When he was a senior in high school, Lim joined the theater group called Kwangto, an acronym of Kwangdae Tokkaebi referring to traditional performers and hobgoblins in Korean, where he was first introduced to theatrical performance. Lim then played the role of the pastor in The Good Doctor by Neil Simon and won the prize of best performance in the Fourth Youth Theater Festival in 2000. He also directed the play, Pay Tuition Back, at the school festival. He continues to maintain a good friendship with fellow actor Shin Dong-wook, whom he met at the time.[2]
After graduating from high school, Lim began his professional career in modeling at The Men, a modeling and acting agency.[3]
He also enrolled at Daejin University for his undergraduate and graduate studies in theatre and film.[2][4]
Career
2004–2008: Beginnings
Lim made his first professional television debut on Magic, aired on SBS in 2004, and made his film debut in A Millionaire's First Love in 2006, followed by a series of supporting roles, notably in The Snow Queen (2006) and Boys Over Flowers (2009). He received favorable reviews for his performance as a blind painter in episode 10 of Auction House, a 2007 TV series revolving around the art world which aired on MBC.
2009–2010: Rising popularity and breakthrough
Lim's breakthrough came in his first leading role in the 2009 MBC series Tamra, the Island. Set in Jeju Island, Haenam in South Jeolla Province, it was a hybrid form of TV drama that combined romantic comedy and historical fiction. It portrayed the relationship between Koreans and foreigners in 17th century Joseon.[5] Though it received low ratings, Tamra, the Island gained a cult following. Lim later won New Actor of the Year at the 2009 Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards for his performance.
To capitalize on his growing fan base in Japan due to Tamra, the Island,[6][7] Lim starred in the 2-episode special drama Marriage War of Doenjang-kun and Natto-chan, about a Korean man and a Japanese woman who fall in love while working together on a Korea-Japan joint project.[8]
2011–2012: Military enlistment
What's Up, the long-delayed musical campus drama that Lim filmed in 2010, finally aired on cable channel MBN in 2011. It was written by renowned drama scribe Song Ji-na (Sandglass) and is the story of college students learning acting and performance arts in the university's musical theatre department. Lim played the leading role of Jang Je-hun, a cynical outsider who becomes completely immersed in the world of musicals.[9] He followed that with a supporting role as a warm-hearted homeless man with Tourette's syndrome in the film The Suicide Forecast in 2011.
In 2011, Lim enlisted for his mandatory military service.[10][11] During basic training, he fainted due to heart problems and was hospitalized for 3 months. He then completed his service despite being given the option for an early discharge.[12] Prior to entering military service Lim left his agency Yedang Entertainment.[13]
^Park, So-young (June 18, 2024). 임주환, 차태현 곁 떠나 진기주 식구로..에프엘이엔티 전속계약 [공식] [Lim Joo-hwan leaves Cha Tae-hyun and joins Jin Ki-joo's family.. Exclusive contract with FLENT [Official]] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Naver.
^Jeong Bit (June 22, 2022). [공식]이하나x임주환, '삼남매가 용감하게' 출연...주말 안방 찾는다 [[Official] Hana Lee x Joo-Hwan Lim to appear in 'Three Siblings Bravely'... looking for a weekend home] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Na-young (December 6, 2021). 차태현X조인성 다시 한 번 '어쩌다 사장' 된다…"시즌2 내년 상반기 방송" [Cha Tae-Hyun X Jo In-Sung Becomes the 'Chief' Once Again... "Season 2 broadcast in the first half of next year"]. mksports (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2021 – via Naver.
^Kang, Min-kyung (September 27, 2023). [공식] 美 한인마트서 영업하는 차태현·조인성…'어쩌다 사장3' 10월 26일 첫 방송 [[Official] Cha Tae-hyun and Jo In-seong operate at a Korean supermarket in the U.S.… 'Somehow I'm the President 3' first airs on October 26th] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023 – via Naver.
^Lee Min-ji (September 3, 2021). 임주환, 연극 무대 오른다...'욕망이라는 이름의 전차' 출연(공식) [Im Joo-hwan, going on stage in a play... Appeared in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (official)]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021 – via Naver.
^Ahn Tae-hyun (January 1, 2023). 윤시윤·임주환·박지영·이하나, 장편드라마 우수상 [KBS연기대상] [Yoon Si-yoon, Lim Ju-hwan, Park Ji-young, and Lee Ha-na, Feature Award for Excellence in Drama [KBS Drama Awards]] (in Korean). News1. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via Naver.
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