Actor Kim Nam Gil Complete Profile, Facts, Photos and TMI

Kim Namgil Profile

Birth Name: 김남길 (Kim Nam Gil)
Stage Name: Kim Nam Gil
Nationality: South Korean
Date of Birth: 1981.03.13
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Chinese Zodiac: Rooster
Height: 183 cm (6’00″)
Weight: 70 kg (154.3 lbs)
Blood Type: AB
Agency: GiLSTORY ENT
Debut: 1999
Personal Social Media: Fancafe

Kim Namgil Facts & TMI

Kim Nam Gil was born in Seoul.
His family members consist of father, mother, and a younger brother.
Kim Nam Gil belongs to Gangneung Kim’s clan.
He is an atheist.
During high school, he decided to become an actor after he went to see ‘King Lear’ drama stage.
He studied at the Department of Theater, Seoul Institute of The Arts.
Because of his family’s financial circumstances, he spent his college years working part-time in many places. He couldn’t focus on his study, resulting in him being expelled from the university.
After that, Kim Nam Gil briefly studied at Myeongji University (majored in Theater), but he quit college to act on theater and drama stages.
He debuted in 1999 by playing a supporting role in the first installment of the KBS2 hit drama series ‘School’.
Kim Nam Gil passed MBC actor open audition in 2003.
During the early days of his debut, he used the stage name ‘Lee Han’ until 2006.
He used the stage name ‘Lee Han’ to avoid confession with senior actor Kang Nam Gil.
He suffered from a hit-and-run accident in 2003 which made him hospitalized for 6 months. He even had short-term amnesia due to the accident.
He rose to fame after playing the role of Bidam in 2009’s most-watched drama ‘The Great Queen Seondeok’.
Kim Nam Gil was actually cast to portray Chilsuk in ‘The Great Queen Seondeok’, but he asked the screenwriter to cast him as Bidam instead.
In 2010, he held a fan meeting that was attended by 5,000 fans.
Kim Nam Gil became a sexy and bad boy icon after starring in the drama ‘Bad Guy’ alongside Han Gain.
While filming the drama ‘Bad Guy’, Kim Nam Gil received notice to enlist in the military in July 2010 so he had to leave the drama halfway.
Due to the serious injury he suffered during a hit and run in 2003, Kim Nam Gil was assigned for public service instead of active duty. He worked as a parking attendant at Gangnam City Hall with SHINHWA member JunJin.
While completing his military service, Kim Nam Gil enrolled in the Chinese Language Department, Cyber Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
He completed his mandatory military service in July 2012.
His popularity skyrocketed again after starring in the SBS drama ‘The Fiery Priest’ as temperamental priest Kim Haeil.
In 2013 he founded an art, culture, and philantrophy NGO called Gilstory.
He said that his experience in helping the victims of earthquakes in Indonesia motivated him to establish Gilstory.
In addition to establishing a non-profit organization, he often participates in volunteer work abroad, participating in charities, and donating all profits from his fan meetings to people in need.
Kim Nam Gil was invited to Cannes Film Festival for ‘The Shameless’ in 2015 and ‘Emergency Declaration’ in 2021.
Kim Nam Gil earned the nickname “actor who specializes in dying” because the character he plays mostly dies at the end of the story.
Because he rarely uses stunts when shooting action scenes, he often suffers injuries, including while filming ‘The Great Queen Seondeok’, ‘Shark’ (episode 6), and ‘The Fiery Priest’ (episode 8).
Despite having the image of a “bad boy” or a “sexy guy”, his real personality is very outgoing and cute.
He has a lot of aegyo.
Due to his bright and puppy-like personality, fans nicknamed him “Puppy Gil”.
He is raising a cat named TamTam and a Welsh Corgi named Maru.
He can’t drink alcohol, he can only drink a maximum of 2 glasses of soju.
His face would turn red when he’s drunk.
In 2019, Kim Nam Gil (for the first time) became a fixed member of a variety show. He became a fixed cast for the travel show ‘Trans-Siberian Pathfinders’ alongside Lee Sun Kyun, Lee Sangyeob, Go Gyupil, and Kim Minsik.
He attained a yacht license for his appearance in the second season of ‘Pathfinders’ series called ‘K-Ocean Pathfinders’.
He nicknamed himself “Best Actor in the Whole Universe” (Best actor in the whole universe in Korean: 우주 최강 배우).
He is a very close friend to actor Ju Jihoon.
According to Ju Jihoon, Kim Nam Gil is the most talkative person he ever knew.
The character Moon Seonmo played by Ju Jihoon in the movie ‘Asura: The City of Madness’ was actually offered to Kim Nam Gil, but due to several reasons, the character was finally “given” to Ju Jihoon.
Kim Nam Gil is also close with many actors including Park Sungwoong, Lee Sun Kyun, Jeon Doyeon, Jung Woosung, Lee Jungjae, Ha Jungwoo, and Hyun Bin.
Kim Nam Gil’s movie ‘The Pirates’ attracted more than 8 million moviegoers and became his most successful movie and one of the most successful movies released in 2014.
He was involved in dating rumors with Son Yejin, his co-star in the movie ‘The Pirates’.
Kim Nam Gil received the Daesang award from the 2020 SBS Drama Awards and the 2020 Korean PD Awards through the drama ‘The Fiery Priest’.
Kim Nam Gil became the victim of a false rumor saying that he will marry actress Jang Nara in 2019.

