Honestly, most of us first saw him as the guy with the sleazy ponytail and the neck tattoo. You know the one. As Son Myeong-oh in Netflix's global hit The Glory, Kim Gun-woo didn't just play a villain; he played a character you genuinely loved to hate, then felt weirdly sorry for, then hated again. It’s the kind of performance that makes an actor an overnight sensation. But if you think he just appeared out of thin air in 2022 to bully Song Hye-kyo, you've actually missed out on a pretty fascinating career climb.
He isn't just "the bully." He’s a Korea National University of Arts grad who almost quit acting because he couldn't catch a break. Before the world knew his name, he was borrowing money from his agency just to eat. Fast forward to 2026, and he’s one of the most versatile faces in the K-drama industry, pivoting from terrifying psychos to dandy lawyers without breaking a sweat.
The Breakthrough: Why The Glory Changed Everything
It's impossible to talk about Kim Gun-woo movies and tv shows without starting at the deep end. In The Glory, Myeong-oh was the "bottom of the food chain" among the bullies. He was the errand boy for the rich kids, the one who did the dirty work but never got the respect. Kim Gun-woo played that desperation so well. He gave the character a raw, twitchy energy that made him feel dangerous and pathetic at the same time.
Funny thing is, he’s actually nothing like that in real life. If you’ve seen him on variety shows like My Little Old Boy (also known as Mom’s Diary), you know he’s actually super polite and kinda shy. He even apologized to Kim Woo-bin once because people kept saying they looked alike! That’s the level of "good kid" energy we’re talking about here.
The Early Years: From Fight for My Way to Psychos
Before he was Myeong-oh, he was actually a rival to Park Seo-joon. Yeah, really.
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- Fight for My Way (2017): This was his debut. He played Kim Tak-soo, a star MMA fighter who was basically the arrogant antagonist. He had the bleached hair and the cocky attitude down. It was a solid start, but he was mostly "that one guy" you recognized but couldn't name.
- Less Than Evil (2018): This is where things got dark. He played Jang Hyung-min, a serial killer who is also a prosecutor. Talk about a range. If you want to see where his "scary eyes" came from, watch this one.
- Live (2018): He played a much more grounded, human role here as a police officer. It showed he didn't always have to be the bad guy.
- Catch the Ghost (2019): Back to the villainous side, playing a gang leader. He was starting to get typecast, but he was so good at it that nobody really complained.
Record of Youth and the "Almost" Fame
In 2020, he showed up in Record of Youth as Park Do-ha. He played a top star who was, again, kind of a jerk to Park Bo-gum’s character. He was great, but the roles weren't quite leading-man material yet.
He actually admitted in interviews that during this time, he was struggling. He’d make it to the final round of auditions and then... nothing. He was living on "re-broadcasting fees," which in the actor world is basically pocket change. It’s wild to think that the guy who would eventually dominate Netflix was almost ready to pack it in and find a different job.
The 2025-2026 Shift: Dandyism and Legal Battles
If 2023 was the year of the villain, 2025 and 2026 have been the years of the "Transformation."
One of the most talked-about recent entries in the list of Kim Gun-woo movies and tv shows is the drama Last Summer (2025). He plays Seo Soo-hyeok, a high-end appeals specialist lawyer. He traded the tattoos for bespoke suits and a 100% win rate (well, until he meets the female lead). It was a 180-degree turn. No more screaming or fighting; he was calculating, calm, and "dandy."
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Then you have his film work. While he’s mostly been a TV staple, his roles in movies like The Ultimate Oppa and more recent projects have shown he can carry a bigger screen presence. He’s moved away from being the "supporting antagonist" to being the "complex lead."
A Quick Cheat Sheet of His Must-Watch Work
- The Villain Peak: The Glory (Obviously).
- The Hidden Gem: KBS Drama Special: Let’s Meet in an Unfamiliar Season. It’s a short, sweet story about two people in COVID-19 quarantine. He’s incredibly soft and charming in this. It’ll give you whiplash if you just watched him in The Glory.
- The Action Start: Fight for My Way.
- The New Era: Last Summer.
Why He’s Not Just Another Face
There’s a specific nuance Kim Gun-woo brings to his roles. He doesn't just play "evil." He plays "human beings who make terrible choices." He once said he didn't see Myeong-oh as a victim, but he approached the role with a sense of "purity"—meaning the character didn't really understand the weight of his own malice. That’s a high-level acting choice that most people miss.
He also has a background in musical theater. He was in the musical The Days (Gunal-deul), which explains why he has such good control over his voice and body language. Actors who can sing and move on stage usually have a much better "presence" on camera, and you can see that in his fight scenes.
What’s Next?
As we head deeper into 2026, the buzz is all about his potential move into more international collaborations. After the success of The Childe (2023) and his recent TV wins, he’s reportedly looking at scripts that involve more psychological depth.
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If you're looking to dive into the world of Kim Gun-woo movies and tv shows, don't just stick to the Netflix hits. Go back and watch his short films and his early support roles. You’ll see a guy who worked his way up from the absolute bottom, dealing with the same "job hunt" frustrations we all do, until he finally kicked the door down.
The best way to appreciate his career is to watch The Glory and then immediately jump into Let's Meet in an Unfamiliar Season. Seeing those two characters side-by-side is the only proof you need that he’s one of the best of his generation.
If you want to stay updated on his 2026 schedule, keep an eye on Blossom Entertainment’s official announcements. They’ve been teasing a new film project that might finally see him in a full-blown romantic lead role—no murder or bullying involved this time.