Choi Jae-rim
Choi Jae-rim | |
|---|---|
_%EB%B3%B4%EB%8A%94_%EB%9D%BC%EB%94%94%EC%98%A4.jpg) Choi in 2025 | |
| Born | April 29, 1985 Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea |
| Other names | Zev Choi |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Singer |
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Musical Threatre |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | For Kyyks |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 최재림 |
| Hanja | 崔載林 |
| RR | Choe Jaerim |
| MR | Ch'oe Chaerim |
| Website | www |
Choi Jae-rim (Korean: 최재림; born on April 29, 1985) is a South Korean musical theatre actor. Since making his professional debut in 2009 as Tom Collins in Rent, he has portrayed a wide range of iconic roles, including Gabe in Next to Normal, Judas Iscariot in Jesus Christ Superstar, Lola in Kinky Boots, Gringoire in Notre-Dame de Paris, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Miss Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical, Radames in Aida, the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. Known for his powerful vocals, precise diction, and commanding stage presence, Choi is regarded as one of the leading figures in contemporary Korean musical theatre.
He has received multiple accolades, including the Korea Musical Award for Best Actor for his performance as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical (2019)[1], and Best Supporting Actor for his role as Billy Flynn in Chicago (2022)[2].
On screen, Choi has played Jung Jae-woong in Green Mothers' Club (2022), Kim Yoon-beom in Lies Hidden in My Garden (2023), and Kwon Seong-soo in A Virtuous Business (2024).
In addition to his work on stage and screen, he has appeared on two televised singing competition shows: The King of Masked Singers (Korean: 미스터리 음악쇼 복면가왕; aired on MBC in 2020), where he became the 41st "King of Masked Singers,"[3] and Lotto Singer (Korean: 로또싱어; aired on MBN from 2020 to 2021)[4], which he won after competing against 44 other professional singers.
Career
After serving as a choir following his elder brother in the cathedral, which he has been attending for a long time since his childhood, he started taking vocal music lessons in his second year of high school with his mother's recommendation. Usually, it started quite late considering the entrance examination process for arts and sports, but he entered the department of vocal music at Kyungwon University and graduated with the highest grade. However, when he thought that he was trapped in a frame while singing, he met his successor who was doing musicals while serving in the military and became interested in musicals. After being discharged from the military, he went to enter Park Kalin's Kick Musical Academy to audition for musicals, and sang "This Moment". He was cast as Colin in the musical Rent because he caught the eyes of the staff who were auditioning for Rent in the 2009 season in the same space. Later, in 2010, he appeared in a chorus of men's qualifications and became a famous figure at one point.[5]
Stage
Musical
| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Rent | Tom Collins | KEPCO Art Center | January 9 – March 29, 2009 | Stage debut |
| Hairspray | Seaweed | KEPCO Art Center | November 28, 2009 – February 2, 2010 | ||
| 2010 | The Fortress (Korean: 남한산성) | Jeong Myeong-su (Korean: 정명수) | Seongnam Arts Center Opera House | September 30 – October 17, 2010 | |
| 2011 | Spring Awakening | Georg | Doosan Art Center Yonkang Hall | June 3 – September 4, 2011 | |
| Next to Normal | Gabe | Doosan Art Center Yonkang Hall | November 18, 2011 – February 12, 2012 | Original Korean cast | |
| 2012 | Visitor | Guest / Hunter / Bar owner | Miarigogae Arts Theater | September 7 – September 28, 2012 | Original cast |
| Daehakro Arts Theater Namu and Mul | October 5 – October 25, 2012 | ||||
| Assassins | Lee Harvey Oswald / The Balladeer | Doosan Art Center Yonkang Hall | November 20 – February 3, 2013 | ||
| 2015 | The Twelve Songs of Gaya (Korean: 가야십이지곡) | Ureuk (Korean: 우륵) | Art One Theater Hall 2 | January 24 – February 1, 2015 | Original cast |
| Jesus Christ Superstar | Judas Iscariot & Jesus (3 performances by special request) | Charlotte Theater | June 7 – September 13, 2015 | ||
| See What I Wanna See | The Thief / Reporter | SEEYA the Project Box | October 30 – November 15, 2015 | ||
| Next to Normal | Gabe | Doosan Art Center Yonkang Hall | December 16, 2015 – March 13, 2016 | ||
| 2016 | Airport Baby | Josh Cohen | Art One Theater Hall 1 | February 23 – March 6, 2016 | Original cast |
| Edgar Allan Poe | Edgar Allan Poe | Kwanglim Arts Center BBCH Hall | May 26 – July 24, 2016 | Original cast | |
| Trace U | Lee Woo Bin (Korean: 이우빈) | Art One Theater Hall 1 | August 3 – September 25, 2016 | ||
| See What I Wanna See | The Thief / Reporter | Hongik University Daehangno Arts Center Small Theater | September 27 – November 20, 2016 | ||
| 2017 | Airport Baby | Josh Cohen | Dream Art Center Hall 1 | October 17, 2017 – January 14, 2018 | |
| 2018 | Kinky Boots | Lola | Blue Square Interpark Hall | January 31 – April 1, 2018 | |
| Notre-Dame de Paris | Gringoire | Sejong Center Grand Theater | June 8 – August 5, 2018 | ||
