Seo Hyun-woo (born 20 November 1983) is a South Korean actor who began his career on stage and made his debut in a musical in 2010.

However, the immense academic pressure he faced caused him to lose interest in his studies, leaving him feeling adrift.

As a result, in his second year, he decided to join a theater class, which helped him better manage his emotions despite his quick temper.

In his early twenties, feeling lost and facing challenges, the impending military service intensified his sense of helplessness.

They recited lines from Greek tragedies like Sophocles and Aeschylus, and they pondered if Hamlet felt this way or if Othello's anger was like this.

Despite paying a monthly tuition of 850,000 won, attending a class three times a week with over 50 students proved inconvenient as he had to wait for his turn.

He regularly visited a nearby video store close to his residence at Kookmin University, renting three films per day.

Under the direction of Park Sang-ha and produced by The Glass Mask Theater Company, the play made its appearance at the 9th Off Daehakro Festival.

Seo's outstanding performance led him to receive the Acting Award at the 9th Off Daehakro Festival, capturing the attention of both audiences and critics alike.

[12] He took on a darker role in the same year, portraying Malcolm in Shakespeare's play Macbeth, directed by Lee Young-seok.

Actress Jeong Soo-young showcased her versatility by portraying five different roles, including Ophelia and Queen Gertrude.

Determined to make his mark, he diligently visited film companies on a daily basis, submitting his profile and attending auditions without fail.

[19] Also in 2015, Seo auditioned for role Lee in Korean revival of Sam Shepard's acclaimed True West, directed by Oh Man-seok, produced by Aligator Theater Company.

In the drama, he confronted Yoon Kye-sang in order to find out the truth regarding his lover and the victim of the incident, Yoo Yeon-jeong.

He reprised his role as Lee in Korean encore performance of playwright Sam Shepard's play True West Return.

[23][24] Then Seo appeared in the 2016 revival of Patrick Marber's hit play Closer, directed by Roh Deok as Larry.

[5] The recognition of his work came when Hatred (Baekcheon) received an official invitation to the esteemed Cannes International Film Festival.

Both Kim Eui-seok's After My Death and Lee Kwang-guk's A Tiger in Winter received invitations to the prestigious 22nd Busan International Film Festival held in October.

This film, titled Beautiful Days and directed by Yoon Jae-ho, captivated audiences and added to Seo's growing reputation as an actor.

Also in 2019, Seo Hyun-woo took on the role of In Dong-gu in the OCN Saturday-Sunday drama series titled The Lies Within, which was directed by Lee Yoon-jeong.

[30] In the same year, Seo showcased his versatility through notable roles such as Secretary Oh in Son Jae-gon's film Secret Zoo.

The drama was written by Yoo Jeong-hee, directed by Kim Cheol-gyu, and produced by Studio Dragon and Monster Union.

"[34]In 2021, Seo joined a concept performance live dubbing show, Exotic Garden, a combination of film screening with musical theater, directed by Jeon Gye-soo.

The show recreated the film by adding imagination and includes on-site dubbing by actors and the insertion of vivid sound effects by Foley artists.

In April 2022, Decision to Leave was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival,[41][42] where Park Chan-wook won Best Director.

[44] Seo acted as Sa Cheol-seong, a character who brings conflict to the story, particularly with Seorae (portrayed by Tang Wei).

After the audition, the director expressed admiration for Seo's performance but mentioned disappointment regarding his lack of an intimidating physical presence.

[46] In the same year, Seo Hyun-woo starred in the film Thunderbird, which follows the story of Tae-gyun, a taxi driver from Jeongseon, Gangwon-do, who searches for his brother's pawned car.

Directed by Lee Jae-won from the Korean Film Academy, the movie showcases Seo Hyun-woo's natural portrayal of Tae-gyun's desperation for money and the associated emotions, eliciting empathy, pity, and bitterness.

[47] It had its world premiere at the 24th Far East Film Festival on April 27, 2022, and was released theatrically on September 21, 2022, in South Korea.