Park Min Young and Song Joong Ki in "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" and he admits he felt a little nervous when he first met them.

"I was prejudiced about them. I wasn't able to get close to them in the beginning because of some preconceptions about celebrities. I understand that some celebrities can't help being self-centered, that what they feel is important, and they need to receive more attention. But acting with them helped me get rid of a lot of prejudices - through Yuchun, my prejudice of idols and Hallyu stars, through Min-young my prejudice of actresses, and through Song Joong-ki my prejudice of actors."

5. He likes taking on unconventional and challenging roles. He recently signed on for his first adult-rated film, "To Serve The People." The movie is based on a Chinese novel about a sexually handicapped North Korean general, his wife and a soldier who serves him. The general's wife ultimately seduces the soldier. Jang Cheol Soo, director of "Secretly, greatly, will direct the film.

Yoo Ah In won't have to wait ten years to be considered an important Korean actor but even if he did, it wouldn't matter.

"What I'm doing right now is much more important to me than what I'll be doing in ten years," he said.