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Actor Uhm Tae-woong Steps Out of Pop Singer Sister's Shadow

By Han Eun-jung
Staff Reporter

To some, Uhm Tae-woong is known as one of 2005's most promising new talents who saw his career take off with a supporting role in "Sassy Girl, Chun-hyang", the television drama that was a modern take on the traditional folk tale, followed by a title role in the KBS miniseries "Life Again" (Revenge).

Such efforts bring us to the present, when Eom is starring alongside Eric Mun in the recently premiered MBC miniseries "Wolf".

Many of his casual fans will know that he is the younger brother of pop singer and actress Uhm Jung-hwa. However, to those who have followed his career more closely know that the younger sibling is in fact no newcomer to the scene, with his debut tracing back to a small part in the movie "The Happenings" in 1998.

A string of performances that went unnoticed followed. Then, Eom's career took a turn for the better when he gained recognition for his portrayal of a member of a suicide commando unit trained to kill Kim Il-sung in the 1960s in the 2003 blockbuster "Silmido".

Even then, it often took the mentioning of his older sister's name for audiences to recognize him, Eom has said in numerous interviews over the years.

But at the launching party of "Premium", his official fan club, which took place when "Life Again" (Revenge) was airing last fall, he said that he finally feels he is no longer seen as just "Uhm Jung-hwa's kid brother".

"I think I can say that I'm now free of that label", he said before a crowd made up of some 800 fans. Also on hand was his big sister, whom he later addressed as his ideal girlfriend type.

In "Wolf" Eom takes on the role of Yoon Sung-mo, a pompous yet hilariously sweet department store executive and son of a rich politician. Yoon is competing with Eric Mun to win the love of Han Ji-min.

The role is something entirely new for Eom, who has almost always played the Bad Guy.

In a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency, Eom said as the role was very different from his characters in "Sassy Girl, Chun-hyang" and "Life Again" (Revenge), it had him worried.

"The acting was a challenge as I didn't know how the audience would react seeing me whining and acting so childish", he said.

While he considers "Chunhyang" to be a piece in which he held back some "Life Again" (Revenge), was one where he felt he bared all.

"Having gone through that I feel more at ease now when acting", he said.

"Looking back on 2005, it is a year that I will remember fondly", he said. He added that he hopes to do a love story in the near future, his ultimate goal growing old and being able to carry out the father-role.

"Wolf" airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:50 p.m. on MBC.

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