| Matilda the Musical | Miss Trunchbull | LG Arts Center | September 8, 2018 – February 10, 2019 | Original Korean cast | |
| 2019 | City of Angels | Stine | Chungmu Arts Center Grand Theater | August 7 – October 20, 2019 | Original Korean cast |
| Aida | Radames | Blue Square Interpark Hall | November 16, 2019 – February 23, 2020 | ||
| 2020 | Rent | Tom Collins | D-cube Arts Center | June 13 – August 22, 2020 | |
| Kinky Boots | Lola | Blue Square Interpark Hall | August 21 – November 1, 2020 | ||
| Airport Baby | Josh Cohen | Shinhan Card FAN Square Live Hall | November 11, 2020 – January 31, 2021 | ||
| A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder | The D'Ysquith Family | Hongik University Daehangno Arts Center Grand Theater | November 20, 2020 – March 1, 2021 | ||
| 2021 | Chicago | Billy Flynn | Daesung D-cube Arts Center | April 2 – July 18, 2021 | |
| Hadestown | Hermes | LG Arts Center | September 7, 2021 – February 27, 2022 | Original Korean cast | |
| 2022 | Something Rotten! | William Shakespeare | Universal Arts Center | February 17 – April 10, 2022 | |
| Aida | Radames | Blue Square Shinhan Card Hall | May 17 – August 10, 2022 | ||
| Kinky Boots | Lola | Chungmu Arts Center Grand Theater | July 20 – October 23, 2022 | ||
| Matilda the Musical | Miss Trunchbull | Daesung D-Cube Arts Center | October 5, 2022 – February 26, 2023 | ||
| 2023 | The Phantom of the Opera | The Phantom of the Opera | Charlotte Theater | August 11 – November 17, 2023 | |
| Keimyung Arts Center (Daegu, Korea) | December 22, 2023 – February 4, 2024 | ||||
| Les Misérables | Jean Valjean | Dream Theater (Busan, Korea) | October 15 – November 19, 2023 | ||
| Blue Square Shinhan Card Hall | November 30, 2023 – March 10, 2024 | ||||
| 2024 | The Last Five Years | Jamie Wellerstein | Sejong Center S Theater | January 17 – April 7, 2024 | |
| Chicago | Billy Flynn | D-cube Link Arts Center | June 7 – September 29, 2024 | ||
| Hadestown | Hermes | Charlotte Theater | August 13 – October 6, 2024 | ||
| Dream Theater (Busan, Korea) | October 18 – November 3, 2024 | ||||
| Kinky Boots | Lola | Blue Square Shinhan Card Hall | October 1 – November 10, 2024 | ||
| Cyrano | Cyrano de Bergerac | Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater | December 4, 2024 – February 23, 2025 | ||
| 2025 | Jekyll & Hyde | Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde | Blue Square Shinhan Card Hall | March 1 – May 18, 2025 | |
| The Bridges of Madison County | Robert Kincaid | Kwanglim Arts Center BBCH Hall | May 1 – July 13, 2025 |
Opera
| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Rita | Gaspar | Chungmu Arts Center Theater Black | November 8 – November 9, 2014 | Original Korean cast [7] |
| 2015 | November 11 – November 15, 2015 | [8] | |||
| 2016 | October 28 – November 6, 2016 | [9] |
Play
| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Guards at the Taj | Humayun | Daemyung Culture Factory Lifeway Hall | August 1 – October 15, 2017 | [10] |
Filmography
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Green Mothers' Club | Jung Jae-woong | Small screen debut | [11] |
| 2023 | Lies Hidden in My Garden | Kim Yoon-beom | [12] | |
| 2024 | A Virtuous Business | Kwon Seong-soo | [13] |
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Qualifications of Men | Choir Audition Judge / Vocal Trainer | [14] | |
| 2020 | The King of Masked Singers | Contestant | Won and became the 41st "King of Masked Singers" | [15] |
| 2020 - 2021 | Lotto Singer | Contestant | Winner | [16] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The 6th Korea Art and Culture Awards | Best Musical Theatre Actor | Won[17] | |
| 2019 | The 3rd Korea Musical Awards | Best Actor | Matilda the Musical | Won[18] |
| 2021 | The 5th Korea Musical Awards | Best Actor | Airport Baby | Nominated[19] |
| 2022 | The 6th Korea Musical Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Chicago | Won[20] |
| The 16th Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) Awards | Star of the Year | Won[21] | ||
| 2023 | The 7th Korea Musical Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Something Rotten! | Nominated[22] |
| 2024 | The 8th Korea Musical Awards | Best Actor | The Phantom of the Opera | Nominated[23] |
| The 18th Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) Awards | Star of the Year | The Phantom of the Opera & Les Misérables | Won[24] | |
| The 15th Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards | Prime Minister's Commendation | Won[25] | ||
| 2025 | The 18th NOL Ticket Golden Ticket Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | Won[26] |
References
- ^ "[종합] 제3회 한국뮤지컬어워즈, 주연상 수상 '박효신·최재림·정영주'". The Korea Securities Daily News (in Korean). January 15, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "[한국뮤지컬어워즈] `시카고` 최재림, 남우조연상 수상". Yeonhap News (in Korean). January 10, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "'복면가왕' 방패=최재림, 정체 밝혀지는 순간 최고 시청률 11.7%". Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). June 8, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "[종영] '로또싱어' 최재림 반전의 1위…가장 뜨거웠던 4%". Star Today (in Korean). January 17, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ Lee, Sol-whi. "[NC인터뷰]'렌트' 최재림, 깊이감을 더한 11년의 시간" [[NC Interview] "Rent" Choi Jaerim, 11 years of depth].
