Choi Jong-won (; born January 27, 1950) is a South Korean actor and politician. Choi began his acting career in theater, then made his screen debut in 1978 and became known as a veteran actor of stage, film and television of over forty years. He won Best Supporting Actor at the Grand Bell Awards in 1995 for the Joseon-era period drama The Eternal Empire.

Choi entered politics in 2004, when he ran and lost in the 17th National Assembly elections as an Uri Party candidate. He ran again in the by-elections on July 28, 2010, under the Democratic Party, where he won as the lawmaker representing Gangwon Province (Taebaek, Jeongseon, Yeongwol, and Pyeongchang) in the 18th National Assembly, succeeding Lee Kwang-jae who resigned to run for the Gangwon governorship. On September 16, 2010, Choi was elected as the head of DP's Gangwon provincial chapter.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role1979 Grave Wood The Third Han River Bridge 1980 White Smile 1982 Late Autumn The Chrysanthemum and the Clown 1984 The Woman Shot the Man The Fear of Ancestral Rites Sadness Even in the Sky 1985 The Tiger Butterfly Is Lonely at Dusk Madame Aema 3 1989 Come Come Come Upward Bi-gu Gagman Taxi driver Shock Continues Long 1990 Oseam Mayumi Choi Kang-il Ggok-Ji-Ddan The Dream Pyeong-mok My Love, My Bride Pastor1991 Stairways of Heaven Detective agency employee Things that Sadden My Wife Prosecutor Fly High Run Far The Mulberry Field Traveler 1992 Kim's War Homeroom teacher The World Is Beautiful Enough to Live In Choon-sik A Keeper of the Heart 1993 First Love Park Young-shin's father The Supreme Order Lee Hwa-ryong Seopyeonje Cheon-ga Two Cops Tae-seong1994 The Eternal Empire Sim Hwan-ji The Man of 49 Days Detective 1 Rosy Life Company president Han The Taebaek Mountains How to Top My Wife Hit man1995 Bitter and Sweet Gun and Gun Kim Nun-seok The Hair Dresser Rosen Lee Who Drives Me Crazy Hwang Dal-soo Millions in My Account 1996 Seven Reasons Why Beer Is Better Than a Lover Video shop owner Karuna Yang Cheon-soo 1996 Mulberry Sam-bo Love Story Sung-woo's office story Jungle Story Senior colleague The Adventures of Mrs. Park (cameo)1997 The Rocket Was Launched The Audition Director Jin Father Mr. Park Hallelujah Destiny Director Choi 1998 The Happenings Jang Deok-bae 2000 Pisces Department head Choi2001 Love Her Owner Paradise Villa Taxi driver2005 Blood Rain Royal emissary Choi Princess Aurora Chief of detective squad2006 Hanbando Kim Hong-soon Traces of Love Seo Min-joo's father2008 Santamaria Old man Mr. Shin Summer Whispers Professor Noh 2010 Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle Ja-woon 2011 The Client Professor Ahn 2014 A Dynamite Family Father

Television series Year Title Role 1995 Jazz Boss Kang 1996 Papa Shin Shin-ho Reporting for Duty Woo Myung-do When the Salmon Returns Young-chae's father 1997 The Angel Within 1998 Six Children The King and the Queen Han Myung-hoi 2000 Three Friends Did You Ever Love? 2001 Pretty Woman Director Dokgo 2002 Sunlight Upon Me Age of Innocence Uncle 2003 Drama City: "The Barley Field" Choi Young-dal She is Cool 2006 Seoul 1945 Lee In-pyung Special of My Life Baek-Gom-PaBaek-Gom-Pa literally means "White Bear Gang." boss Cloud Stairs Doctor Byun 2007 Bong-jae Returns Park Bong-jae Auction House Heo Myung-hwan 2008 The Great King, Sejong Ha Ryun Daughter-in-Law Ma Pyung-moon 2009 The Quiet Village Chief minister Hot Blood Ha Ryu's father 2010 The Reputable Family Choi Won-young 2014 Gunman in Joseon Kim Jwa-young KBS Drama Special: "The Girl Who Became a Photo" Min Sung-taek Healer Park Jung-dae, the Elder 2015Six Flying DragonsYi In-gyeom2016 Monster Jo Ki-ryang Sweet Stranger and Me Chairman Kwon 2017 Untouchable Goo Yong-chan 2018 Mr. Sunshine Heungseon Daewongun 2020 Royal Secret Agent Kang In-chung 2021 Lovers of the Red SkyHa Ram's grandfather (cameo)

Theater Year Title Role The Little Prince The Collector The Merchant of Venice Equus Hamlet King Lear Lear Head of Dried Walleye Pollack A Dwarf Launches a Little Ball A Streetcar Named Desire Death of a Salesman You Can See Apgujeong-dong from Oksu-dong Oliver! The Unfilial Son Is Weeping 99 품바 Beautiful Street 1980 Father's Sea 1983 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? George 1985 Annie 1992 Marvelous Guys 2000 Guys and Dolls The Beautiful Distance 2002 Years of a Mother's Love 2009 American Buffalo Don 2012 The Watch (Heavenly Clock) King Sejong2013 Marriage Butler It Was a Little Darkness in the Hole of a Wooden Gong Mang-ryeong

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1980 Korea Theater Festival Best Actor Father's Sea 1983 20th Dong-A Theatre Awards Best Actor Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1985 Producers' Group Acting Awards Most Entertaining in Theater Annie 1989 13th Seoul Theater Festival Best Actor 1991 Love Theater Festival Best Actor 1995 33rd Grand Bell Awards Best Supporting Actor The Eternal Empire 1999 KBS Drama Awards Best Supporting Actor

Election results Year Elections Constituency Political party Votes (%) Results 2004 17th National Assembly General Election Proportional representation (35th) Uri 8,145,814 (38.26%) Not Elected 2010 2010 By-election Taebaek-Yeongwol-Pyeongchang-Jeongseon (Gangwon) Democratic 32,661 (55.01%) Won

References

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