Joo Won Wins Most Influential Asian Award

Joo Won is having a very good year. His most recent drama “Yong Pal” with co-star Kim Tae Hee averaged 20.2 percent in the Nielsen ratings. His film “Fatal Intuition” aka “That Guy” or “It’s Him” conquered the weekend box office. According to the Korean Film Council, the film earned $3.2 million in ticket sales.

On November 3 the actor also won the Most Influential Asian Award that was presented in Beijing. The award is presented to a person or a group that is most influential in the arts. Joo attended the ceremony and represented Korea.

When he stood up to receive the award, he spoke a few words of Chinese, then sang a Chinese song “Peng You.” After a few words of Chinese, he expressed his gratitude in Korean.

“I’m so grateful for this award,” said Joo. “I’ll do my best to become the actor who leads the Hallyu movement in Korea and China. Thank you.”

Chinese actors Sammo Hung, Yang Mi, Hawick Lau, Hans Zhang, Wu Jing, Lee Chun and Wang Likun also attended the awards ceremony.

Meanwhile, Joo Won’s film continues to do well at the box office. In the film Joo Won plays Jang Woo, a working man who tries to find the person who killed his younger sister.The character was more down to earth and gruff than his previous roles, such as the doctor with autism spectrum disorder in the drama “Good Doctor” or the reluctant freedom fighter in “Bridal Mask.” But then Joo does not want to be stereotyped. He is open to playing different roles and that may be why directors want him.

“The director needed my image,” said Joo Won in an interview published in the Korean media outlet Korea Herald. “He said, rather than having a tough actor play Jang Woo, it would be better to have a nicer, perhaps weaker-looking actor play Jang Woo in order to play to the audience‘s emotions.”

His versatility is part of his charm as an actor and he recognizes that.

“My fans seem to like it when I do things like this. They like me as an actor, not just me as a pretty face.”

Here's a video of Joo Won accepting the award.