- ^ "최재림". PlayDB (in Korean). July 18, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "뮤지컬스타 이경수·최재림, 즐거운 오페라 도전기 '리타'". Newsis (in Korean). October 23, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ ""오페라도 재밌고 쉽다는 것 '리타'로 확인해 보세요"… 뮤지컬 배우로 오페라 도전 최재림·이경수". Kookmin Ilbo (in Korean). November 1, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ "믿고 보는 오페라…충무아트센터 '리타' 돌아온다". Play DB (in Korean). October 11, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ "연극 '타지마할의 근위병' 최재림 "작품 속 대립을 삶에 적용할 수 있을 것"". Munhwa News (in Korean). August 9, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ Park, Soo-in (July 9, 2021). 최재림 이규한 '그린마더스클럽' 이요원 추자현 남편 된다(공식) [Choi Jae-rim and Lee Gyu-han become husband of ‘Green Mothers' Club’ Lee Yo-won and Choo Ja-hyun (Official)] (in Korean). Newsen. Retrieved October 2, 2024 – via Naver.
- ^ Hwang, Hyo-i (May 19, 2023). 임지연 벼랑 끝으로 내모는 악랄한 남편 최재림(마당이 있는 집) [Lim Ji-yeon's wicked husband Choi Jae-rim who pushes her to the edge of a cliff (House with a Yard)] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2024 – via Naver.
- ^ Kim, Hyun-rok (September 9, 2024). 김소연, 성인용품 판매 뛰어든다...최재림, 또 문제적 남편('정숙한 세일즈') [Kim So-yeon, Jumps into Adult Product Sales...Choi Jae-rim, Another Problematic Husband ('Quiet Sales')] (in Korean). SPOTV News. Retrieved October 2, 2024 – via Naver.
- ^ Go, Kyung-seok (July 11, 2010). '남격' 일곱 멤버들, 합창단 테스트에 '쩔쩔' [Seven members of 'Man's Qualification' are 'struggling' with the choir test] (in Korean). Asia Gyeongje. Retrieved October 2, 2024 – via Naver.
- ^ "'복면가왕' 방패=최재림, 정체 밝혀지는 순간 최고 시청률 11.7%". Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). June 8, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ "[종영] '로또싱어' 최재림 반전의 1위…가장 뜨거웠던 4%". Star Today (in Korean). January 17, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ "[bnt포토] 기념촬영 중인 뮤지컬부문 수상자 최재림(대한민국예술문화인대상)". bntnews (in Korean). September 6, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "[종합] 제3회 한국뮤지컬어워즈, 주연상 수상 '박효신·최재림·정영주'". The Korea Securities Daily News (in Korean). January 15, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "뮤지컬 '마리 퀴리'·'썸씽로튼', 뮤지컬어워즈 최다 후보". Yeonhap News (in Korean). December 21, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "[한국뮤지컬어워즈] `시카고` 최재림, 남우조연상 수상". Yeonhap News (in Korean). January 10, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "3년 만에 귀환한 'DIMF 어워즈'로 대구국제뮤지컬축제 성황리에 막 내려". Daegu Ilbo (in Korean). July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "최다 노미네이트…제7회 한국뮤지컬어워즈 최종 후보 공개". The Musical (in Korean). December 20, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "'한국뮤지컬어워즈' 남우주연상 후보 최재림". Yeonhap News (in Korean). January 15, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "'최재림-유준상-김준수-마이클 리-윤공주-신영숙, 대구국제뮤지컬페스티벌 '올해의 스타상' 수상". NC TV (in Korean). July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "박칼린, 최재림 '국무총리 표창' 대리 수훈 [포토엔HD]". Newsen (in Korean). November 1, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "임영웅, '골든티켓어워즈' 대상 포함 2관왕…뮤지컬·연극 부문엔 '킹키부츠'·'맥베스'". Maeil Ilbo (in Korean). May 19, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
External links
- Official website
(in Korean) - Choi Jae-rim at IMDb
- Choi Jae-rim at HanCinema