Kim Tae-pyung (born September 25, 1982), better known as Hyun Bin, is a South Korean actor. He gained widespread recognition for his role in the 2005 romantic comedy TV drama My Name is Kim Sam-soon. Since then, he has appeared in leading roles in other successful television shows, including the romantic fantasy drama Secret Garden (2010–2011), fantasy drama Memories of the Alhambra (2018–2019), and romantic drama Crash Landing on You (2019–2020). Hyun Bin's popularity was further widened by starring in a series of box office hits: the action thriller Confidential Assignment (2017) and its 2022 sequel, as well as the crime thrillers The Swindlers (2017) and The Negotiation (2018). He was Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year in 2011. The success of Hyun Bin's works internationally established him as a top Hallyu star. He is among the highest paid and most influential actors in South Korea. Hyun drew praise from critics for his performance in melodrama film Late Autumn, which was screened at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. Throughout his television and film career, he has been nominated for several iconic awards, including five at the Baeksang Arts Awards, and won various accolades for his acting recognition, including the Grand Prize (Daesang) for TV at the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards. Career 2003–2007: Career beginnings and rise to stardom Hyun Bin's first film was Shower in 2002. However, filming was stopped and was not released due to lack of proper funding. Hyun eventually made his debut as an actor in the 2003 television series Bodyguard. He then starred in the sitcom Nonstop 4 and quirky romance drama Ireland, and made his film debut the same year in the youth sports film Spin Kick. Hyun shot to stardom with the 2005 romantic comedy TV series My Lovely Sam Soon with Kim Sun-a, for which Hyun won the Top Excellence Award at the MBC Drama Awards. My Lovely Sam Soon was a massive hit with average viewership ratings of over 37% and recorded 50.5% for the finale, making it one of the highest-rated Korean drama of all time. The explosive popularity of the drama and his portrayal as Sam-sik established Hyun Bin as a top star in South Korea and a Hallyu star as his popularity expanded beyond South Korea to Japan and other countries in Asia. Following the success of My Lovely Sam Soon, Hyun starred in lead role in