Choi Jae-rim
Choi Jae-rim | |
|---|---|
Choi in 2025 | |
| Born | April 29, 1985 Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea |
| Other names | Zev Choi |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Musical actor |
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Musical |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | For Kyyks |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 최재림 |
| Hanja | 崔載林 |
| Revised Romanization | Choe Jaerim |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'oe Chaerim |
| Website | www |
Choi Jae-rim (Korean: 최재림; born on April 29, 1985)[1] is a South Korean musical actor. His popularity rose sharply as he starred as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar in 2015 and Edgar Allan Poe in 2016. Since then, he has been active in small and medium-sized theaters and large theaters, becoming an "actor of trust" with his explosive voice, accurate diction, intelligent character interpretation and stable acting.[2]
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.[3]
Theater
Musical
| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Rent | Tom Collins | KEPCO Art Center | January 9 – March 29, 2009 | |
| 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 | ||
| 2012 | The Visitor | Guest / Hunter / Bar owner | Miarigogae Arts Theater | September 7 – September 28, 2012 | |
| 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 | |
| Jesus Christ Superstar | Judas Iscariot (main role) & Jesus (by special request-3 performances) | 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 | |
| Edgar Allan Poe | Edgar Allan Poe | Kwanglim Arts Center BBCH Hall | May 26 – July 24, 2016 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 2019 | City of Angels | Stine | Chungmu Arts Center Grand Theater | August 7 – October 20, 2019 | |
| 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 | ||
| 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 |
Filmography
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Green Mothers' Club | Jung Jae-woong | Small screen debut | [5] |
| 2023 | Lies Hidden in My Garden | Kim Yoon-beom | [6] | |
| 2024 | A Virtuous Business | Kwon Seong-soo | [7] |
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Qualifications of Men | Music judge | [8] |
References
- ^ Yang, Seung-hee (September 24, 2018). [뮤지컬 넥스트 투 노멀 인터뷰⑤] 최재림 “게이브는 무조건 내 것...살아 숨쉬는 존재로” [[Musical Next to Normal Interview ⑤] Choi Jae-rim “Gabe is mine unconditionally...as a living, breathing being”]. News Culture (in Korean). Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ Yang, won-min (June 3, 2024). [시선★피플] 뮤지컬계의 소지섭 ‘최재림’...묵찌빠와 복화술의 달인 [[Eyes on ★ People] So Ji-sub in the musical world, Choi Jae-rim... Master of Muk Chi Pa and ventriloquism].
- ^ Lee, Sol-whi. "[NC인터뷰]'렌트' 최재림, 깊이감을 더한 11년의 시간" [[NC Interview] "Rent" Choi Jaerim, 11 years of depth].
- ^ "최재림". The Musical (in Korean). July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 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.
External links
- Official website (in Korean)
- Choi Jae-rim at IMDb
- Choi Jae-rim at HanCinema