Movies

‘Low Life’ as Police (2004)
‘Don’t Look Back’ as Seokwoo (2006)
‘No Regret’ as Song Jaemin (2006)
‘Public Enemy Returns’ as Park Munsu (2008)
‘Modern Boy’ as Hidaka Shinsuke (2008)
‘Portrait of a Beauty’ as Kangmu (2008)
‘Handphone’ as Jang Yoonho (2009)
‘Lovers Vanished’ as Im Suin (2010)
‘Ensemble’ (2012/ as producer)
‘Hello, Mom’ (2013/ short film, as director)
‘The Pirates’ as Jang Sajung (2014)
‘Glory for Everyone’ as Narrator (2014/ documentary)
‘The Shameless’ as Jung Jaegon (2015)
‘The Sound of a Flower’ as Heungseon Daewongun (2015)
‘Pandora’ as Kang Jaehyeok (2016)
‘Memoir of a Murderer’ as Min Taejoo (2017)
‘One Day’ as Lee Kangsoo (2017)
‘The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale’ as Park Mingul (2019)
‘The Closet’ as Heo Kyunghoon (2020)
‘Okay Madam’ as Cameo (2020)
‘Emergency Declaration’ as Hyunsoo (2021)
‘Guardian’ as Woojin (TBA)
‘Night Trip’ as Kang Horyeong (TBA)
‘Hunt’ as Cameo (TBA)

TV Series

‘School 1’ as Minsoo (KBS2/ 1999)
‘MBC Best Theater: Kang Jangsoo’s Love House’ (MBC/ 2004)
‘‘Nonstop 4’ as Hyun Bin’s friend (MBC/ 2004)
‘Sweet Buns’ as Hong Hyejan’s boyfriend (MBC/ 2004)
‘Be Strong, Geum-soon!’ as Noh Seonghwan (MBC/ 2005)
‘The 5th Republic’ as Park Jiman (MBC/ 2005)
‘My Lovely Sam Soon’ as Kim Byungtae (MBC/ 2005)
‘Goodbye Solo’ as Yoo Jian (KBS2/ 2006)
‘Lovers’ as Taesan (SBS/ 2006)
‘When Spring Comes’ as Kim Joonki (KBS2/ 2007)
‘Several Questions That Make Us Happy’ as Im Seokjoo (KBS2/ 2007)
‘Queen Seondeok’ as Bidam (MBC/ 2009)
‘Tears of the Amazon’ (MBC/ 2009/ Documentary, as narator)
‘Haiti, Tears of Tragedy’ (MBC/ 2010/ Documentary, as narrator)
‘Personal Taste’ as Cameo, episode 11 (MBC/ 2010)
‘Bad Guy’ as Shim Gunwook (SBS/ 2010)
‘Shark as Han Yisoo’ (KBS2/ 2013)
‘Live Up to Your Name’ as Heo Im (tvN/ 2017)
‘The Fiery Priest’ as Kim Haeil (SBS/ 2019)
‘Life of Samantha’ (SBS/ 2019/ Documentary, as narator)
‘Those Who Read Hearts of Evil’ as Song Hayoung (SBS/ 2022)
‘Island’ as Ban (OCN/ 2022)
‘The Bandit: Sound of Swords’ as Lee Yoon (Netflix/ TBA)

MV

‘Gift’ by Kim Janghoon (1999)
‘Attention’ by Lady (2005)
‘Start’ by M.Street (2005)
‘Don’t Forget, Don’t Forget’ by The Red (2005)
‘Just Ten’ Days by J (2007)

Discography

‘Can’t I Love You?’ (2010)
‘You Don’t Know’ (2013)
‘Roman’ (2013)

Variety Show (as Fixed Cast)

‘Trans-Siberian Pathfinders’ (tvN/ 2019)
‘K-Ocean Pathfinders’ (tvN/ 2020)

Variety Show (as Guest)

‘Knee Drop Guru’ (MBC/ 2010)
‘Abnormal Summit’ (jtbc/ 2016/ episode 128)
‘Life Bar’ (tvN/ 2017/ episode 18)
‘Kim Hyeonjeong Strong Interview’ (tvN/ 2019)
‘Masters in the House’ (SBS/ 2020/ episode 106~107)
‘Omniscient Interfering View’ (MBC/ 2021)