K-drama actors are taking on baseball roles as the sport gains popularity in Korean content. Kim Woo-bin, Ryu Seung-ryong, Gong Myoung and Kim Rae-won are among the actors tied to upcoming baseball-themed dramas and films. The shift follows two straight years of more than 10 million professional baseball spectators, with women making up 54.4 percent of ticket buyers in 2024. Producers are also moving beyond old player-centered stories to new characters such as an interim manager, an agent and a recreational team.
This composite image shows actors set to star in baseball-themed dramas and films scheduled for release from September. Clockwise from bottom left are Ryu Seung-ryong, Choi Hyun-wook, Kim Rae-won, Gong Myoung and Kim Woo-bin. Courtesy of Netflix, JTBC, Lotte Entertainment and HB Entertainment; Newsis.
Kim Woo-bin and Ryu Seung-ryong have little in common in terms of age or acting style. Their filmographies, however, are about to gain one common thread, and it has something to do with baseball.
In December, Kim is set to appear in tvN drama “Gift,” a tentative English title, as a former baseball player who coaches a high school baseball team. Ryu, meanwhile, stars as a famous baseball player in the film “Portrait of a Family,” which opens next month.
