Park Hae-il

South Korean actor Park Hae-il had been working for years in theater and had two minor roles in feature films--"Waikiki Brothers" and "Who Are You?"--before turning heads with his part in the 2002 film "Jealousy Is My Middle Name." In the film, Park plays a man who is dumped by his strong-willed photographer girlfriend for a much-older man.

Only problem is, the other man is married and is a habitual womanizer who treats his affairs poorly. He's also Park's boss. The next year the boyish-looking actor had a memorable role in Joon-ho Bong's acclaimed crime thriller "Memories of Murder," a film about detectives on the hunt of a serial killer.

The film was based on a true story and was a hit around the world, notable for its performances and for its dark mood and style. Park followed "Memories of Murder" up with another strong performance in the light romantic comedy "My Mother, the Mermaid," released the following year in 2004.

In 2006, Park reunited with director Bong for the outlandish genre-bending monster movie "The Host," playing one of the family members that must do battle with a giant amphibious creature that is waging havoc on a Korean city.

Park has also had major roles in the thrillers "Paradise Murdered" and "Moss," and in the historical drama "Modern Boy."