Uhm Tae-goo (엄태구), born on November 9, 1983, is a South Korean actor known for his deep voice, intense stage presence, and often dark characters. He studied film at Konkuk University, made his debut in the late 2000s, and initially built his film career with small roles in I Saw the Devil, Spellbound, Secretly, Greatly or even Veteran.
He really made a name for himself in 2016 with The Age of Shadows, in which he plays Hashimoto, a menacing and brutal Japanese officer. His performance earned him the Grand Bell Award for Best Supporting Actor. He went on to star in To a Taxi Driver, The Great Battle and above all Night in Paradise, a noir thriller in which he plays one of his first major film roles opposite Jeon Yeo-been.
On television, Uhm Tae-goo first appeared in several supporting roles before gaining prominence with Save Me 2 in 2019. In it, he plays Kim Min-cheol, a violent, marginalized man facing off against a community manipulated by a cult. In 2021, he went on to play one of the leading roles in Hometown, and then appears in Dr. Brain.
His career took a more mainstream turn in 2024 with My Sweet Mobster. In it, he plays Seo Ji-hwan, a former gangster turned business executive, in a romantic comedy that allows him to showcase a much more tender and comedic side of himself. That same year, he joined the fantasy drama Light Shop as Kim Hyun-min.
In 2025, he appears in the political thriller Tempest. As for movies, he is expected to appear in 2026 in Wild Sing and Hope. It is also set to return to the forefront in 2027 with I Am a Sinner, where he will play the role of Saeng-dak.
